Movies and Eiffel Tower Burgers at the French Toast Coffee and Cafe in Hartbeespoort, South Africa

In the Moment

People in South Africa are forever trying to escape reality. 

Caught between yearning for a greater tomorrow and memories of a much better past, they are masters at creating a different world from the one they have and perpetuating cliches about times and places they would rather be. 

It is probably the only place on the planet where you can have a hotdog better than one in New York, pizza that is done better than in Italy, and Swiss cheese made better than in Switzerland. It only fits then that you also have a little bit of Paris in Hartbeespoort that is in some respects better than the real deal.

It is called the French Toast Coffee Cafe.

This is part of the TWO COWBOYS' EPIC GLOBAL TRAVEL & CULINARY EXPERIENCE - 2019! 

DO YOU WANT YOUR BUSINESS OR COMMUNITY FEATURED?

South Africans are an industrious bunch. Regardless of geographic isolation and years of culture detachment and division, they don't shy away from the challenge to innovate and create something in the image of what they think it should be.

They are masters of cliche. If they think Texas is about barbeque, then they will make it more barbeque than Texas. If they believe Paris is about love, South Africans will make it more about love than it can ever be. If they think the French eat French Toast burgers, then that is what you will get at a French-themed coffee shop in Harties, and it is likely to be better than even the best French Culinary Master would be able to make.

On our recent trip to South Africa, we met up with our long-time friend and fellow movie maker, Paul Kruger. He is the maker of the Eiffel Burger, proprietor and creator of the French Toast Coffee Cafe, and initiator of a series of destination-themed dining and weekend experiences in Hartbeespoort Dam.

His business came about because Paul's invested in movie sets. Hartiwoodfilms, another of his companies, is responsible for a mini-renaissance in Afrikaans language movies with successful productions such as Liefling, Pretville and you guessed it - French Toast! The dining experiences became an extension of the movie brands, and the investment he made in the film settings was repurposed to continue beyond the movies.

While the movies were doing a phenomenal job at exploiting the cliches in the Afrikaner mind, Paul seized the opportunity to turn an average financial return from moviemaking in a small and niche market, into a popular merchandising and destination themed-experience goldmine. Disney's been doing it forever. Trust a South African to try and do it better!

If his Eiffel Burger and the line-up of people waiting to be served on weekends is a testimony to his success, I think Paul hit the jackpot.

Making Milkshakes

Paul showed us how to make his monster Eifel Tower burger at French Toast Coffee Cafe.

We tried to finish one while we discussed the perils of entrepreneurship and owning a business in a country ready to confiscate your property at any moment. "It is about job creation", Paul said. The more people you include and involve in your enterprise in South Africa the more people can have an opportunity to benefit from your work.

While government corruption in South Africa is as rampant, as it usually is in the developing world, the ultimate focus for these businesses and their entrepreneurs, on the ground, is job creation and upliftment. Regardless of the country's difficult circumstances, and the hardship of movie makers and content producers to get paid in South Africa as it is anywhere in the world, Paul convinced us that there are still opportunities with the right approach.

In his own words, "I make movies to sell milkshakes". Herein lies the most important lesson for us, the Two Cowboys. It should be a lesson for most fellow content producers. We should use our content production and promotional power to sell our own 'milkshakes'!

Observations

There is merit in trying to convince clients of the power of good online content's ability to build their businesses and promote their products or services. However, it's getting harder and harder for us, as content producers to make a business of it.

Instead, the value of good production and storytelling have been destroyed as a result of factors such as the proliferation of high-quality cameras, the ease of basic editing tools, online self-publishing and an avalanche of social and other media content. Even robots are in on the act of stitching together a few images, music and some text in a 'video' or a news 'article' for so-called publishers.

Gone are the true journalists, producers, directors, editors and publishers. Now, 'anyone' can be a writer, videographer and a publisher, and the real professionals are poorer because of it. So is the audience when their intelligence is insulted, and their time wasted. However, that is a story for another time.

As marketers, we know that good and well-made content, delivered to the right audience, works to build a business, sell wares, engage customers, entice prospects, and grow a brand. In a world where advertising and promotions moved online, a successful business has no choice but to have good, engaging, positive, informative, authentic and well-produced content, and lots of it. It gets and holds customer attention.

