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Serving the right coffee, in the right location, to the right people

Surprisingly, coffee is often treated as a box-ticking exercise, particularly in workplace and hospitality settings.

Significant time is spent designing food offers, refining service standards and creating the right environment, yet coffee is frequently overlooked. That’s a missed opportunity because, for many customers and colleagues, coffee is one of the most frequently consumed products on site and often one of the lasting impressions they take away.

We’ve all had the experience of ordering a coffee and been left bitterly disappointed by what’s served. Equally, a really good coffee can leave a lasting positive impression, whatever the setting.

That’s why choosing the right coffee isn’t about chasing trends or finding the most expensive beans on the market. It’s about understanding what works for your customers, in a particular environment, with the right equipment and service approach behind it.

Start with quality

For us, quality is non-negotiable.

All Perkee coffees are speciality grade, meaning they score 80 points or above. If a coffee doesn’t meet that standard, we simply won’t use it.

Realistically, customers don’t need to know the difference between a single origin and a blend to recognise good coffee. They simply know what they like, and what they don’t. They know whether it’s consistent and whether they’d order it again.

Using a high-quality coffee gives you a much better chance of getting those things right.

Know where your coffee comes from

We’re also big believers in traceability.

Where appropriate, we’ll often work with single-origin coffees and specific co-operatives because they offer greater transparency. Those relationships provide a richer understanding of how coffee is grown, processed and ultimately how it performs in the cup.

A coffee from Colombia will have different characteristics to one from Ethiopia or Brazil. Understanding where coffee comes from not only influences flavour but also provides greater visibility into how it has been produced and sourced. That transparency is increasingly important for organisations looking to align quality with responsible procurement practices.

Strong producer relationships can also help support more sustainable and resilient coffee-growing communities while giving us greater confidence in quality and consistency.

Those differences in origin, flavour and sourcing create opportunities to deliver a more distinctive coffee experience rather than serving something that’s easily forgotten.

The right coffee for the right occasion

One of the biggest mistakes we see is people assuming that one coffee works across every environment. It doesn’t.

The best coffee offer is always one that’s tailored to the setting, the equipment and the expectations of the people drinking it.

For premium hospitality

If you’re creating a more premium experience, single-serve filter coffees and pour-overs can work brilliantly.

Customers choosing these drinks are often looking for something unique. They’re interested in flavour, provenance and the theatre of preparation.

In those situations, we tend to look towards lighter roasted coffees that allow more of the coffee’s natural characteristics to shine through and showcase the nuances of origin.

For busy hospitality environments

When you’re serving large numbers of people, consistency matters just as much as flavour.

Bulk brew coffee can be a fantastic solution.

We’d typically steer towards coffees with approachable flavour profiles such as chocolate, caramel and berry notes. They’re familiar, balanced and tend to appeal to a wider audience.

The goal isn’t to challenge people. It’s to give them a really good cup of coffee, every single time.

For bean-to-cup operations

Bean-to-cup machines are often expected to do a lot of heavy lifting.

In these environments, we usually look for coffees with plenty of body and character that can stand up well to the brewing process.

Medium to darker roast profiles often work well, helping to deliver the stronger, fuller-flavoured coffee many customers are expecting.

Our Santo coffee from Brazil demonstrates this approach particularly well. Recently awarded three stars at the Great Taste Awards, it delivers the body, balance and consistency needed for bean-to-cup environments without compromising on quality. It’s a coffee that performs just as effectively in high-volume workplace settings as it does in more premium hospitality spaces, something Graz Moroni, Head of Coffee & Tea, is particularly proud of.

For espresso-based offers

This is often where things get really interesting.

Espresso gives you enormous flexibility.

The same coffee can taste very different depending on how it’s dialled in and served. Small changes to recipes can completely change the experience in the cup.

Plus we’re always thinking about milk because most customers aren’t ordering straight espresso. They’re ordering lattes, cappuccinos and flat whites.

A coffee might taste fantastic black, but the balance can change completely once milk is introduced.

As Graz Moroni, Head of Coffee & Tea, often points out, roasting is never a one-off exercise. We’re continually testing and refining recipes to ensure coffees perform consistently whether they’re served black or with milk.

It's not just about the coffee

One thing we’ve learned over the years is that great beans alone don’t guarantee great coffee.

You need the right equipment. The right grind size. The right settings. The right maintenance routines.

We’ve seen outstanding coffees produce average results because the setup wasn’t right. Equally, we’ve seen good coffees perform brilliantly because everything behind the scenes had been properly calibrated and maintained.

That’s why it’s important to look at the bigger picture. The coffee itself matters, but the operation around it matters just as much.