Blendly

We are delighted to see the Scottish hospitality sector get ready to re-open on 27th April, and are wishing all our customers well.

We’d like to give a special shout out to Glencaple based The Boathouse who have their own blend created with us, which will now feature in some of their savoury dishes too.

Manager Denyse Boyle said: “The most popular parts of our menu are breakfast, and salads. We’re looking forward to re-opening, making the very most of these choices. We’re very lucky to enjoy custom early in the day, as certainly, the hospitality sector is going to continue to have restricted hours of business for a time. This can be problematic for places which traditionally open later in the day, serving people in the evening. We want to make the very most of the custom we attract. It’s going to be fantastic to welcome back our customers, we have really missed them.”

Denyse explained that chef Allana had incorporated her Boathouse Blend into both delicious salad dressings, and as a coffee rub on brisket for an outstanding beef sandwich.

“We’re really excited about these dishes which Allana has been hard at work developing over lockdown. I have tasted these myself and I think it all works really well. The salads have an amazing zing whilst the coffee rub makes the beef moist and succulent. We can’t wait to see what our customers think. They already love the coffee which is used in a range of hot drinks, whilst in the summer, we serve cold coffees too,” she said.

“It is something special to have your own bespoke blend for your business,” finished Denyse. “We want to share and promote the provenance and sustainability of the ingredients we use, so the fact we can extend this to our coffee is a real selling point.”

We’re delighted that Denyse is pleased with her coffee, and we commend her creativity. As a fully digital, one stop shop, we believe that using Blendly in a variety of ways, whether it’s in hot drinks, or as we have read here, in dishes, is a novel step forward. The Boathouse’ owner can also sell the Blendly blend to others if they wish, so we are a way to build coffee sales as we come out of this pandemic.

Today’s Circular Economy aims to redefine growth, focusing on positive, community benefits for all. It also redefines and rethinks how we produce consumer goods – from furniture and technological products to fashion, and of course, food & drink products such as coffee.

Blendly is absolutely on the money for all of this, with a range of Barista Business Plans which bring benefit to both the Barista and the community he is a part of.  He has the potential to grow his own business within Blendly, with plenty of practical help and support coming from us, plus collaboration from other Baristas on the plan.  The Circular Economy idea fits with our ethos that there is real value in creating something unique to ourselves. The purchase is more meaningful, and our customers, which cover trade & consumer, know the provenance of the ingredients they are using to create their own coffee blends, as we provide them with this information.

We’ve done a lot of the hard work already for our customers, ensuring that we have a wide selection of sustainably sourced, high quality coffee beans from all over the world in stock. We sell at transparent prices; we have our own roasting facilities to custom roast the beans to clients bespoke requirements, and we distributes the coffee, with our trade customers, many of whom run coffee shops, hotels, and restaurants, receiving a commission through the flexible and easy to use Barista Business plans.

In a circular economy, economic activity builds and rebuilds an overall system – for it to be effective it has to work across all levels – both large and small businesses, across individuals and organisations, and at both a global and local level. All of this is true of Blendly as you can start small but soon get bigger with us. Our business is both global, tapping into worldwide coffee markets, but also very local, helping the guy in the deli improve his range of coffee beans and perhaps sell on some blends to other businesses, or people he knows who love good coffee.

Getting involved with Blendly is inspiring, with creativity and flair coming into play to create the perfect coffee, and it boosts knowledge  – in this case it’s learning about coffee beans, and how they combine to create the perfect blend for us.

Digital food and drink services have never been so important to millennial customers, so we are delighted to be playing our part in this, and in this new circular economy model.  We are the only company in the world to aggregate all three steps needed for the production and supply of a cup of artisan coffee.

With Blendly, customers are basically tapping into our vibrant coffee marketplace which is entirely online, selling coffee and engaging with customers 365 days of the year. The Barista plans offer a unique interface where you can swap ideas, share advice, and benefit from our business “tools” which cover topics such as stock control, E procurement, equipment care, and distribution. 