Having no content is fatal when a prospect's attention comes at a premium. Simply, out-screaming your opposition no longer works either. Audiences merely click or swipe away. Poor content like bad reviews, meh pictures, amateurish or meaningless slow motion feel-good music videos on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram, is equally compelling in destroying budgets and damaging brands.

For an excellent example of how not to do it, have a look at Tourism Associations' online marketing efforts. They are the last to discover how a colossal and useless waste of time and money meaningless feel-good content is for marketing. It is because they don't spend their own cash on it. If it was their own money they would have already been confronted by reality, and most probably fired their social media managers and supposed 'content' departments and 'influencers'.

With online media consolidating, the Facebooks and Googles of the world are again making it harder for businesses to get access to, and communicate with prospective customers. There are solid examples and their own admission of how they actively force businesses to buy the attention of prospects. They do it by lowering search rankings and limiting content access within people's social media feeds. Heck, they are even paid to manipulate national elections!

Unless a business is prepared to put out for a few AdWords or pay for Boosting a post, you can kiss communicating with your prospective and existing customers goodbye. These companies are not in the business of giving you free access to prospects, and they are not charities. Look at their profits. Selling access to users' attention is how they make their money! When you spend money for eyeballs with these elephants, you better be sure that the eyeballs you get have something enjoyable, engaging, and informative to see.

We predict that there will be a time again when access to an audience becomes so expensive that businesses will no longer hesitate to invest in good quality content to draw and keep prospects' attention. Then there will be demand again for good content producers like the Two Cowboys.

Until that happens, we should use our capabilities to produce content about, and sell our own milkshakes, burgers, beard oil, brewing ingredients, tours, cabins and RV's. That is why a movie guy became a milkshake guy.

We congratulate Paul for setting the example.

Hendrik

Milkshake Cowboy

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Photos

Paris, Really?!

Movie Making

Tourist

Movie Maker

Heartburn!

A Coffee Drinking Chicken and Breakfast Blueberry Gin at the Magoebaskloof Farmstall and Cafe, South Africa

Coffee Pit Stop

Life happens while you are making other plans!

While trying to escape the humid Lowveld summer heat of South Africa's Limpopo Province, we were in dire need of a good coffee. It's been several days since we've seen an espresso as we were heading up Magoebaskloof. Halfway up the pass, we passed a cafe sign and immediately decided to turn off the main road to inspect further. 

What we found proved to us, as we've discovered many, many times before, that when you travel, you should turn off the main road and prepare for the truly extraordinary discoveries. This time, we found great coffee, learned about a brewery, fed a pet goat, made cheese, and had blueberry gin for breakfast.

This is part of the TWO COWBOYS' EPIC GLOBAL TRAVEL & CULINARY EXPERIENCE - 2019! 

DO YOU WANT YOUR BUSINESS OR COMMUNITY FEATURED?

Harry and Agie are the owners of the new Magoebaskloof Farmstall and Cafe. You cannot miss the venue on the side of the picturesque Magoebaskloof pass, between Polokwane and Tzaneen. It is a farm stall stocked with local produce and a whole lot of heart and passion. You will find wine, gin, vegetables, plants, oils, soaps, pies and a little of everything the people of Magoebaskloof is proudly producing.

Yes, you are reading it right. You can buy alcohol-to-go on the side of the road in South Africa. Not only can you buy local wine, beer and gin, but Harry will also mix you a cocktail or spike your favourite latte for you, any time of the day. We were spoiled when we checked in. The Flatwhite was done correctly, and the locally baked pies were divine. However, it was the blueberry gin we had for breakfast that made our visit most memorable.

I think Harry played with Dolphins for a living and Angie, who is Canadian, were catching elephants in the Lowveld when they met. One thing led to another, and now a little Harry is running around the farmstall playing with a pet billy goat, and a big Harry is pulling espresso shots while entertaining tourists and regulars with his stories.

As they say, life happens while you were making other plans. We are glad to see the amount of passion Harry and Angie brought to their fledgeling business, and we wish them all the success they can handle. 

