Coffee crappes

Coffee in London is truly crap. Why do they give me a tub of burnt milky liquid when I ask for a coffee? Doesn't anybody drink from normal sized cups in this town? Coffee chains are EVERYWHERE and people seem to actually like them including my sister and brother-in-law who are going to be partners in the café. I’ve told them they must stop with the Starbucks and Café Nero or any other place that serves hazelnut frappes and caramel syrup with their tall grande mega lattes. I always thought coffee chain stores were for homesick foreign students and travellers at airports and train stations who have no other choice and many hours to wile away. But here coffee chains occupy every prime site on the high streets sitting side by side with their competition offering identical products and always seem to have people in them.

It's mind boggling that people believe they are coffee connoisseurs if they drink their coffee at Café Nero rather than Starbucks because its "The Italian Coffee Company”. Mmm, the board of directors listed on their website sound very Italian: Dr Gerry Ford, Mr Benedict Price, Mr Jonathan Hart, Mr John Barnes and Mr David King.

I’m also learning not to comment on the crap coffee as people living here (including Australians) seem to take personal offence or have been living here long enough to have forgotten what coffee can taste like.

I’m sure bad coffee and sterile cafe fitouts are not true of all areas of London. Maybe I just need to get out of Fulham.