Mary Dover
LIFESTYLE
For all the coffee snobs out there, the latest place to hang out is the Illy Boutique in Sandton Square, a new venture launched by House of Coffees. And no, its not true that House of Coffees is closing down – the group is still going strong with more than 30 stores nationwide.
The Illy store is a pilot site to test the pocket of the consumer. You will pay R6 for an espresso and R8 for a cappuccino at the Illy Boutique. The menu comprises more than 20 popular coffee variations, from a single espresso to the more decadent Glac – iced espresso with ice cream.
The House of Coffees is currently the sole distributor of the Italian coffee in South Africa and this is where South Africans first got to taste Illy. The brand is a premium single 100% Arabica blend and is sold in more than 70 countries.
According to House of Coffees managing director Christos Kellaris, the idea behind the concept was to take the popularity of Illy coffee one step further.
He says there are no plans to open hundreds of Illy stores but they will look at one in each major city centre, the next being Menlyn Park shopping centre in Pretoria.
The first store is well situated on the banking level of Sandton Square.
The focus of the 50-seater Illy Boutique is on well-prepared coffee but the menu does include light meals, with the emphasis on healthy food.
The store opens at 7am and breakfasts are currently being added to the menu. The low-fat options will include smoked salmon and scrambled or poached eggs, traditional bacon and scrambled or poached eggs, and a Continental breakfast offering an assortment of pastries. Oversized muffins (R9) are a popular choice at the new boutique and other favourites include Italian bruschetta and bagels, with an assortment of exotic fillings (R15 to R23), and savoury crepes (R21).
Espresso lovers can also invest in the Illy collection, a range of designer cups that sell for between R250 and R1 000 for a set of six cups. Twenty-five series of signed and numbered cups have been produced since 1925. Traditionally, top Italian artists have been commissioned to design each collection and it is said that collectors travel far and wide to purchase the more prestigious editions.
The Italian word espresso means “made to order” and was used to describe food and drinks that are prepared at the customer’s request.
The method originated at the end of the 19th century and the word “espresso” became a noun referring to the coffee itself.
The first espresso machine was presented at the Universal Exposition in Paris in 1855.