Cutting edge technology is at the heart of Blendly, ticking another box for the circular economy. We are soon to benefit from specialist funding which will help develop a predictive ordering platform, of huge benefit to our trade customers. Being able to connect, measure, mathematically model and predict each component within the food security supply chain – from the purchase of coffee commodities through to the preparation of the final cup – will be critical to Blendly’s success in the coming months. We very much hope that by being able to instantly adapt to a volatile commodities, economic and consumer environment, we will have the edge.

On a day to day basis for domestic customers, when they order their coffee at the click of a button, their coffee choices are delivered to their home in three working days.  They can match favorite High Street Coffee Shop blends, or even buy the coffee that existing

Blendly corporate hospitality businesses are giving to their customers anywhere in the world. The latter can be done through the Blendly website, or even whilst at the venue, where a unique QR code enables instant ordering. 

We all want our commodities instantly available. Artisan food & drink services accessed online, such as Blendly, are very much here to stay, of that there is no doubt.

The customer is clearly the winner as we yield much lower running costs, and can pass these savings onto the customer, whilst feeding profit back into our business. Customers can access great coffee 24/7 anywhere in the world!

Further details on Blendly at www.blendly.co.uk

Gordon Smith was keen to bring the vibrant Kiwi Coffee Culture he had experienced for the last 38 years to his new cafe venture in the Scottish Borders, and decided that Blendly was the perfect coffee partner to work with to achieve his goals.

Having returned to Scotland 2 years ago, after his many years in New Zealand, Gordon, known locally as Gordon the Grocer, set up his cafe which is part of the Melrose Cricket Club in the grounds of Borders General Hospital.

Having found Blendly online, he asked company founder Mark Wilson and his team to create what he called a “no bitterness” coffee, as he felt that many UK coffee blends were too bitter for his liking.

The resultant blend, called May All Your Balls Be Yonkers, is now an extremely popular blend, not just in Gordon’s cafe, but with Blendly’s online customers who can buy blends created by others to enjoy at home.

“My customers sing the praises of this lovely blend,” said Gordon. “They say it’s one of the best coffees they have ever tasted, so that is praise indeed, and shows you that Mark and his team really knew what they were doing when they created this exclusively for me.”

“I’m starting to get a coffee culture here in my cafe, which is exactly what I wanted , I’m really pleased.”

Gordon added that he had tried to create a cafe which offered customers a real quality experience, from the coffee, to the food, to the ambiance.

“We are near the hospital so many people pop in who have been visiting and are looking for a calm oasis – it’s very peaceful and quiet here.”

“I want to continue to work with Blendly to refine my blend even more,” said Gordon. “I also want to continue to grow my customer base locally.”

“Blendy certainly takes you on the very best coffee journey,” finished Gordon. “I’m happy to recommend Blendly to any other cafe owners who want to create something really special to make your cafe stand out from the crowd!”

Coffee is certainly up there as one of Gordon’s main passions, but the other is sport, namely rugby and cricket. He currently coaches players at Melrose Rugby Club and is involved in the development of cricket in the Borders, by working with Melrose Cricket Club.

A very busy man! We wish him well from us all at Blendly!

With one of the widest selections of Barista Coffees in Dundee, from Cortados, to Frappes, to Layered Espresso Freddos, Nikos Matsikas, General Manager of the stunning 7000 sq ft Brasserie Ecosse at Shore Terrace, is certainly making the most of his blossoming relationship with Blendly Coffee!

Voted one of Dundee top five restaurants, and a leading player in hospitality along Shore Terrace, with the V&A just over the road, Brasserie Ecosse has worked with Blendly since it opened two years ago. The building in which Brasserie Ecosse is housed is rich in history, with one notable fact being it was the location for the founding of Dundee Utd in 1909, when the team was first known as Dundee Hibernian.

Now it’s a sleek and stylish brasserie with an urban vibe, boasting a champagne tasting area, eclectic contemporary furniture, eye catching metal curtains, and a feature wall of moss and succulents.

