Skimmed milk cappuccinos for Nirvana Spa

Nirvana Spa is the UK’s largest day spa, welcoming more than 300 members and guests every day. With six, spring water pools and countless treatments on offer, most people spend several hours in the soothing atmosphere.

Ian Meads, the Food and Beverage Manager, has to ensure that a diverse range of client requirements are met. He explains, “One of the most important considerations is that good quality food and drink are always available when and where they are required and that we have something for all tastes.”

Nirvana’s coffee service was scrutinised recently to establish how it could be improved and extended.

“We looked at several different machines and even considered a barista style service briefly,” says Ian . “However, we quickly realised that we could achieve both exceptional quality and diversity with Melitta’s fully automatic Alpha machines and, what’s more, because the machines have a dual milk facility, we can now offer a choice of skimmed or semi-skimmed milk

. The most important factor, though, was that consistency would be totally assured at all times.”

Nirvana has three Alphas – one in the main spa restaurant, one in the nail bar café and another in the adjacent Pulse 8 Health and Fitness Club.

Because the machines are so user friendly, many members of staff can operate them easily. In fact, fifty staff have now been trained to use the Alphas which means that nobody ever has to wait for a coffee and that Ian never has to worry about coffee quality.

Nirvana serves up to about 600 coffees a day, with cappuccinos and lattes leading the popularity stakes. “Feedback from staff, members and guests has been fantastic since the Alphas were installed,” enthuses Ian. “We have had many comments on the fantastic quality and a great deal of appreciation for the choice of milks. From my point of view, the machines pay for themselves. They deliver a barista style coffee without the associated staff costs; they are supremely reliable and, as the final bonus, are very profitable.”

Further information: www.melitta.de