by Will | Jun 3, 2026 | Coffee Shop Owners, Equipment Guidance, For Startups
Your espresso machine gets most of the attention. But ask any experienced barista or café owner and they’ll tell you the same thing: the grinder matters more. An outstanding machine paired with a mediocre grinder will produce mediocre coffee. A great grinder...
by Will | May 20, 2026 | Coffee Shop Owners, Equipment Guidance
Tamping looks simple. Press the coffee, lock in the portafilter, pull the shot. But on a busy café bar, doing that hundreds of times a day — consistently, with the same pressure, perfectly level every single time — is harder than it sounds. That’s where...
by Will | May 5, 2026 | Coffee Shop Owners, Equipment Guidance
If you run a café or work on a commercial espresso machine, knowing your portafilter size is essential before buying accessories, upgrading baskets, or sourcing replacement parts. Get the wrong size and nothing fits. Get it right and you unlock a whole world of...
by Will | Apr 26, 2026 | Coffee Shop Owners, For Startups, Industry Insights
Some locations announce themselves. Busy high streets, well-worn coffee trails, the kind of spot where footfall does half your marketing for you. South Parade in Whitley Bay is not that street. It has history — for years it was a centre for nightlife and a gathering...
by Will | Apr 18, 2026 | Coffee Shop Owners, Commercial Espresso Machines, For Startups, Industry Insights
Most business origin stories involve a gap in the market, a business plan, maybe a mentor. This one starts with a television programme and a gut feeling. Nearly 19 years ago, she was working as a legal secretary at a solicitors’ firm in Manchester — straight out...
by Will | Apr 12, 2026 | Coffee Shop Owners, For Startups, Industry Insights
Some businesses expand by chasing new markets. HBW Coffee expanded by doing more of what they’ve always done best. HBW Coffee opened in 2018 on Stirling’s Barnton Street as a speciality coffee spot with an all-day brunch menu. From the beginning, the approach was...
