THE ESSENCE OF GOOD COFFEE
During his visit to HORECA Kuwait, Hospitality News ME had the opportunity to meet with Manuel Sancho, business development manager for Nespresso Middle East and Africa, and ask him about the region’s coffee growing culture
How can you describe coffee consumption in general and in the MENA region specifically?
Coffee is the second-most traded commodity after oil and it is consumed almost everywhere. This is why we believe in the B2B business, because throughout the world, coffee will be present in all hotels and restaurants. The potential of this product is infinite. Coffee is also making its way to bars and restaurants, as chefs, mixologists and sommeliers are increasingly adopting this product in their drinks. Coffee culture is evolving in the Middle East as gastronomy is moving towards new levels. Usually, the final thing you will have after a good meal is a cup of coffee. What you do not want is to have a fantastic meal prepared by a Michelin-star chef and end it up with a bad coffee. It will be the one thing that you remember about your dinner. We are witnessing a growing demand for high-end and gourmet coffee in the Middle East, although the region had already an established coffee culture that was more linked with Arabic coffee. We do not compete with the local coffee culture. We'd prefer to complement the offering and diversify it.
What type of coffee do MENA clients prefer to drink? Customers prefer drinking coffee with milk. Intense coffees are also very popular. What are your new releases? Nespresso launched two new capsule flavors - vanilla and caramel - to be part of the permanent range of the B2B, increasing our offering to 13 different varieties. The demand for such flavored coffees is growing in the F&B industry as they broaden establishments’ potential for developing new recipes and eventually, to have higher revenues out of coffee.
It is known that Arabs prefer cardamom-flavored coffee. Do you have any intention of adding such a flavor to your range? Innovation is one of the key drivers of the Nespresso business. A few years ago, we only had seven or eight varieties. Now our range extends to 13. We cannot presume that we will be developing a cardamom-flavored Nespresso coffee capsule, but it all depends on the market. We are always trying to innovate and get closer to our consumer. We might have limited edition coffees that are available in certain regions only.
Coffee culture is evolving in the Middle East as gastronomy is moving towards new levels