Spotlight Q&A: Melitta Professional reflects on World of Coffee debut
Following Melitta Professional’s World of Coffee debut in Copenhagen, Chief Product & Solutions Officer Robin Franke and Training Manager Stefanie Heidemann reflect on their experience at the exhibition, the benefits of fully automatic coffee machines for hotel F&B and plans for the future.
Why did you decide to participate in World of Coffee this year?
Robin Franke: It was about time. A World of Coffee event is not necessarily our natural habitat but as a solutions provider we need to be visible in all areas where coffee is relevant. For us, coffee and prepared drinks have been in focus. The machine is just the tool to provide the drinks. This way we’ve seen room for engagement over our drink capabilities, some of our coffees and technology.
How was your first WOC experience?
RF: It was not like any other commercial exhibition. We’ve been closer to the coffee family and had deeper conversations. Just reflecting the discussions over drink capability, sustainability and the opportunity to focus on customers instead on drink preparation. That was in my opinion a very good experience and will become part of our future exhibitions. What I enjoyed most was the feedback to our Melitta roasted coffees since that separates us from all other equipment manufacturers.
What differentiated Melitta Professional from the other brands on display at WoC?
RF: Melitta Professional is reinventing itself. It started with the renewed look and feel, and also the market vision. We no longer see us as an equipment manufacturer but a solutions provider. With coffee deep in our DNA and the capability to offer holistic concepts, we are definitely different versus our competitors. A Melitta Professional customer can expect that we think about their whole package from the cup to the solution and we can provide them with all they need. Our solutions are proven by global customers with large installed bases and flexible enough to serve small businesses, too.
What are the benefits of a fully automatic coffee machine for hospitality professionals?
RF: Coffee is important for most consumers and simply has to work. Especially in hospitality, coffee needs to be delivered on point, again and again. Fully automatic machines can help to simplify such operations. As long as there is a coordinated drink development and the necessary duties like cleaning are done correctly.
Why were you looking forward to the Latte Art World Championship this year in particular?
Stefanie Heidemann: This year, the World Latte Art Championship was held on a fully automatic machine for the first time. This led to a lot of criticism and speculation beforehand. For us at Melitta Professional, however, I see this as an opportunity to make fully automatic machines more tangible and interesting for the specialty coffee community. In my opinion, there is often a lack of deeper insight and a lot of prejudice.
As a judge, I was also curious to see how the competition would change and whether it would affect the quality of motifs. Gladly, I can say that we witnessed a competition on a very high level with a smooth workflow. There were no technical issues with the equipment and impressive skills were showcased from the competitors. Introducing fully automatic coffee machines to the world championship stage was a full-on success in my opinion.
What can Melitta machines bring to hotel F&B environments?
SH: Our strength as Melitta Professional lies in our approach to thinking in terms of solutions. This means we can put together suitable packages for the most diverse needs of our customers. In a hotel there are often different areas where guests want to enjoy coffee: the classical breakfast business, but also the restaurant or bar, as well as at events or conferences. We offer a suitable solution for each of these situations – this can be a fully automatic machine with delicious coffee specialties for the breakfast buffet or a classic portafilter machine for the bar, as well as filter coffee preparation for large quantities for the banquet business. In addition to providing the necessary equipment, we of course also offer the appropriate coffees, teas and chocolates, as well as our own technical customer service, various digital solutions and various financing options – and all of this from our own hands.
What’s next for Melitta Professional?
RF: We’re constantly driving our developments. Our focus is on generating value for customers. In general, we aim to increase drink variety, operational efficiency and sustainability. This will be done by upcoming machine ranges but mainly with new services which focus on our customers and their needs. With the ability to provide coffee, machines, services, digital tools and flexible financing options, next is now and continuously expands.
