Balterzen Scandinavian Style Café Analysis

Muhammad Umair

MSc international Business

Title of Module: MPIO Semester 2014/15

Name of Lecturer: David Gannon

                                     Stefano Cavagnetto

University: Prague College / Teesside University

Date Submitted: 21 / 01 /2015

Question: “Drawing on your knowledge and expertise gained during the HRM part of the Managing People in Organisations module advise Baltzersen’s how it can acquire great, talented employees, and get the best out of them?”

Baltzersen’s is the idea that was in head of Paul who is the owner of the café when he was quite young. His grandmother was a Norwegian and he had enjoyed all the Scandinavian foods in his childhood. After his graduation from university he joined the army and was traveling meanwhile but idea of having a Scandinavian style café was always there in background. After getting married he quit the army and tried looking for new job but couldn’t get fit. So this was the high time to set up that café which he has always dreamed about. This is how Baltzersen’s born.

 Baltzersen’s is a Scandinavian style café in Harrogate North West England since 2012, Yorkshire is full of incredible food source producers so they decided to stick with Yorkshire dairy products to use in coffee and cakes. Beef being used in the café is also produced locally. Baltzersen’s is Scandinavian inspired café when people hear Scandinavian food they usually perceive that it will be something pickled or standard meatballs but café is beyond those typical recipes. They are offering much more than classics. They are combining the seasonal food with the preserved food to make it wider choice for the customers (Baltzersen’s).

According to the reviews available (Tripadvisor) this café serves the best coffees in the area. Café has inviting ambiance with mix of seating styles from breakfast bench to sofas. There is a small restaurant called “Norse” located inside the cafe which serves food influenced by Nordic cuisine prepared in the local ingredients available with Scandinavian recipes but Norwegian recipes are more dominant in the menu. They usually pickle, curry, fermented and dehydrate foods to provide all those flavors in off season. The choice of food available is very interesting and servings are generous to have a lunch (Coffeehunter).

Coffee at Blatzersen’s is not only limited to Scandinavian style but they have a wide range of well-crafted coffee types from across the continents. Flat white is the term for a type of coffee that was coined in New Zealand or Australia in 1980 and it has very complex recipe due to from of milk they use for that and according to reviews available on coffee hunter by some Kiwis they are crafting this flat white in Yorkshire very well.

Currently Baltzersen’s is planning to expand its operation to 30 locations and turn it into a chain of café and restaurants.  As Baltzersen’s is new in the market with a history of some years and the type of food they are providing is more of a delicacy instead of fast food or traditional so right now it is not a very good time for Baltzersen’s to go for expansion. They need to make a little bit more of history and building their brand value that will lead to recognition of it in the long run. Without the brand recognition Baltzersen’s could be failed in the market. Expansion is not just too simple and just capital investment doesn’t suffice all the criteria. There is a big risk involve in it and Baltzersen’s should calculate the risk first if it can go for expansion and does expansion goes with the long term strategic goals of the it? They are currently providing the food prepared with the all local and fresh supplies available they’d also need to figure out that would it be possible to have all the same supplies in those 30 locations to prepare the same food? Quality human resource will be another challenge in case of expansion and may be Baltzersen’s would need to hire foreign employees.