To the Guardian editor – 31 Dec 24
Happy New Years Eve
I love coffee. So much so that a decade ago I spent a couple of weeks outside Naples, Italy, doing an extensive barista and coffee course, just for fun.
It’s clear to everyone that inflation in coffee prices is here and not going away any time soon.
Shrinking portion sizes for the same price is really ticking me off!
However, “crap-flation” is not so obvious and is creeping in everywhere.
Many roasting companies are just plain lying about where their beans are coming from.
Roasting companies having an OOPS moment and over roasting a big batch of beans! Never mind, we will sprinkle the over-roasted (read – burnt) beans into the bags of properly roasted beans. The dumb asses at the Cafes won’t notice. However, their well trained customers do notice the near black beans, shining with oil. Yesterday I asked for a teaspoon sample of beans from the hopper and 50% of them crushed easily between my fingertips – so over roasted the middle of the beans were dust.
And the biggest CRAP FLATION of all – adding up to 40% Robusta beans (twice the caffeine but bitter as Hell) into the bags and quietly removing the 100% Arabica label and replacing it with all sorts of jumbled words about a very special “blend”. Liars!
I lived in Vietnam for 7 months in 2023 – the widespread use of Robusta beans (because they are CHEAP) is fine because they do not pretend it’s something it’s not. Suitably “sugared”, a double shot Robusta will keep you awake all weekend!
In Australia, it’s always been 100% Arabica beans. Now it’s not – by stealth, deception, and lies.
30 Dec 24
G’day 7 Eleven Management
No wonder your coffee offering now tastes awful after many years of being better than most local baristas.
The 100% arabica signs are gone, and I watched staff fill the bean hoppers from a bag that had Arabica and Robusta marked, notably with NO PERCENTAGE of Robusta.
I spend a lot of time in Vietnam, where Robusta beans are the norm. Twice the caffeine but very bitter.
Your coffee offering is now ruined and undrinkable.
Gordon Walker
Gordie's Travels 