Continuing the coffee theme from last week here are a couple of BBC articles on our favourite pick-me-up:

Morning coffee is ‘meal in a cup’:

one mocha coffee made with full-fat milk added up to 396 calories, and the same coffee with semi-skimmed milk - but topped with whipped cream - contained 326. The variation between different shops was notable, with the full-fat mocha, cream and chocolate flake from the third branch containing less than 300 calories. A black coffee contains virtually no calories - an “Americano” tested at one shop had 17.

Giving it their best shot:

Independents have had to up their game. But how can the little guys take on the coffee giants and all their financial muscle? By not trying to match them and offering something different, say the experts. That can be anything from creating a unique ambience, right down to the coffee you serve.

So being a regular at a coffee shop can be the equivalent of eating burgers and we’re abandoning unique little places for cloned souless chains that can’t make coffee properly. How depressing.

Time to head to Coffee@, Monmouth or Flat White for a nice simple (and non fattening) black coffee. And there’s always a great atmosphere at Bar Italia: