Tag: Starbucks

Coming soon from Starbucks: Hot lunch sandwiches, new beverages

Posted on by jane

Beginning August 9, 2011, Starbucks patrons will be treated to a whole slew of new, hot lunch sandwiches. At a recent blogger event I was invited to, we were served seven (7) new sandwiches and got to taste two (2) new beverages coming up.

Celine Clemente, Starbucks’ Senior Category Specialist, is the woman behind these new sandwiches. I found out from her that they normally change menus once a year. (Hint: if you have a favorite lunch sandwich now, better eat it before August 9, hahaha).

We were also told that not all these sandwiches are heated up inside and out. Some of these sandwiches are served with the bread hot but the filling cold. That was a surprise for me as I always thought that everything was served hot. Apparently, some sandwiches’ tastes come out better when the filling is cold. This kind of heating, where only the bread is warmed, uses a convection oven. Note — each Starbucks branch has this kind of oven.

Another note. Only 4 out of the 7 sandwiches will be available nationwide. Another 2 will be available in all Starbucks branches except in Baguio, Boracay, Bacolod, Cebu, CDO, Davao, Iloilo and Naga. And to make up for this loss, the seventh variant will be available to those places that don’t serve the two sandwiches.

It was a good thing I skipped merienda that day because we got a taste of all 7 sandwiches. Here they are:

ALL BRANCHES

The Ultimate Grilled Cheese is a grilled cheese sandwich that has six different types of cheeses – Gruyere, Emmenthal, Feta, Provolone, Mozzarella and cheddar with slices of Hungarian sausage. Biting into it, you can taste a hint of roasted garlic and Italian herbed butter on the bread slices as well. I think this will be a favorite of cheese lovers.

A healthy option is the Roasted Chicken Pesto and Shiitake Mushroom on Flat Bread. It’s got roasted chicken breast fillet tossed with aromatic pesto mayo sauce and Shiitake mushroom and topped with melted Emmenthal and cheddar cheese on grilled flat bread.

Carnivores can opt for The Beef Brisket — slices of beef brisket covered with caramelized onions and Emmenthal cheese melted on chewy and crustyead. As I chewed on my share of this sandwich, I could distinctly taste the Dijon mustard spread which gave this sandwich a nice kick.

Vegetarians around the country can now celebrate a sandwich with them in mind. The Roasted Vegetables on Flat Bread sandwich is made of Mediterranean vegetables marinated in Italian spices and drizzled with mild chili dressing, served with grilled flat bread.

IN ALL BRANCHES (Except Baguio, Boracay, Bacolod, Cebu, CDO, Davao, Iloilo and Naga)

The Clubhouse is your traditional club sandwich stuffed with chicken breast. It is generously slathered with a pickle relish mixed in mayo mustard dressing with sliced tomato, honey ham, cheese and greens on toasted flat cranberry bread.

I love raisin bread. I love Waldorf salad. I love tuna. This sandwich puts them all together into a delicious hot sandwich. The Tuna Waldorf on Raisin Walnut Bread is a tuna salad tossed with red and green apples, roasted chopped walnuts, crunchy celery in yogurt mayo dressing and topped with hard‐boiled eggs, served in a raisin walnut bread.

ONLY IN BAGUIO, BORACAY, BACOLOD, CEBU, CDO, DAVAO, ILOILO, NAGA

Tuna Melt is tuna salad and creamy, melted cheese on toasted rye bread. It is topped with melted mozzarella cheese and sprinkled lightly with Spanish paprika.

TWO NEW BLENDED BEVERAGES

Coming to you too on August 9 in ALL BRANCHES are 2 blended beverages whipped up from other popular Starbucks beverages already: Hazelnut Mocha Frappuccino and Mint Java Chip Frappuccino.

Some of my blogger friends loved the Hazelnut Mocha variant but me? I went for the Mint Java Chip frappe because I just love mint chocolates and this one reminded me of it.
PLUS: A SINFUL CHEESECAKE
Our tummies were filled (almost) to the brim with the sandwiches and beverages but when there’s dessert, you always make space, right?
The name alone – Triple Chocolate Fudge Brownie Cheesecake – is enough to warn people of its gustatory nature. It’s a rich, creamy and velvety chocolate cheesecake loaded with chewy-chunky fudgy walnut brownies and chocolate chips baked on a dark chocolate cookie crust. Yum!
On August 9, go to your favorite Starbucks branch and choose from any of the hot sandwiches and new blended beverages. Don’t forget the cheesecake! 

