International Coffee Day 2020

International Coffee Day is here - a day that brings together coffee lovers across the globe. It’s also a day to support the millions of farmers who provide our coffee and whose livelihoods depend on it.

This year ​International Coffee Day​ is celebrating the entire coffee ecosystem​ and the connections that coffee allows us to make around the world. Here, we’ve taken a closer look at this important event on the coffee calendar and have detailed a few fun facts about it.

Celebrating ICD internationally

At Cafe2U we have come up with some creative ways you can get involved in the international aspect of the day - like these phrases so you can order coffee all over the world:

““Puis-je avoir un café s’il-vous-plaît?” (French)”

““¿Me puede dar un café por favor?” (Spanish)”

““Kann ich bitte einen Kaffee haben?” (German)”

““Posso avere un caffè, per favore?” (Italian)”

““Posso tomar um café, por favor” (Portuguese)”

You can find more translations in this ​blog​, including phrases in Russian, Chinese and Arabic.

Who drinks the most coffee in the world?

Now that you’ve got your language skills up to scratch let’s take a look at where the most coffee is consumed around the globe: (from ​Atlas​, per capita)

1. Finland
2. Norway
3. Iceland
4. Denmark
5. Netherlands
6. Sweden
7. Switzerland
8. Belgium
9. Luxembourg
10. Canada

We certainly think the UK needs to start catching up!

How you can celebrate ICD 2020 with Cafe2U

Cafe2U delivers coffee up and down the country and if you want to enjoy this day with the perfect cup of coffee, you can book one of our mobile coffee vans to bring our award-winning menu of delectable coffees and food to your workplace or event.

Whether it’s an industrial estate, office block or a 10k run, our mobile cafés can provide everything you need to celebrate International Coffee Day.

Top Five Best Autumn Coffee Recipes

Now that summer has officially ended it’s the perfect time to share five of our best autumn coffee recipes!

From spiced classics to underrated treats, dive into this list and find your new favourite coffee drink that you can make from home as the weather gets colder and the nights draw in - just be sure to make sure you let us know how you get on!

#1 Pumpkin Spice Latte

A well-known classic and one of the most popular drinks for this time of year. Here’s the ingredients that you will need:

• 1 1/2 tbsps of sugar

• 2 tbsps of pumpkin puree

• 1/2 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice

• 1/2 cup (4oz / 115g) brewed coffee

• 1/2 cups (4oz / 115g) milk

Once you’ve collected your ingredients, add them all to a saucepan.

Stir all of your ingredients in the pan until they simmer and then take your pan off heat and pour into a mug.

Then, decorate your drink with freshly whipped cream and a sprinkles of pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon. You can find the full recipe with instructions ​here​, as well as a ​video​ showing you how to do it!

#2 Homemade Iced Maple Latte

This one can be made with or without ice - it’s up to you!

Let's start with the ingredients:

• 1 cup of milk

• 1-2 cups of ice

• 1 1/2 cups of coffee or espresso, at room temperature (if you want a warm latte, you can leave your coffee warm and omit the ice)

• 2 tbsps of pure maple syrup

In a jar with a lid, pour milk and shake vigorously back and forth for a minute, until foamy. Take off the lid and microwave for 15 seconds. Fill two large glasses with ice (optional).

Pour coffee evenly between the glasses. Drizzle in maple syrup between two cups.

If you like your lattes on the sweeter side, use a more maple syrup per cup.

Using a spoon, hold back the foam and pour a little milk into each glass. Then, take spoonfuls of the foam to add on top of the latte. Stir to combine and then it’s all yours to enjoy!

You can find the full recipe ​here.

#3 Gingerbread Spiced Coffee

This is a sweet, indulgent, warming drink for those who want a change from hot chocolate.

Let’s get stuck in with the ingredients for serving six:

• 175g of black treacle

• 4 tbsps of dark brown soft sugar

• 1⁄2 a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda

• 1 teaspoon of ground ginger

• 3⁄4 of a teaspoon of ground cinnamon

• 1.5l of hot brewed coffee

• 250ml of single cream

• 100g of whipped cream

• 1 teaspoon of ground cloves

In a small bowl, mix together the black treacle, dark brown soft sugar, bicarb, ginger and cinnamon until well blended.

Cover all of this up and then refrigerate it for at least 10 minutes.

Add about 60ml of coffee to each cup, then stir in a tablespoon of the spice until dissolved.

Fill the cup to within an inch of the top with coffee. Stir in single cream to taste, then garnish with whipped cream and a light dusting of ground clove. Then you’re all set to enjoy your creation!

You can find the full recipe ​here​ with images and instructions.