Observations

Turning off for a coffee at a farm stall is usually a reasonably trivial affair. We've stopped many times all over the world for coffee. It is often only about coffee. However, that morning in Magoebaskloof, something as simple as turning off the main road, a handshake, a blueberry gin and a pie later, put us on a completely different path, and a much more exciting journey.

We could have taken the safe, more comfortable option and simply continued towards the next town for a coffee at a familiar stop (which we did do several days later, only to have a disappointing coffee). Instead, our visit that morning with Harry lead us to a brewery, we discovered a fantastic camping spot by a river, we attended a local food festival, made cheese at an organic farm, ate a divine lamb pie, discovered cream cheese samoosas, and had a goat curry with mielie pap.

What it taught us again, even as seasoned travellers, is that you have to turn off the main road for your coffee. You have to say 'yes' to what is new and unfamiliar, and be prepared to experience and discover. If you do, life will gloriously happen. It will unfold around you with experiences you could never have imagined, even if you were trying to plan it.

Here is our Two Cowboys top tip about our visit to Magoebaskloof Farmstall and Cafe; "Go! Travel! Turn off the main road. Have a coffee. Introduce yourself. Say 'yes' to what happens next and enjoy the journey because life happens even if you make other plans. All you have to do is be ready to discover."

Buckle up and get ready for the ride.

Hendrik
Travelling Cowboy

We earn our livelihood by producing great content and supporting inspiring people, businesses, and communities. Please book us here so we can tell your story too.

Photos

Cappuchicken!

Breakfast

On the Road

Harry!

Not One More Lousy Coffee, Please!

The End

When is a customer justified in refusing to pay for lousy coffee? It depends on how you define "bad" coffee, doesn't it? It also depends if you accept and drink it. 

We agree that the bill for a consumed coffee must be settled. However, we are firm in our opinion that a lousy coffee can, and should be sent back until it is right. Accepting a lousy coffee hurts an industry.

See more Two Cowboys Coffee Content: Here.

DO YOU WANT YOUR BUSINESS OR COMMUNITY FEATURED?

Coffee shops charge you before they serve you. Herein lies your opportunity. It gives you the chance to demand an acceptable beverage, or you get your money back. A shot of espresso can set you back as little as $1.50 and as much as $4.50. The same goes for a milk espresso drink like a cappuccino, flat-white, macchiato or latte. It too can come in as high as $3.50, and up to $6.50 at some "distinguished" establishments. If you bend over for a Starbucks, prepare to hurt even more.

We once showed a coffee shop owner that we've spent upwards of $780/month with him and that it didn't even include the beans for the coffee we make at home. The Cowboys spend more on coffee in a month than we spend on beer. That is very concerning (and a topic for another time)!

The point is that drinking coffee is expensive. Why then do we tolerate it when we are served an inferior beverage? We won't accept half a sandwich, a stale doughnut, or being served an overly salty muffin. We won't go back to a restaurant for a rubbery overdone steak and cold fries. Yet, establishments serve inferior espresso-based coffee drinks as a central feature or sideshow, and they get away with it. Even worse, some are offended when you call them out on it. 

People somehow accept the role of the espresso dice and console themselves with their fate when they are handed dark muck in a cup. "Maybe the Barista is having a bad day. Tomorrow it may be better. We'll try again later. It is the best you can get around here..." 

No more!

A (Dis)Service

It is time to call it, and we intend to do just that.

Yes, we know that we are at risk of becoming very unpopular with some of the business owners on our travels. However, as we've mentioned before, we pay for our coffee. If we are paying for it, like every other customer, we have the right to have an opinion. Even more so, because of what we do as the Two Cowboys, we have the intention to share our view with anyone that cares to read, watch and listen. 

This is a generous service to coffee lovers and the coffee serving establishment. We are gladly stepping up to provide transparency and clarity. As fellow baristas, prior coffee shop owners, dedicated coffee drinkers, and world-travellers, we intend to help coffee servers realize where they have room for improvement, and we hope to make the world a better place because of it.

This is part of the TWO COWBOYS' EPIC GLOBAL TRAVEL & CULINARY EXPERIENCE - 2019!

