Hot Cup Sleeves
We met with two coffee sleeve vendors we have done business with for years – Britevision and Java Jacket. Due to supply issues over the last couple years, Britevision sleeves were not available but they are back in full production so we are bringing them back in brown, white, and a limited number of black (“slate”). The white and brown sleeves clock in at 5 cents per sleeve the slate are 5.8 cents per sleeve. We will still stock our other generic brown sleeves that have a smooth texture ideal for stamping and are 5.5 cents per sleeve.
Moving beyond generic sleeves, you may not realize that CCR does custom sleeve jobs with Britevision and Java Jacket. The cost of going through us is identical to going direct with either of these companies. As a CCR customer, we will warehouse the entire pallet and deliver your sleeves with your weekly delivery at no additional charge. Both companies do a nice job but have different strengths. Java Jacket is our preferred vendor for one-color jobs while Britevision is more cost-effective for fullcolor jobs. If you’re interested in looking into this let us know.
No Coffee Latte
Brad discovered a nifty company called Blume and ordered us to check it out. Self-described as “superfood lattes”, they are coffee-less powders designed to be steamed up with the “milk” of your choice. The ingredient list is remarkably clean as are the flavor profiles. These can be added to coffee or espresso or simply consumed as a standalone flavor. In the cup, the flavors were true and balanced with no sweetness while the colors of the blue lavender and beetroot were striking. Blume is a relatively new, Canadian company trying to penetrate the American market. We had a good discussion with the owner and are discussing the possibility of carrying their products as we build our offerings in this growing category.
Torani & Puremade
If you’re only familiar with Torani’s original syrup line that lines the shelves of Smart & Final then you should know about their Puremade line. A few years ago, they launched this premium line of all natural syrups in traditional and innovative flavors. This is a professional product line that is not sold heavily into retail outlets. After tasting their two Puremade vanillas (Signature and Original) with impressive results we have stocked them with the intention of evaluating the entire line. Soon we’ll have a collection of some more core flavors and unusual flavors to run through the paces. We’ll report back but we are happy to have you come in and try for yourself. I’m looking forward to tasting Bergamot and Smoked Black Cherry.
Tenzo Matcha
Pure matcha has been the fastest growing category for us over the past year. After starting with Mighty Leaf’s matcha we switched to Sencha’s organic culinary grade and earlier this year added Tenzo pure Japanese matcha to our lineup. Tenzo is truly an extraordinary matcha and a brand matcha aficionados revere. Based on a standard dose of 2 grams to make a 12 or 16 oz matcha latte, the cost per serving of Tenzo is 14 cents (Sencha is 7 cents). Regardless of brand the profit margin is very healthy. We spoke with the Tenzo folks about preparation issues since matcha can be a little tricky to make quickly in a production environment. They said the bamboo whisk is slower than the battery operated power whisk but the shaker cup is the most efficient. They recommend making a batch of matcha in the shaker and using as a ‘store and pour’. They state that the quality in the fridge of the matcha is good for several days. We will put this to the test this week. Tenzo makes shaker cups that we will begin stocking.
We’ll continue to provide updates about new products we bring in and if you have any interest in trying anything mentioned here please let us know and we can host you at our palatial warehouse or come out to your location and make some drinks.