#4 The Mocha

Treat yourself with a Mocha this autumn - we have found a recipe where you don’t even need a machine! Alternatively you can always order a mocha from your nearest Cafe2U van!

Here’s the ingredients to make a homemade mocha:

• 1 cup of milk

• 1 tbsp of cocoa powder

• 1 square of dark chocolate baking bar or 1 tbsp of dark chocolate chips for decoration

• 1 teaspoon of instant espresso powder or instant coffee

• 1 – 2 tbsp(s) of sugar

Firstly, heat your cup of milk over a pan on medium heat. Then your milk should start steaming, when this happens add your cocoa powder to the mix.

Now you can add your chocolate sprinkles or choc chips.

One of the final things to do is add your espresso powder into the mix. Once it’s all mixed pour into a mug and add some sugar!

You can find the full recipe ​here​ with pics!

#5 Red Velvet Latte

Not only is this latte appealing to the taste buds, but it’s probably the most visually appealing one on our list so far. A coffee that blends a delicious taste of vanilla and chocolate, here’s the ingredients you’ll be needing:

• 1 cup of whole milk

• 1 tbsp of sugar

• 3 oz of semi-sweet chocolate chunks

• 1/4 tsp of red food colouring

• 1/4 tsp of vanilla extract

• 1/2 cup of freshly brewed coffee

Put your milk and sugar into a medium sized saucepan. Bring your mix to a simmer on medium heat, keep stirring to dissolve the sugar in.

Remove your pan from the heat. Stir in the chocolate until it melts. Then add in your food colouring, coffee and vanilla - mix altogether.

Then your creation should be ready to serve - make sure you serve it up warm as that’s when it tastes the nicest!

Those are just a few of the recipes that you can enjoy this upcoming autumn and into winter! Let us know how you get on trying to make all of these delights, send your creations in via our social media channels.

How to Get Involved in the Macmillan Biggest Coffee Morning 2020

Every year Macmillan invites people all over the UK to host a Coffee Morning in order to raise money for those living with cancer.

The official date for the 2020 World’s Biggest Coffee Morning is Friday 25 September, but you can hold yours whenever and however you like – even if you’re not in the same room as your guests - with virtual parties and events now possible!

Here, we’ve explained more about how you can get involved and how Cafe2U could help make it a Coffee Morning to remember!

How do you sign up?

You can sign up on the ​Macmillan website​, when you sign up you'll get a free fundraising kit full of goodies to help you organise and prepare for your event. In the kit, you’ll receive bunting, cake decorations, recipes, stickers, a collection box and loads more to make hosting your event a breeze.

You can also sign up to host a social distanced event, a video call or take on the Coffee Morning Challenge. This will see you put your lockdown fitness to good use and support people living with cancer via a run, walk or cycle, before raising a mug to someone you love at the finish line.

Getting your event safely set up

If you are hosting your event in person be prepared to follow government guidelines and make sure you are social distancing.

If you are having your event at your workplace or somewhere similar, find the best place to host - that could be in a conference room, break room or somewhere else in your office with enough space for social distancing. If the weather is good you could also host your event outside and make the most of a coffee morning in the sun.

How Cafe2U can help you with your Coffee Morning

You can hire or book a Cafe2U mobile café to supply the drinks for your Coffee Morning, simply find the nearest driver to you and get their information on our website. We always aim to match our customers’ needs, so if you have any special requests we will try our best to deliver - find out how we can help ​here.​

The Best Iced Coffee Recipes

Our summer drinks range is back and we’ve got plenty of tasty options to keep you cool on those hot summer days.

However, for when you can’t get your Cafe2U coffee fix, we’ve put together a list of five of our favourite iced coffee recipes for you to make at home and enjoy yourself.

#1 Classic cold brew

An ice cold coffee is a refreshing way to kickstart the day, and it’s really easy to make at home.

All you need is:

• 50g of ground coffee

• Ice Water

Simply put 400ml of cold water into a large jug and add the coffee grounds, but do not stir the mixture straight away. Instead cover and leave for 24 hours.

After this, gently stir the mixture and pour it through a funnel or sieve lined with coffee filter paper (or a sheet of kitchen paper) into another large jug - this concentrate will keep in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.

To serve, dilute 1 part cold brew with 2 parts still or sparkling water (or to your taste) and serve with lots of ice. Find the full recipe here.

#2 Dalgona iced coffee

Dalgona coffee is the perfect indulgent drink to enjoy in the summer! Here’s what you’ll need to get started:

• 2 tbsp. granulated sugar

• 2 tbsp. instant coffee

• 2 tbsp. cold water

• Ice, for serving

• Milk, for serving

Simply whisk the coffee, sugar and water in a bowl for approximately five mins until the mixture is thick and fluffy with stiff peaks - this is easily done using an electric whisk but can be done by hand.

