Coffee – our addiction

Coffee was a god send at Uni. We couldn’t have pulled off the all-nighters to throw together a last minute dissertation without it. But something happens when you start working in the city. Surrounded by the highest ratio of coffee chains per street it’s only a matter of time before you stumble into one and the taste of the ‘proper’ stuff turns you into a coffee snob. No matter what the label says, instant is NOT the same, its sludge. The coffee houses have you hooked, they're now your supplier, you crave your next fix, and it all starts at Starbucks…

Starbucks. Your addiction = 4 months

There’s a reason why the running joke of ‘every second shop is a Starbucks’ sticks, it’s because it’s true. You’re lured in by their convenience, the welcoming hues of forest green, the promise of free WIFI and the fact that they take your name to put on the cup is pretty cool. You’re a budding creative type who’s going to cause big shakes in the industry and a rush of caffeinated energy is just the ticket to get off to a flying start!

5 months in: you’ve tried every coffee variation they’ve got on the menu and the taste is ashen upon your tongue.  Being surrounded by the same crowd of wannabe journalists, playwrights, scriptwriters and authors was cool at first (yay- we’re all in the same boat) but now those latte sipping/laptop typing/ note taking bastards are the enemy – competing for YOUR spot on an editorial team. My god look what you’ve become - time for a change of scene.

Caffe Nero. Your addiction = 3 months

Ooooo fancy; a canvas of royal blue and Beethoven playing in the background…this’ll do nicely. I’m not sure if the Italian accents that the ENTIRE bar staff seem to have is intentional or happy coincidence but with their two shots of espresso in every cup, bowling into a meeting with a Nero coffee in hand signals: I’m ready to get down to some proper business even if it takes us all night! It’s awesome until you start looking over your finances and realise that you’re spending a small fortune on coffee and bacon, brie and caramelised onion Panini’s. We need to get our spend thrift coffee habit under control!

Various. Your addiction = 1 month

You try and wean yourself back onto the free instant coffee at work, but it’s just not the same. Your lunch hours are spent questing for indie coffee shops that balance quaint charm with good coffee that doesn’t cost the earth. We ended up in a builder’s café that served up a decent brew, the waitress called us luv and the banter of builders made us feel manly. But it was too far out.

Costa. Your addiction = 3 months

Your flirtation with indies yielded mixed results (yes I’m talking to you coffeehouse with the beanbags!) so you end up in Costa. It’s staple, it’s guaranteed, you know what every cup will taste like and right now a bit of consistency is what you want. The warming red decor helps as the weather turns chilly, plus it’s important to know exactly when they start their Christmas menu…

Christmas menus. Your addiction = 1 month

Lavish limited edition flavours with free whipped cream and toppings! So begins you’re whoring polygamy with every coffee shop that offers anything ‘Christmas’ drink related. You don’t care where you go as long as it results in something gingerbread/nutmeg/toffeenut/cinnamon/eggnog/black forest/cherry presented in a cup. This continues up to the first day of the New Year – hungover you trek in to work desperately needing a pick-me-up. Oh look there’s a Starbucks……

Angelic Rogue
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