Headlines
Starbucks Syndrome
20th November 2007
Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed the massive rise in coffee shops in Hereford over the past few years? It all started with Starbucks springing up next to the Old House some years ago, an opening which proved successful with the people of Hereford. Along with the rest of the country, we were fascinated by this new cultural phenomenon of drinking coffee socially, and, once Starbucks had broken the ice, there was no stopping the coffee bar’s invasion of High Town. Costa grabbed its share of customers by setting up camp in Maylord Orchard, and was closely followed by Caffe Nero and BB’s Muffins, all intent on cashing in on the coffee craze sweeping the nation.
But where did this phenomenon begin? The obvious answer is, of course, the café culture of Europe where a couple of espressos, a croissant and a box of cigarettes constitute the perfect morning. But Europe is not overrun by coffee corporations – most of the cafes are still small, family-run affairs, and have no influence outside their own town. No, America was the country which transformed the humble concept of social coffee drinking into a mainstream ‘experience’ for the western world. They took the traditional coffees of Europe and whipped them into an image altogether more befitting western taste – one which one friend of mine described as looking ‘more like a trifle’ than a coffee! And so, coffee as we know it was introduced to the UK – gone were the days of dodgy filter coffee which you could stand a spoon up in and which was strong enough to prompt palpitations with every sip, and in came a new, smoother, sexier beverage served in a tall glass with a generous helping of frothed milk and half a Dairy Milk on top.
This new image has taken us by storm – the country is in the grip of what I have decided to christen ‘Starbucks Syndrome’, which sees coffee incorporated into all levels of society. Business executives drift, zombie-like, along city streets of a morning, gripping their latte-to-go like a lifeline between sleep and the world of consciousness. Exhausted professionals slump into a seat at the end of the day and rely on a cappuccino to stop them falling asleep at the wheel. Students find the drink extremely useful when completing those long, pointless assignments long into the night! From personal experience, I find a large espresso particularly beneficial before double maths. My question is: why?
We were once a nation of tea-drinkers. Ever since the drink first crossed our shores we have been keeping the tea-growing nations in business. Now, the traditional tea room seems to have disappeared under a tide of chic, stylised coffee bars. The drinks they serve are overpriced, justified by stylish Italian names such as ‘Macchiato’, leather sofas and the distinctive easy-listening soundtrack which seems to be on permanent repeat in every coffee bar in the land.
The coffee bar has already become a cliché, but perhaps it is this stereotypical view that we love. These establishments want us to believe that they are the height of culture; they ooze class and sophistication. ‘Going for a coffee’ serves dual purposes: a relaxing experience followed by a caffeine boost – a real pick-me-up. Let’s not forget that it is quite a nice drink, too (although an acquired taste, admittedly). Or maybe it’s that we just think that a cappuccino is a hell of a lot more exciting than a mug of tea…
Dan Wright