Coffee House

 SOCI 345 Global Cuisine and Food Culture in Britain: Coffee House

Today’s modern cafés are common gathering places for student study sessions, interviews, meetings, or people who quite enjoy reading the newspaper with a nice cup of coffee.

In the 1800’s, men gathered in coffee houses around England to buy a cheap coffee and discuss business plans, philosophy, politics, commerce, and current states of affairs. The addicting caffeine in the many cups of coffee consumed was enough to stir up interesting debates and keep the men coming back for more. The women discussed their current affairs in tea houses because they were not allowed in these coffee houses. To this day, there are still many men’s clubs for elite and wealthy businessmen in which women are not allowed, solely due to their gender.

The coffee houses created just the right environment where productivity, conversation, and exchange was stimulated. At a certain point, a popular coffeehouse even became The London Stock Exchange. 

The history of café’s is interesting when their modern functions are considered. Our office culture of work and coffee has become intertwined and helped to get things done. I love to grab a coffee to meet with friends but also to get down to business. As of now, my favorite coffee shop to study in is called LocalHero, located in Fulham, London. It has all the newfound café essentials: wifi, outlets, natural lighting, almond croissants, and a delightful flat white. 

After visiting LocalHero a few times, I’ve noticed that it has a few regulars who pop in and out to get their usual takeaway coffee. The shop has steps in the front, but that doesn’t stop young parents from coming in with their strollers. If they aren’t busy, the baristas are kind enough to lift the strollers up the few stairs. The café is very welcoming and I have seen many cheerful people come in and out. In this picture you can see the flat white coffee and pastries we got. The slice of carrot cake loaf and banana bread made for a hearty breakfast.