Good Coffee

The World Speciality Coffee Association (SCA) sets the standards for coffee. Standards can be great tools for the coffee industry as they are trusted reference instruments established by knowledgeable subject-matter experts. It is a quantifiable and qualifiable measure, based upon scientific testing, which set values and/or ranges of values for coffee.

The standards are the foundation of what is used in international barista competitions hosted by World Coffee Events at their very popular World Barista Championships. These competitions focus on promoting excellence in coffee, advancing the barista profession, and engaging worldwide audiences with a love for better coffee. Judges from around the world evaluate each performance on the taste of beverages served, cleanliness, creativity, technical skill, and overall presentation.

Now, let's be realistic. Buying a beverage at your local coffee shop should not be a world championship judging event! That is why we've lowered our standards to support our love of specialty coffees and helping fellow entrepreneurs that bravely venture to serve it to loyal patrons every day.

As far as we are concerned, there are mainly three important criteria that should be met for a Two Cowboys coffee to be an acceptable coffee (and not to be handed back for a redo). It should be well prepared, taste good, and be served in a customer friendly manner.

1. Well Prepared: There is a whole raft of technical aspects that guide a well-prepared beverage. Bean quality and freshness, grinder setting, tamping, flushing, dosing, extraction time, and other elements all work together to produce a good coffee. Chief in these for us is the cleanliness of the preparation. Secondly, is the consistency of the beverages that are turned out. Can we trust not to get sick from a septic steam wand and expect the same consistently good coffee no matter who the barista is on any given day?
2. Taste Good: First of all, the coffee should be made correctly. The barista should know the difference between a simple cappuccino, a flat-white, latte and a macchiato. If they are cross-eyed when we use words such as espresso, doppio or ristretto then they should not be on the machine. The coffee shot should have a nice dark rich crema and be well balanced between sweet, acidic and bitter. The milk should be rich and silky and the volume appropriately adjusted for the type of drink. Both should come together in balance and harmony. For heaven's sake, it should be served at the right temperature!
3. Customer Service: Here is where many coffee serving establishments go to die. The barista's treatment of his or her patrons is as integral to the specialty coffee experience as is the beverage. If every establishment makes a reasonably good coffee, then the barista's energy and positivity differentiate mediocrity from excellence. Baristas, like barmen and barbers, have a very personal job. We've walked away from good coffee in the past because of a jackass barista, and we took our $780/month with us.

We give all three of the above criteria an equal weighting. Call it the Two Cowboys - Three Stars Coffee Rating. Unfortunately, one miss can sink a coffee ship.

Observations

We realize that the specialty coffee business is a hard endeavour.

From an outsider's perspective, the margins may look promising. However, with roughly $1 of profit in a cup of coffee a shop needs to push out at least 15 an hour just to cover minimum wage in most western countries. Coffee is expensive and a good espresso machine, more so.  Baristas don't earn much either. Even if they make a good coffee, most baristas earn minimum wage, or slightly more.

Our goal is not to give these businesses and dedicated folks a hard time. Instead, by shining a light on them, we hope to celebrate their successes and drive more patrons their way. We've already lost our butchers, bakers, dairies and our fresh produce grocers from our small towns. They've been replaced by large grocery chains. Our coffee is fast going the same route with a Starbucks and a Tim Hortons opening on every available downtown corner. Every second establishment now purports to be serving specialty coffee. Most of them serve lousy coffee. That is why it is even more critical to outdo the coffee making robots.

Let's not be distracted by accepting lousy coffee. It hurts the few remaining dedicated espresso hole-in-the-walls that are doing a decent job. Support those instead, like we do!

Hendrik
Coffee Cowboy!

We earn our livelihood by producing great content and supporting inspiring people, businesses, and communities. Please book us here so we can tell your story too.

Photos

Dopio!

Fiagro's Whittaker's Mocha

Koffie en Beskuit

Morning Routine

Art

Heart Attack

Cowboy Love!

A Gold Mine at Deadwood Junction and Tarnish Turkey Cappuccino in Greenwood, BC, Canada

An Ounce of Gold

Bruce Jepsen, the latest custodian of Deadwood Junction and Tarnished Turkey Cappuccino, acknowledges that he has a gold mine.

