The UK - A Nation of Coffee Haters?
Aug 14th, 2008 by Jason
Living in Exeter, my coffee was purchased almost exclusively from The Boston Tea Party, which is still the top local independent coffee shop. Although once the main destination for good coffee, 3 Costa’s, 2 Nero’s and 2 Starbucks sprang up within the last few years, exacerbating Exeter’s claim as England’s worst clone town.
Having moved to London I soon learnt that many Londoners do not in fact like the taste of coffee. When I say this I mean along the same lines that if someone adding milk to green tea, to take away the bitterness, could be said not to like the taste of green tea.
My grandparent’s have always been what could be described as ‘coffee snobs’ so that is my history, and the Captain and her family have the same ideas. Now, I’m all for personal choice, and if you want milk in your coffee that’s fine with me, although I would probably make the seeping assumption that you also like ketchup on your curry! My issue is with coffee houses that fail to provide the choice, and that’s not the worst of it.
Shortly after moving to London I learnt that asking for an americano, unlike at Boston’s or any reputable coffee shop, would more often than not result in receiving a white coffee. So, lesson learned, the issue was easily remedied. (I consider myself reasonable smart and adaptable). I soon learned to ask for a black americano.
Here is the crux of the matter - I can only assume that coffee shops are so used to serving coffee with milk that I frequently get a white americano even after expressly asking for it black! That and the high number of flavoured and dressed up coffee’s for sale makes me assume we don’t like coffee. Maybe it’s just that the marketing has sold us coffee drinking as a lifestyle choice, that everyone feels the need to participate in some way whether they like it or not. (Obviously this is all good news for the coffee retailers.)
There are now quite a lot of places I won’t go back to, but those nearest my places of work have been educated. In my local Italian cafe, following my correction several months ago, I am always offered a ‘black americano with no milk’ along with a smile.