Hi there Cafe People.

We all know that the success of our business comes from our customers, and without them, we are lost, so it makes great sense to work to make their experience of your establishment nothing short of fantastic. remember everyone has a choice when it comes to getting lunch or a coffee, so anyone who comes into your world chose to do so.

I read this morning an interesting paragraph which turned on a light in my head, it was about happiness.

“We cannot reach happiness by consciously searching for it. it is by being fully involved with every detail of our lives, whether good or bad, that we find happiness, not by trying to look for it directly. This was beautifully summarised by Viktor Frankel who wrote “Don’t aim at success- the more you aim at it and make it a target, the more youare going to miss it. For success, like happiness cannot be persued;  it must ensue… as the unintended side effect of ones personal dedication to a course greater than oneself”.

I loved the link between happiness and success, and the realisation that we can achieve neither by persuing them, was both suprising and exciting. How liberating to think that we cannot ‘make’ our customers happy, but that brings us back to the reality that we can do the things within our business that will create the side effect of happiness in our customers.

So forget making the customers happy, and set about to focus on the things that you know need attention, service, cleanliness, warm greetings for everyone who has decided to pay you a visit, and making their latte a piece of art ( with a shot of syrup of course).

Get everyone in your team to focus on something that is missing from your perfect cafe, and to work on that for the next week.

You might find that it just may deliver the side benefit of customer satisfaction.

Cordially Yours.

Michael Bishop.

By the way, the book is called “Flow, the psychology of optimal experience” by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.

I was recently visiting a friend who loves ice cream, and I have to admit , so do I ….possibly too much. Late in the evening he asked me if I’d like some? Of course I responded that that would be a great thing, and soon I was enjoying something I hadn’t had for years. A big bowl of Vanilla Ice Cream topped with MILO. WOW!!!

Another great thing to do with Vanilla Ice Cream is to top it with about 30ml of Chai Latte Syrup. Stir it in and don’t be too concerned with getting it totally even, as a little explosion of Chai is a great thing. Once the Chai Latte Syrup is mixed in, refreeze the ice cream for later.

I also love making banana pancakes and topping them with Cinnamon Powder. The final touch….. of course a big scoop of the Chai Ice Cream. It’s a marriage made in heaven. I reckon that any pancake in any cafe would be delighted to be topped off in this fashion.

Russell Lean

As a kid growing up, I loved nothing more than a great burger and milkshake for lunch, so it was such a pleasure to see the milk bar concept brought not only back to life, but up to date.

There are 2 recently opened  Milk ,cafe-milkbars in Brisbane, at Ashgrove ( in the Woolworths Village) and Windsor (Homezone).

On a recent delivery, Which was my first visit to the Asgrove Milk, they made for me the best tasting burger I have had in years, and I also had a chocolate with coconut and walnut syrup milkshake made with Barambah organic milk. Spectacular! The ‘drink in’ shakes are served in the aluminium cups of old, and the takeouts are in great waxed carboard cup with striped paper straws.

John and Amanda have created that magic ‘retro/ new’ hybrid, of old world charm and service, with innovative food and drink options that will keep everyone happy.

They are partnering with great suppliers (Merlo for coffee, Alchemy for syrups, Barambah for milk), and their staff are all bright friendly and just a bit sassy. The burger chef said to me ” The best tasting burger you have ever had coming right up!” and you know what. he was right.

It was great to see such a well run concept, and it made me pause to think how every cafe could look to the many little things that are within their control to tweak, refine and improve, and what a difference it would make to the customer experience.

Please let me know what has impressed you recently in the cafe arena. By sharing we raise the industry standard, and that is a wonderful thing.

Cordially Yours.

Michael Bishop.

Master Blender.

Hi there Cafe people.

After more than 10 years in our factory and warehouse in Capalaba, the Alchemy Cordial company has moved!

Our business was really being restricted by a lack of space, both in terms of ability to make enough of our current wonderful products, but also limited in our ability to create new and amazing refreshments for our customers.

Our new home ( every family business needs a home), is at 34 Enterprise St Cleveland (yes cycling distance), and it is SO AMAZING!!!! We are in 1300 sqm of WOW space.

We have a new phone number 1300 4 ALCHEMY (should be easy to remember), and a new FAx number as well 1300 4 SYRUP ( for those who still fax).

We have created with the assistance of QMI (Queensland Manufacturing Institute), a worlds best practice designed syrup making room and filling room, the warehouse is brilliantly laid out, and everyone here is delighted to be a part of something that is transforming and growing.

Our offices were designed by the brilliant Brand and Slater Architects, and they are a pleasure to work in.

What that means to you is that we are now on top of demand, and putting our resources into coming up with new and innovative products for your cafes. You can help by letting us know what products you would like us to make for you, so send me an email at michael@alchemycordial.com.au.

By moving to a new home, everyone at Alchemy has had an opportunity to move to a new head space as well, Alchemy is all about transformation and we have included this in our new branding, with the tagline/ vision,  statement,

TRANSFORMING REFRESHMENT.

You will see under our beautiful tree logo, and with our purpose sheltering under our family tree, I reckon anyone who sees the Alchemy brand will be able to tell at a glance who we are and what we are about.

I now have to head back to the R & D room to put the finishing touches on our new Chocolate syrup, made with organic Cocoa, and a new raspberry coffee syrup Both are shaping up well so look out for  new product news.

Cordially Yours.

Michael Bishop.

Master Blender.

During 1994 and 1995 I was in India. I drank chai all over the country from Gorakhpur on the Nepali border to Hampi in the rock strewn landscape of highland Karnataka state.

Every region, and dare I say village has its own style and theme in Chai, but many things remain constant. One thing that does is that it takes a fair bit of preparation. This I learnt first hand from Ramesh, a Chai Shop owner in Varanasi on the beautiful Ganges River in Uttar Pradesh in northern India . Ramesh was a consummate chai specialist and rose each morning at 4am to make chai, after doing Puja (ceremony) on the edge of mother Ganges only 100 metres from his tiny chai shop. I had the good fortune to sit with him on several occasions while he meticulously and slowly roasted the Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves, Vanilla Bean, Cardamon and his “secret” spices, for his chai.

While this was happening, the large steel saucepan of milk was boiled and then simmered to pasteurize it and then the sugar and spices were added. Ramesh and I talked about lots of things during those mornings as the intoxicating aroma of the brewing Chai filled the air, including me staying and becoming his brother. The Assam tea was always added last so that it did not brew too long and dominate the flavours of the spices. It wasn’t long before early morning chai lovers were lining up and yelling “Ek Chai, Do Chai”- 1 Chai, 2 Chai.

Years later, I met my wife and in her cupboard was a curios bottle with a strangely familiar scent about it. As soon as I opened it up my mind was flooded with images of Ramesh sitting cross legged in his tiny shop near Assi Ghat in Varanasi. But how do I use it I thought. On the label were the instructions, so I quickly heated some milk and added the requisite amount of the syrup. Oh my Goddess, I was in heaven, seated on the soft soil by the Ganges, hearing drums and the chanting ascetics who come to Assi Ghat during the day.

This Chai had the power to transport me there. Of course I had to meet the maker of the closest thing I had ever found to my beloved Varanasi Chai. A few weeks later I did. Michael Bishop, Master Blender and the founder of Alchemy Cordials.