Beverage awards seek excellence in hot drinks

16-Apr-2014 - Last updated on 17-Apr-2014 at 08:44 GMT

Do you make the perfect cup of coffee?

The Beverage Standards Association (BSA) is calling on specialist coffee shops, cafes, tea rooms, hotel bars, beverage carts and restaurants to enter its hot drink awards and accreditation programme.

The BSA Accreditation and Best Drink awards, which are open to BSA members and non-members in England, Scotland and Wales, aim to raise standards across the hot drinks industry.

There are two main components to the awards: the 1 to 5 Cup Accreditation programme and the National Best Drinks awards.

The 1 to 5 Cup Accreditation programme evaluates aspects of the business including environment, facilities and customer service and awards ‘cup’ points based on how they perform.

The National Best Drinks awards recognise venues which have delivered the most exceptional beverages in one of the following categories:

Best Cappuccino
Best Latte
Best Flat White
Best Espresso
Best Hot Chocolate
Best Tea
Best Grind & Brew

Winners of all awards will receive certificates and 3 to 5 Cup accredited sites will receive BSA window stickers. The Best Drink winners will receive a wall plate and window sticker.

Raising standards

Gordon Howell, chairman of the BSA Awards assessors, said: "Our ethos is to raise standards – it’s not just an awards process.

“The Awards provide the beverage venue a good insight into how well they are performing. Entrants are not judged, they’re assessed by experienced and calibrated professionals working to standards through a critical questionnaire created by and for the BSA.

“Another important element of the awards is that the BSA will give feedback and constructive advice to all entrants.”

Three new awards

The BSA Awards 2014 will feature three new awards: a Raising Standards award, Newcomers award and Best Overall Experience award.

Howell said the Raising Standards award would recognise an entrant that had invested ‘time and effort’ into raising their own standards.

“They will have bought into the BSA accreditation process and will have delivered exceptional improvements in all areas,” he explained.

The Newcomers’ award is open to any venues that have recently entered the BSA assessment programme and displayed excellent service and high standards.

The Overall Experience award, meanwhile, will go to a business that has shown ‘exemplary’ standards in all areas of the accreditation programme.

“This is the ultimate Award for a venue which has excelled above and beyond the call of duty,” said Howell.