Major investment by the Island's coffee experts

27/07/2010

A MAJOR investment by the Island’s coffee experts is now quenching the thirst of real coffee lovers at out of town events.

The Barista Express is a new experience, delivered via a highly distinctive vehicle and friendly staff all trained in the art of the barista. Custom-built in an ice cream factory, the van is available to hire for your function – whether that’s a golf day, staff team building day or sports event - and has already been recognised as a welcome facility at the Grandstand during the TT races, the Bay Festival and Tynwald Day.

It’s the brainchild of Tracey Leahy, managing director of MannVend who comes from a long line of coffee connoisseurs. Three generations of the Leahy family ran coffee plantations in Papua New Guinea and Kenya.

Tracey said: ‘We created The Barista Express because we identified a real need for good coffee at events where regular coffee houses are out of reach. It’s a substantial investment but one that we are passionate about. Our staff were selected as carefully as the coffee and all are fully qualified baristas, having been trained by an award winning barista from the UK.’

The Barista Express offers first-class coffee as well as tea and cold drinks and a light food menu, including paninis, wraps, cakes and the exclusive Green and Blacks chocolate bars and now also the local newspapers, the Isle of Man Examiner and Manx Independent.

Visually, the Barista Express van is a world apart from the traditional takeaway vehicle. The graphics were designed by Manx firm Home Strategic, which also designed the website – www.barista-express.com and is linked to Twitter and Facebook.

Tracey said: ‘We wanted to ensure the Barista Express was operated to the highest level , so we invited the environmental health authorities to get involved from the planning stage to make certain we complied with their regulations as well as adhering to the scrupulous ISO9001:2000 standards that we operate to at MannVend.

As generations of my family have enjoyed firsthand experience of growing coffee it was extremely important to us to use a coffee that not only satisfied sustainable credentials but had also passed rigorous tasting tests. The Rainforest Alliance coffee has been well received with customers regularly claiming that it is the best they have tasted. Particularly our flat white!” said Tracey.

The Barista Express will be back at the Grandstand for the Manx Grand Prix fortnight and can be booked for functions and events.