Thanks to the Starbucks team behind the event for having us.

The Starbucks Coffee 2011 Planner

Posted on by jane
(L-R: Wood, Velvet, Steel Starbucks planners)
It’s that time of the year again when the Christmas spirit is clearly in the air and the excitement is building up with every day that passes. 
My girls, like many of their friends, are already preparing for the turn of the year by choosing their planners. And there are a lot of planners out there. When I was growing up, the planners all looked the same. Executive type, with the company stamp and company history pages making the only difference in look. Very business-like, especially those with gold-edged pages.

Starbucks was one of those who took planners out of the business mold. Now on its 8th year into the planner tradition, Starbucks has come out with three variants. Each of these variants represents something familiar that you find in each Starbucks store: Maroon Velvet Fabric (their familiar lounge chairs), Cool Clean Stainless Steel (interiors) and Stained Dark Wood Panels.

Being Starbucks coffee drinkers, my kids and I like the way the Starbucks planner incorporates coupons for free drinks on certain dates of the year, plus discount coupons for other yuppie outlets that they can use throughout the year. These coupons alone represent savings for my kids who save up for these services or items with their limited school allowances. But, as my eldest girl once said, there is something about the way Starbucks planners look and how the sections are presented, that suit her active lifestyle very much. In a way, it has also become a fashion statement when seen carrying the planner around as well.

Since November 3, Starbucks patrons could get a Starbucks Christmas traditions planner promo card. With every Starbucks beverage purchased, one is entitled to a sticker to be placed on the card. It only takes seventeen (17) stickers to be able to bring home the planner of one’s choice. Nine (9) of the stickers must be Christmas beverage favorites (any of the following): Peppermint Mocha, Praline Mocha and Toffee Nut Latte. The other eight (8) stickers are for any of the core beverages. Buying a Starbucks VIA Ready Brew 3-pack booklet also entitles you to one (1) sticker while the Starbucks VIA Ready Brew box of 12 earns you two (2) stickers.

When one finally gets the Starbucks 2011 Planner, you are also helping Starbucks realize its dream to help its flagship program for early childhood care and development in partnership with UNICEF — SparkHope. Each redemption of the planner represents a donation to SparkHope.

If you’re a Starbucks coffee lover, then remember to have your sticker placed on your promo card. And once filled, redeem the planner for yourself, a family member or a friend. You not only get a wonderful Starbucks gift but you also just helped make a contribution to SparkHope.

Have a wonderful, Starbucks-y Christmas ahead!

Be a Changemaker and Win

Posted on by jane

Changemakers are agents of change in a society who seize opportunities that others may miss in order to improve systems, invent new approaches and create solutions to improve society and uplift the conditions of the citizens of a nation.

The British Council, UK’s international organization for educational opportunities and cultural relations, in partnership with Starbucks and in collaboration with Social Enterprise Development Partnerships Inc. (SEDPI) and the Ateneo de Manila University, has launched the I am a Changemaker competition which is now running on its 2nd year.

The I am a Changemaker is a business competition that aims to look for young entrepreneurs who can make an impact in their communities by spotting social problems and issues and finding innovative ways to address them.

Filipino citizens, aged 16-28can form teams to join.Teams will be asked to submit an enterprise proposal that addresses a social problem. It must have demonstrable financial viability, whether it is for profit or non-profit. Finalists will travel to Manila to pitch their ideas in front of a panel of judges. The competition will have a total of four (4) winners (1 winner each from NCR, Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao). Each winning team will receive PhP 100,000. Another PhP 100,000 is also at stake for finalists who meet the special criteria set by Starbucks.

Details of the mechanics can be found HERE.

One of the winners last year of the British Council grant was Cheenee Otarra whose idea has now bloomed into a product called Sumilao Corn Coffee. I just found out that corn can be made into coffee!

Sumilao Corn Coffee is organically grown because the corn is the native variety. It is also caffeine-free and roasted in San Vicente, Sumilao, Bukidnon. The farmers have been roasting corn coffee for some time now but it is only now that it is being packaged and marketed in a more professional manner to get their coffee out into a wider market. At least the Sumilao farmers are getting help from some people!

If you or anyone you know (aged 16-28) has a bright idea to make life better for our fellow Pinoys, join this competition. Who knows, your proposal may just make it and help change lives.

BE A CHANGEMAKER TODAY.