Metropol

Well, seems like going into the shop to get your coffee is becoming sooo last year.

Edinburgh is going to get it's own Drive-Thru Costa if the company get's it's way. If only I could get a Drive-Thru Krispy Kreme donut to go with my coffee. Oh, wait.. problem solved.

Costa's loyalty card did the trick for making me largely ignore the other 2 options. Their Double Chocolate Frappe takes some beating, and the iced lattes really hit the spot on a cold day too.

I'm more of a Caffe Néro person myself, and pop in for lunch every few days. However, in the Winter, I go to Thornton's for my hot chocolate, because they're only about 90p, and absolutely lovely.

In terms of presence, we have 2 Costas, 2 Néros, and 1 Starbucks. The second Néro only opened recently and really is the opposite side of town to the first, but the second Costa isn't that far away from the first, although far bigger than the first.

Is there a reason why none of these places, with their no doubt weeks of intensive training that must surely be required to become a "barista", can make an acceptable cup of tea?

marksi wrote:Is there a reason why none of these places, with their no doubt weeks of intensive training that must surely be required to become a "barista", can make an acceptable cup of tea?

You want tea in a coffee shop ? No effort goes into tea whatsoever in these places, hot water, with a tea bag bunged in it. That's it.

marksi wrote:Is there a reason why none of these places, with their no doubt weeks of intensive training that must surely be required to become a "barista", can make an acceptable cup of tea?

It's like getting a coffee in a Tea Room, I suppose.

bilky asko wrote:

marksi wrote:Is there a reason why none of these places, with their no doubt weeks of intensive training that must surely be required to become a "barista", can make an acceptable cup of tea?

It's like getting a coffee in a Tea Room, I suppose.

I always thought Tea Room referred to the meal rather than the beverage.

How much training does it take for baristas to make it all look much more difficult than it is, and inexplicably forget they're toasting your roll and offer it to you all dried out when you're already half way through your coffee?

Just curious.

A LOT.

*nods*

As someone who used to work for a very well-known coffee shop chain, I can confirm that there is a hell of a lot to learn to get yourself to the stage where you can coordinate the making of several different drinks in quick succession whilst people throw their many different requests at you for how they want theirs. People get very impatient as well, especially if somebody gets their easier-and-quicker-to-make drink before they get theirs.

I can make a mean Flat White though.

all new Phil wrote:As someone who used to work for a very well-known coffee shop chain, I can confirm that there is a hell of a lot to learn to get yourself to the stage where you can coordinate the making of several different drinks in quick succession whilst people throw their many different requests at you for how they want theirs. People get very impatient as well, especially if somebody gets their easier-and-quicker-to-make drink before they get theirs.

True, but then they've been charged a few quid for a cup of coffee, so at that point anything short of immediate accuracy is likely to be met with buckets of scorn.

Its not that I disagree that there's skill involved and muscle memory and all kinds of techniques to running a smooth service, but at some stage you should be able to do it and not look completely harassed.

I don't enjoy being made to feel like an encumbrance when I'm already being gouged for money. One or the other is ok, but not both.