He makes a very valid point though, about his mine, "How much effort do you think is required to get an ounce of gold out of the mine?" In the case of Deadwood Junction, a surprising amount of effort is required to operate the small coffee shop, tourism stop, bakery, and summer BBQ joint on BC's Highway 3.

DO YOU WANT YOUR DESTINATION OR BUSINESS FEATURED?

Deadwood Junction is in a place most people, and some would say time itself, has long gone forgotten. Greenwood, British Columbia and the Boundary Country south of the Okanagan, on the US Border may be the last holdout where small businesses can still stand a chance to mine an ounce of gold.

Ask most small business owner-operators in Canada today, and many will admit that it may not be worth the effort anymore. Many have mines that are abandoned, shut down, or the miners are on strike hoping for another time where small business owners and entrepreneurs will be allowed to succeed again without hindrance from overbearing bureaucracies.

Many, like us, strive to live and work in a Utopia where rules, taxes and operating costs are not an issue. Where entrepreneurs are allowed to hang on to more than half of their profits. Where people can be employed, skills can be developed, where they can create value and can focus on making great products and delivering services that are appreciated by the people around them, their community.

If this is you, then maybe this part of Canada with its rich history, simple pleasures and great weather may have a place for your business. Life here is easier. Much slower and a dollar goes a lot further.

Be prepared to hear more about the Boundary Country in BC from the Two Cowboys.

Deadwood Junction was founded in 2009. It is located in the beautiful City of Greenwood right off Highway 3. It is a must stop and comes highly recommended by the Cowboys. Bruce and Katie Jepsen are the current owners of a business that looks like it pre-dated Canada. Knowing the fascinating history of the area, it probably does date from a couple of centuries ago.

They make great coffee. Bruce has been baking all his life and cannot wait to get out of bed at 03:00 in the morning to get your cinnamon bun hot, sweet, sticky, and ready. He and Katy also make a prize-winning Beef Chilli. That is a story for another time.

Their little store also sells antiques and local artisan work. As small businesses do, they support local small town talent where they can!

Observations

Once a baker, always a baker. Bruce claims that he was born a baker. Nothing can replace the joy he gets from seeing you appreciate his baking and his coffee (which he takes great care to do custom for every one of his favourite clients (you know if you are one ;-))

We are proud to feature Bruce's buns this time and hope to have many more stories for you from Deadwood Junction and Tarnished Turkey Cappuccino and the small communities and entrepreneurs in this fantastic part of British Columbia, Canada.

Hendrik van Wyk 

Cinnamon Cowboy

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Photos

Deadwood

Two Cowboys Flatwhite

The Junction

The Team

Traveling Cowboys: Traveling in Style and Getting Our Espresso Fix on the Road with a Rocket R58

Good Coffee on the Road

It is incredible to realize just how bad coffee can be on the road. Some establishments give themselves out as coffee shops that should rather stay away from espresso machines.

We only feature positive stories, and we have to confess that it is difficult to find positive espresso coffee stories on our travels. 

DO YOU YOU WANT YOUR DESTINATION OR BUSINESS FEATURED?

The real gems are when we find a lost master barista operating a hole in the wall espresso stand, for a few discerning customers. We wish there were more of them in the world. They are the morning coffee heroes that should be celebrated. In their absence, we had to make our own plans.

We invested in a Rocket R58 Espresso Machine, a little Rancilio grinder and fresh beans as we travel. Now we can make our own coffee on the road when we cannot find a good local spot with a barista in the know.

Observations

The biggest challenge with espresso on the road has enough electricity to operate a higher-end espresso machine. The Rocket works with 110V power, which makes it ideal for mobile operations. It has a little water tank that we fill as we go. It is a heavy machine, so we had to be sure that we have the right spot for it. You are not going to unpack it every time you use it. It needs a special place in our rig.

We've found our coffee solution for when we can not find good coffee in the destinations of our travels. Tell us about your favourite coffee spots, and we may just pay them a visit when we pass through.