Of Greek Heritage but originally from Chicago, Nikos has worked in New York, and at some of Scotland’s top hotels such as Gleneagles and Malmaison. He brings a wealth of experience, together with global food & drink influences to his role at Brasserie Ecosse. He is responsible for two fantastic coffee blends which he has developed with Blendly, a Brasserie Ecosse Artisan Blend and the Iwoca Crema blend. Customers can purchase these delicious coffees by scanning a QR code in the restaurant.

We’re proud of our range of unique artisan coffees, created with Blendly’s easy to use online tools which enable you to choose the beans, and the level of roast for each coffee blend – said Nikos.

We’re proud of our range of unique artisan coffees, created with Blendly’s easy to use online tools which enable you to choose the beans, and the level of roast for each coffee blend – said Nikos.“It was a very positive experience to create them, with masses of support from Blendly whom we would recommend to anyone.”

“We also enjoy cost savings, and other benefits by being a Blendly customer,” he added. “They certainly understand the hospitality sector, and what we need in a coffee supplier.”

Nikos went on to say that he believed having your own coffee blends certainly made any business stand out from the crowd, especially with customers being able to quickly and easily buy the blends to enjoy at home, by scanning the QR codes.

We have had very positive feedback on the coffee from our patrons

“We have had very positive feedback on the coffee from our patrons,” he said. “We certainly used our imagination to create delicious hot and cold coffee drinks.  I created my very own logo which is etched onto the cappuccinos in chocolate – it’s a mix of a traditional Greek symbol, with  a traditional Scottish one – it’s very much become out trademark branding,” said Nikos.

“We have it on our water bottles too.”

“We’re all about an elevated experience here at Brasserie Ecosse, which is on a par with any five star hotel.”

“Blendly is a five star partner,” finished Nikos, “and whatever plans we now make for 2021 as we start to come out of the covid19 crisis, Blendly will be at the very heart of them. Our brasserie is a truly amazing space, in which we hope to hold events, tastings, and special promotions again as soon as we can.”

A move from the leisure industry into running a coffee shop has been a good one for Mike Lowe, especially when he discovered Blendly.

Having previously run Bingo Halls and pubs, Mike acquired the former MacDonalds in Kirkcaldy High Street five years ago, and set up Cupcake Coffee Box.

A year into the business, he met Blendly founder Mark Wilson who set him on the path with commercial roaster and blender, Blendly, enabling him to create his own custom blends of coffee based on Italian blends similar to that used by Lavazza, one of his favourite brands.

Mike now has several blends, including the Cupcake Coffee Box Artisan Blend, the Bad Boy Blend and BlackNBrewed. All these blends are now sold on the Blendly website as an additional stream of income for Mike as the creator. His customers at Cupcake Coffee Box can order the coffee through Blendly, or direct in the coffee shop by scanning QR codes.

Mike sells his blends to a number of friends along with two other franchisees.
Plans are afoot for him to launch another blend which he is going to call “Three Beans Coffee Co”. Another Italian blend, it will mix Columbian beans with Indian Cherry and Ugandan Robusta, but with some subtle variations.

So far, COVID-19 has prevented him from opening his new outlet at Kirkcaldy Train Station, which will offer Three Beans, and he has another cafe in the pipeline too.

I’d recommend Blendy to any coffee shop owners. The platform is engaging, easy to use, and once you take up a Barista Plan there are numerous financial and community benefits to enjoy.

He’s also launching a Coffee Concierge Service which will see him set up a coffee service for other businesses, providing the coffee, and sourcing & training the staff.

“Blendly has opened up a new world of coffee opportunities for me,” said Mike. “My customers love my blends, and I am hopeful that as soon as we can recover from the ravages of COVID-19, I can be successful with my new ventures, and go on to launch yet more blends.”

“Blendly has given me the coffee knowledge, access to fantastic quality beans, and the tools to create what is in effect a separate business for myself.”

“I’d recommend Blendy to any coffee shop owners. The platform is engaging, easy to use, and once you take up a Barista Plan there are numerous financial and community benefits to enjoy.”