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Read all of Brian Martell's articles for 2003: Capo di Tutti Cappuccini© 2003 Brian Martell “BEER — not just for breakfast anymore!” The sign on an upstate New York bar made me laugh a bit. The intention and the attention were obvious but also got me thinking about the changes we’ve seen in the coffee business. Coffee has always been an any-time-of-day, any-time-of-year beverage, with cyclical ups and downs depending on the ambient temperature. Peak times for coffee consumption are early morning with breakfast, mid afternoon and the occasional cup after dinner. More coffee is consumed during the colder winter months, with still average to fair consumption in the warmer summer months. This pattern has not changed for years and, if I were old enough, I could say with all authority, decades. What is surprising is the change we’ve seen in consumption patterns for coffee’s kissing cousin, instant cappuccino. When this product initially appeared on the radar screen some ten years ago, the industry was a bit skittish, wondering if it was to be yet another fad. The Maritime Provinces led the country as the market innovators by adopting this product before anyone else knew it existed. Soon, every Irving’s Big Stop in Atlantic Canada had an instant cappuccino machine dispensing this sweet, hot beverage at rates that made the gas bar attendants envious. It wasn’t long before the Great Instant Cappuccino Rush of ’95 was upon us with entrepreneurs throughout Eastern Canada (including Quebec and Ontario) scrambling to stake a claim. Through personal experience, I can tell you that some of these “prospectors” were as colourful as any to be found in a Robert Service anthology on the Klondike. What was considered to be a flash in the pan displayed promising staying power; but instant cappuccino only seemed to hold court during the cooler months of the year. The big “cappuccino season” was marked on most calendars as being from October to April, when school was in and the weather was frosty. After Easter, instant cappuccino went into a sort of reverse hibernation for the summer. Slowly, however, the pattern of consumption changed from a winter drink to an all year round drink, just like instant cappuccino’s bigger, wiser and older cousin – coffee. And just like coffee, the pattern of instant cappuccino’s consumption can be measured in peaks and valleys on an annual basis. Instant cappuccino has this odd penchant to be treated more as a treat than as an accompaniment to a meal. Therefore, the time of day when instant cappuccino is consumed is different from coffee, as is the demographics of those who drink it. The fact that it has become an all year beverage bodes well for the manufacturers and the distributors who now have an easier time logistically than with a seasonal product. As a further point of observation, the biggest flavour seller by far in this category is French Vanilla. By some accounts, this flavour makes up better than 75% of all instant cappuccino sales. In some instances, there have been cases of three-head foodservice instant cappuccino machines where two of the heads have been filled with French Vanilla, to keep up with the demand. Where then does this leave the other flavours that make up the product mix? Could it be that, like ice cream, Vanilla will make up the lion's share of the market, chocolate as a distant second and then the rest of the pack trailing off on the horizon? The answer lies in product renewal and experimentation. The ice cream industry is always striving to come up with new flavours that may appeal to the changing tastes of the consuming public. The instant cappuccino industry must also look to innovation to keep the segment young and desirable. Now that instant cappuccino has made it into the year round segment of the industry, it behooves the manufacturers and the industry to come up with new and exciting flavour options to fill the capacity currently available in the machines. New flavours like CANADIAN MAPLE add a new twist and dimension to the product line, not only in re-invigorating the public interest for these beverages, but also in keeping the segment alive and vibrant. Instant cappuccino has passed the test of time as a viable, ongoing product. It is now up to us, the promoters, to ensure that this product has a long and healthy legacy. Questions or comments? Reach Brian at Brian@heritage-coffee.com
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