Hendrik van Wyk

Rocket Cowboy

We earn our livelihood by producing great content and supporting inspiring people, businesses, and communities. Please book us here so we can tell your story too. If you want to see us do more of these, then please forward the favour. We will use it for the next episode promoting a local business or event.

Photos

Mobile Espresso

Hole in the Wall

Rocket

Setup

Good Coffee

Traveling Cowboys: Early Morning Mustard at Exhibition Park Lethbridge Farmers' Market in Lethbridge, Alberta

Mustard World

If you go early, you get the freshest produce. If you go later, you can spend more time with friends at the market.

Everybody in Southern Alberta knows that Lethbridge's Farmers' Market is one of the best in the area. It is packed with fresh produce that sells out early. You can also find products like honey from Forever Bee, mead wine from Spirit Hills Meadery, nuts and even locally made mustard from Luco Farms. We also managed to get an excellent Flat White Coffee from Red Engine Coffee Roasters.

GET YOUR DESTINATION OR BUSINESS FEATURED: Click Here

The market return every May to the Exhibition Park's indoors West Pavilion. The Saturday market opens at 8:00 a.m. and closes at 1:00 p.m. The last market of the season is on the last Saturday in October. There is no admission or parking fee. Over 3000 people attend the Saturday markets, so it is a busy place. Get there early.

Between fifty and a hundred exhibitors are at the market each market day. The Farmers’ Market is a member of the Alberta Farmers’ Market Association (AFMA). It aims to offer at least 80% of products to be locally made, baked or grown. This means you can find crafts, fresh fruit, vegetables, home-made baking, artwork, hand-made clothing, and much more made by people in the area.

Observations

The Lethbridge market has the right vendor mix and offers something for everyone. There is enough to taste, see and sample from local vendors so that it keeps you busy for the entire Saturday morning.

As you would expect, the produce from this part of the world, with its well-structured irrigation infrastructure, is outstanding. If you are not into farm-fresh food, there is even someone (Synergy Urban Farms) that makes a business out of cultivating vegetables in people's gardens in the city of Lethbridge. Call it "garden-fresh" produce. You can buy this also at the market. 

What we learned new, courtesy of Luco Farms, was that the area is also a primary producer of Mustard. Yet, as usual, we don't process it in Alberta as we should. Like some of our other highly prized agricultural assets, namely barley, we export most of it to the rest of the world without adding any value. Luco Farms is changing that with the traditional mustards they produce, with the hope to export it soon.

We love mustard on our BBQ pork and making the discovery that we can use our very own Alberta mustard is a revelation. The only challenge now is that we have to work in frequent visits to the Lethbridge Farmers' Market to stock up on this beautiful mustard. We'll see you there.

Hendrik van Wyk

Hot and Spicy Mustard Cowboy

We earn our livelihood from producing great content and supporting inspiring people, businesses, and communities. We use Patreon to help us earn from our work. Please become a patron at http://www.travelingcowboys.com if you want to see more of this and other stories.

Photos

Great Sausages

Alberta Mustard!

Fresh Honey

Indeed!

Berries!

Two Cowboys: The Beans, Roast, The Grind and the Coffee Machine with Espressotec and Rocket in Vancouver, Canada

In Order of Importance

"The espresso machine is probably the least important in the value chain of good coffee. Much more important is the quality of the bean, the roast, the grind and the skill of the barista", according to Reg James, the founder of Espressotec.

Yet, the market for coffee machines is growing in sophistication. Terms such as pressure-profiling and temperature-profiling are becoming conversation points around the local single origin espresso bar. With single origin coffee, a lot more work goes into getting the best flavors from the bean. A lot more engineering and technique goes into the machines that extract these flavors.

In this post, the Traveling Cowboys caught up with Reg James, the founder of Vancouver's biggest and most trusted coffee machine and accessory suppliers. We also had the privilege of meeting Andrew Meo, from Rocket Espresso Milano. In the coffee world, these are some of Our people.

GET YOUR DESTINATION OR BUSINESS FEATURED: Click Here

When we heard Andrew will make a stopover at Reg's place on his way to the Seattle Global Coffee Expo 2017, we couldn't contain our excitement. The motorhome is always on ready-alert for an opportunity like this. We immediately hit the road to Vancouver.

