Athena Ferry

Coffee culture onboard

The culture of coffee baristas goes to sea: ferry passengers don't just want traditional coffee

Coffee is considered an extraordinary beverage all over the world - it is also a ritual, a morning dose of energy or even part of the culture of the countries. According to specialists, the quality of coffee and its consumption traditions in Lithuania are improving and rapidly approaching the level typical of foreign countries. To encourage this process, coffee gourmets in Lithuania have joined forces and decided to ensure a quality coffee experience for those traveling by sea.

We want more and more quality

Laima Vėželienė, Director of Vero Café, the largest coffee network in Lithuania, says that coffee culture in Lithuania is experiencing a real upswing: "The number of coffee drinkers is increasing, people become more curious, so we always try to renew coffee drinks and beans assortment. In coffee culture, in some cases, Lithuania even outperforms traditional coffee drinking countries, catching up strongly and with great acceleration to the largest coffee cities in the world. ”

According to L. Vėželienė, in Lithuania, as in any other country's gastronomic culture, more and more attention is paid to the quality of coffee, information on what exotic country the coffee beans are grown on, what unique aftertaste and aroma they will have, how the coffee will be produced.

“Making good coffee requires high-quality work equipment - a professional coffee machine. The equipment has many subtleties and nuances that allow you to brew good and tasty coffee. But above all, a coffee professional standing behind all the equipment - good coffee requires skill and love. Everybody has a different taste and aroma in the hands of everyone, so this is the art we all feel in our steaming cup, ”says L. Vėželienė.

Good coffee - in the most unexpected places

According to L. Vėželienė, not only coffee enthusiasts, but also ordinary consumers, who are looking for a daily dose of caffeine, are transforming themselves into curious coffee gourmets who are looking for an aromatic experience rather than an energy source. This interest in the coffee culture among a wider range of consumers has led Vero Café and DFDS, a ferry company, to join forces and bring all these quality coffee experiences for Lithuanian travelers.

DFDS project manager Linas Lesauskas says that investing in coffee quality is essential: "For most of our customers, coffee is part of the morning ritual and having an espresso cup after dinner or lunch is a very important moment that can crown or ruin the whole experience."

In the past, ferry passengers used to choose between black coffee and coffee with milk. Now, however, almost every ferry passenger will be able to find everything from classic espresso made from specifically roasted beans to flat white or caramel latte macchiato made with natural milk and freshly ground coffee. A survey carried out earlier by the company revealed that people on the road miss out on quality food choices in their vehicles. Such a change in the range of coffee should also contribute to solving this problem.

According to a spokesman for the company, the idea of working with coffee professionals was not coincidental: “Earlier this year, we discussed how to improve the quality and range of coffee currently offered in ferries. We not only wanted to use better ingredients but also to gain more knowledge and skills and to invest in more modern equipment. By choosing Vero Café as our partner, we have ensured a few key things: the constant supervision of coffee making onboard by specialists of this network means that Lithuanians and foreign visitors traveling on ferries can enjoy the same coffee products as they would order in coffee shops in Lithuania. We have also invested in unique coffee and brewing training, led by Darius Vėželis, who has many years of experience in coffee business and training in the ferry bar staff. ”

Contact Details for Press

Please direct all media enquiries about DFDS Group to the Communications department in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Group Communications
Global Media Relations

T: +45 31 16 28 47 E: grcom@dfds.com

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