“Our culture runs on coffee and gasoline, the first often tasting like the second,” claimed the late, great American essayist Edward Abbey, who died in 1989, at a time when instant coffee still reigned supreme. Back then coffee was nothing like the complex brews we consume now, which no doubt explains why, in the UK, we have a thirst for it like never before – in the 10 years from 2008, our coffee consumption leapt by 25m cups a day to an estimated 95m. And has now hit 98m, according to the British Coffee Association.
The first coffee house recorded in London opened in 1652, and that marked the start of a love affair that has only increased in intensity in the centuries since. In the modern era, the popularity of coffee can be broken down into three waves. The first prioritised convenience above all: instant granules became a staple of every kitchen cupboard. The second saw the rise of modern, US-style coffee chains and cafe culture – as popularised by the TV show Friends. The third has taken things a step further, shifting the focus once again – this time to specialty coffee beans, baristas and the “art” of the drink.