On this trip, not only did we get to visit an old friend and trusted Rancilio supplier of ours, but we also managed to meet and interview a fellow coffee countryman from New Zealand. Andrew Meo is heading one of the fastest growing and best trending brands in Coffee Machines. At Rocket Espresso Milano they make the best espresso machines they possibly can.

In a very crowded and well-established global market, Andrew and his team are breaking into the commercial sector with the same solid foundational values that launched the venture not long ago. A small team of craftsmen in Milano, Italy produce both premium domestic and commercial espresso machines that are beautifully made with meticulous care and attention to detail. Machines that should last twenty-five to thirty years.

Both of these veterans have a passion for the coffee business. They also have a passion for the quality that sets a company apart and makes products and brands legendary. Not a moment goes by without them offering valuable advice and opinion on how best to coax even more flavor and value from our love affair with the little coffee bean.

Observations

We learned a lot on this trip.

Espressotec is a one-stop-shop for the coffee gadget enthusiast. We can spend days there. There are not many places like this, where you can get hands-on with the latest from Rancilio, Rocket Espresso Milano, and La Marzocco. In the beautiful showroom that doubles as a coffee training lab and general customer hangout spot, you get to work with the machines and compare them side-by-side.

On the one hand, you can experience the legendary history of almost a century of engineering. On the contrary, you get hands-on with the rebellious new kid on the block that is pushing traditional boundaries in a pocket-sized rocket package. The Ferrari is set against the Tesla of the espresso world.

Espressotec hosts monthly events where barista and latte art enthusiasts can test their skills and learn new techniques from experts and from each other.

The most important take away from our visit is the confirmation, yet again, that the coffee grinder is the stepchild of the coffee business. The grinder, which is probably one of the simplest machines in the coffee value chain, has the single biggest role and impact on the quality of a cup of coffee. Without a good and a correctly set grind, no monster espresso machine stands a chance to extract a good cup. We own a Rancilio and a Rocket espresso machine, but we protect our grinders with a vicious guard. Reg has trained us well to appreciate the things that matter (in the coffee world).

Hendrik van Wyk

Rocket Cowboy

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Photos

Make Something

Baby Espressos

Fix it... 

New Kid

Trusted Friend

Traveling Cowboys: Little Mexico on the Prairie - Motoburrito Back for Another Summer in Turner Valley, Alberta

Living the Dream

Here is the ideal lifestyle. A food truck summer in Alberta, Canada. Sunshine, sand and beach-bound winters in Mexico.

If you mention this to any Canadian, they will get a strange longing in their eyes. It is the same look someone gets when thinking of missed opportunities, long gone lovers or lost romance.

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"For as little as $1/month you will get the inside track on content like this and follow the travels of the Two Cowboys & A Camera. Join here."

Motoburrito in Turner Valley, Alberta managed to make the dream real. This is their lifestyle. With their food truck, they are on the busiest breakfast-run biker junction of the Foothills. Summer weekends and lazy days see them serving delicious Burritos, Tacos and "Mexican coffees". Winters, they recover by lounging on the sandy beaches of Cancun, Mexico.

Observations

When Motoburrito opens their trailer for business, we know that Spring finally arrived. The food is fresh and delicious. We call it our little Mexico on the Prairie. Go for the "Dirty Sanchez" (don't ask where the name comes from, you don't want to know!) or the Pollo Loco. Even the chickens love it ;-)

These dishes are trusted favourites in Mexico. It is as authentic as you can expect from people that spend half their time South and can serve you in Alberta Spanglish if you wish.

Whatever you do, don't miss out on the coffee. Tell them that you want the "Two Cowboys coffee special". We guarantee that you will be pleasantly surprised. Note though, under no circumstances do we take responsibility for what follows. Refrain from driving or riding for at least a couple of hours. You will need the rest, trust us!

The one distinct characteristic of the Motoburrito experience is that it is a local experience. These are our people. They know their customers by name. Introduce yourself, and you will quickly become friends. Walking up to the truck you will be greeted with the usual Motoburrito yelp. "Tequila!" The rest is up to you...