Then pour the cold milk into two glasses.

Divide the coffee mixture in half and spoon evenly on top of the glasses - serve and stir thoroughly before drinking.

Check out the full recipe here.

#3 Coffee ice cubes

This one is almost too easy - use your leftover brewed coffee and you’re on to a winner, you’ll need:

• Brewed coffee

• An ice cube tray

To start, let your already brewed coffee cool to room temperature, then pour the coffee into ice cube trays and freeze - use in place of ice cubes in your favourite cold coffee beverage.

You can find the full recipe and example of how these little beauties can look here.

#4 Cinnamon and vanilla iced coffee

This one is super refreshing and perfect for people with a sweet tooth.

You need:

• 1 and a 1/2 cups ground strong coffee

• 8 cups water

• Ice

• 2 teaspoons vanilla cinnamon syrup

Add the coffee grounds and water to a large pitcher and stir - cover and let it sit at room temperature overnight for up to 12 hours. Strain mixture through a coffee filter, discard the leftover coffee grounds and store the coffee in the fridge until you are ready to use it.

Fill a large glass with ice cubes - add coffee, vanilla syrup, and milk/cream (to taste.)

Stir to combine, taste and adjust milk/cream and/or vanilla cinnamon syrup as needed.

You can find the full recipe here.

#5 Vietnamese ice coffee

This popular drink from Vietnam only requires three ingredients, water, milk and coffee (of course).

Place the coffee grounds in a heat proof container and slowly pour boiling water over the grounds in a circular motion to evenly saturate - do not stir. Line a coffee cone with a paper filter and place the cone over another heat proof container.

Slowly pour the steeped coffee through the filter, allowing all the liquid to drip through completely, discard the filter and coffee grounds and stir the condensed milk into the coffee until well blended. When you are ready to pour, serve the coffee mixture in a chilled glass or cup.

You can find the full recipe here.

We hope you enjoyed this list and have a good time making these drinks whilst the weather is nice - make sure you also share your homemade concoctions with us on our social media channels.

Our Top Five Alcohol and Coffee Beverages

With pubs back open in the UK, we thought we’d share some of our favourite alcohol and coffee combos - the best of both worlds.

Take a look at our top five alcohol and coffee beverages and their recipes below:

#1 A famous one

Possibly the most popular drink containing alcohol and coffee - The Irish Coffee.

This drink is a perfect end of dinner treat, and it’s so easy to make:

• 2 tbsp double cream

• 150ml freshly brewed black coffee

• 50ml Irish whiskey

• 1 tsp brown sugar

• Chocolate shavings

Simply fill your mug with hot water and let it sit for two minutes. Pour out the water and add 1 tsp of light brown sugar. Pour in your coffee to dissolve the sugar and add your whiskey.

Top off the coffee with cream, gently pouring it over the back of a warm spoon to form a thick layer. Garnish with chocolate shavings and enjoy. You can find the full recipe here.

#2 A french connection

You will adore the Cafe Amore - the perfect combination of amaretto and coffee. It’s so good, and so easy to make. All you need is:

• 1 oz brandy

• 1 oz amaretto

• 4 oz black coffee

• Whipped cream

• Shaved almonds

Simply combine the brandy, amaretto and coffee, top with whipped cream and add your almonds. You can find the full recipe here.

#3 A taste of the Caribbean

Don’t put the amaretto away just yet, this time we’ll add a little rum to make a classic Caribbean coffee cocktail. All you need is:

• 1 oz rum

• ½ oz amaretto

• 6 oz coffee (hot, black)

• Whipped cream

• Shaved almonds

Simply combine the rum and amaretto, add your coffee and top with whipped cream and almonds.

#4 A little chillier

For those of you after something a little more potent, the Long Island Iced Coffee is the one for you. Essentially, you’re replacing the tea in a Long Island Iced Tea with coffee and adding some cream liqueurs. All you need is:

• ½ oz Baileys

• ½ oz Kahlua

• ½ oz vodka

• ½ oz rum

• ½ oz tequila

• Cold brew or iced coffee Ice cubes

Combine all of your ingredients in a cocktail shaker with one cup of ice, shake vigorously, pour and enjoy - you don’t have to use everything listed, make your own variation if you want a little less booze. You can find the original recipe here.

#5 A classic

We’ll finish off with a classic - the espresso Martini. The perfect way to perk up your evening and an ideal after dinner drink. All you need is:

• 65ml vodka

• 75ml coffee liqueur (like Kahlua or Tia Maria)

• 75ml freshly brewed espresso

• Coffee beans

This should be enough for two people - put the vodka, coffee liqueur and freshly brewed espresso into a cocktail shaker with a handful of ice. Using hot espresso helps to create a creamy head on the cocktail. Mix for 30 seconds until it's chilled and top with a couple of coffee beans. Find the full recipe here.

Let us know which one you make at home on our social media channels! You can also check out our coffee menu here if you’d prefer to stick to a more traditional brew!

Vanilla Ice Cream Day Recipes: A Selection of the Best

Vanilla Ice Cream Day is fast approaching and with the hot weather arriving, we have decided to combine two of our favourite treats - ice cream and coffee.

Dive into our list of recipes, from affogato to homemade ice cream, below!

Let’s begin with the classic

The affogato is a classic summer dessert that can be made easily. You can enjoy this treat with little to no preparation. You will need to get a scoop (or as many scoops as you would like) of ice cream and then pour shots of espresso over the ice cream. That’s it!

With this being so simple you should think to spruce it up! Add sprinkles or a flake to your ice cream, make it that extra bit special on a hot day! You can find a recipe and examples here.

How about something homemade?

No churn coffee ice cream is the way to go and can be simply made like an affogato! You will need:

• 300ml/10fl oz double cream

• 175g/6oz condensed milk

• 2 tbsp instant espresso powder

• 2 tbsp espresso liqueur (or coffee liqueur)

Whisk all of these ingredients together and wait until a soft peak forms. Then you should have a coffee coloured mixture.

Once you have said mixture, freeze for six hours or overnight and you should have a coffee masterpiece. You can find the recipe, ingredients and a video of how to make this ice cream here.

Something to cool you down…

If you’ve got a blender this is the ideal summer drink! A coffee frappe is a perfect solution to the hot weather. A true coffee treat, you will need:

• 3 medium scoops vanilla ice cream

• 1 cup of ice

• 1 cup of chilled brewed coffee

• ½ a cup of milk

• 2 tbsp of syrup

• Whipped cream (optional for topping off)

• Cocoa powder (optional for topping off)

Then all you need to do is blend all these ingredients together and you will have made yourself the perfect ice cream coffee drink! Follow this method for the best possible results!

Those are just three ways you can celebrate Vanilla Ice Cream Day! Let us know how you are incorporating ice cream into your coffees this week! Look back at all of our other previous recipes and coffee blogs for more tips!

Father’s Day BBQ Tips and Recipes - with a Coffee Twist

Father’s Day is here and hopefully, if the weather is kind, it will be the perfect time to dust off the BBQ and start making some delicious meaty meals as a treat for our dear dads.

To help, we’ve shared some of our favourite BBQ tips and recipes - with a Cafe2U twist using our coffee expertise. From a specially made coffee BBQ sauce, to one of the best coffee rubs around that could take your Father’s Day BBQ to the next level!

New to the BBQ?

To start with the basics first… if you’re wanting to surprise your dad with a BBQ but aren’t sure about cooking on them - you can find the perfect tips for handling and preparing foods here.

In addition to this, here’s some of the basic utensils that you will need to properly tackle the grills:

• Spatula

• Grill mitts or oven gloves

• Long handled tongs

• Meat thermometer

• Cooking tray

• A comedy BBQ apron (not essential but it’s always a good laugh)

Rubs and Sauces

While it’s obviously fine to just grill the meat as it is, you can accentuate the flavour with marinades, sauces and rubs. Here’s one of our particular favourites:

Coffee BBQ Sauce

This homemade coffee rub is ideal if you want to add a little spice to your meat.

Coffee rub is wonderfully versatile and it’s perfect for almost all meat but especially beef. It can be made in just ten minutes and you can find the recipe here.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with other ingredients that aren’t included in their recipe - like rosemary, ginger, or nutmeg.

A Classic

This recipe shows you all the methods on how to make the perfect grilled burgers - from the shape, mixing and what you need to include to make a showstopping pattie. It’s the expert's guide to the best burger and a classic that can make any BBQ.

Something a Little Different…

If you’re looking to be indulgent and want something a bit different to really push the boat out - we recommend these bacon-wrapped cheese hot dogs. A simple and fun idea that incorporates the flavours from a cheeseburger and a hot dog - you can make these on a grill or a smoker and it’s a recipe that doesn’t require too many ingredients!

We hope you enjoy a relaxing Father’s Day using some of these recipes and in particular the coffee BBQ tips - make sure you share some of your Cafe2U inspired BBQs and your coffee creations with us on our social media channels!