As they say in Mexico, "What happens in Mexico, stays in Mexico". Enjoy the coffee. Keep the secret, but tell everyone about Motoburrito!

Hendrik van Wyk

Taco Cowboy

We earn our livelihood from producing great content about inspiring people and their stories. We use Patreon to help us earn from our work. Please support us and get VIP privileges like early access to content and special offers. Alternatively, please sponsor us: http://www.travelingcowboys.com or Donate to our cause on GoFundMe: http://www.forwardthefavour.com. It helps us to promote our local people, businesses and events and to keep entertaining you.

Photos

This is not Sanchez!

Little Mexico

Burrito Ladies

Tequila!

o-CNN: Love Affair With All Things Coffee at the Auckland Coffee Festival 2017, New Zealand

The Little Bean

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New Zealanders love their coffee.

On average, Kiwis are spending $13.67 a week on coffee from coffee shops. This adds up to just over $710 a year per person. New Zealanders work themselves through a per capita annual consumption of 3.7kg of beans (Wikipedia). We are talking about a Billion Dollar industry in a relatively small country, dedicated to maximising the benefits of the little bean from the genus Coffea.

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A survey by consumer satisfaction company Canstar Blue showed in 2015 that Kiwis are fairly dedicated to getting the best coffee possible with 52% going out of their way for a good cup. Coffee is a staple of the Kiwi diet. Kiwi's don't drink just any coffee. This country is called Aotearoa ("Land of the Long White Cloud"), but it might as well be called the "Country of the Strong Flat White" considering the sophistication and dedication that goes into every cup.

There is an espresso machine in every corner store, and most of these locations actually know how to use them. Legend has it that the early coffee roasters in New Zealand struggled with adoption and sponsored espresso machines for businesses as an incentive to stock and serve their beans. It fostered coffee adoption, and Kiwi's became as sophisticated and discerning about their coffee as any Italian. Caffeine is a drug after all, best served up strong.

The Auckland Coffee Festival, which is in its second year, is another opportunity for expressing the Kiwi love affair with coffee. According to Luke Jackison, the organiser, it is all about celebrating the "latte" lifestyle. It is also about showcasing talent, creativity and new ideas of what can be done with coffee within the Auckland coffee market.

Observations

We received an invitation from Luke and our good friends, Miles and Sandra from Weta Coffee, to attend and cover the festival. If you follow our journey, you will know that we cannot pass up any invitation to a food and beverage related festival, showcase or expose.

What we found was different from what we've seen elsewhere. Luke and his team of exhibitors indeed succeeded in engaging the audience with great products and coffee. They also impressed attendees with engaging coffee experiences. La Marzocco gave barista lessons on their new premium prosumer machines. There was coffee stout, jelly shots, espresso gelato, and affogato. You could scrub with coffee, bath with coffee, drink coffee, smell the coffee, grind coffee, pour coffee, press coffee, roast coffee, have your hair cut with coffee, or simply do it cold with nitrogen.

What truly stood out for us was the number of smaller operators that we found at the festival. The smaller roaster, bakery, cold brewer and even the creme brulee maker that served it from his trike.

Hipsterism dictates authenticity, value, independent thinking, counter-culture, an appreciation of art, creativity, intelligence, and witty banter. Men in beards and flannel were everywhere, but it didn't detract from the sheer quality of the products that was on offer, and the obvious fun people were having at every stall. The Auckland Coffee Festival comes highly recommended as a truly authentic experience. It is not only for hipsters. It is something not to be missed for anyone that shares in the love affair with all things coffee.

Set a reminder for late summer 2018.

Hendrik van Wyk
Flat White Cowboy

We are a content company. We earn our livelihood from producing great content about inspiring people and their stories. We use Patreon to help us earn from our work. It allows us to have a closer relationship with our collaborators and grow our audience. 

If you Sponsor us on Patreon: http://www.travelingcowboys.com or Donate to our cause on GoFundMe: http://www.forwardthefavour.com we can do a lot more for you, your business, event or community.

Photos

Gold Leaf Coffee Jelly Shots 

Creme Brulee

Weta Coffee

La Marzocco