Over the weekend I went with my wife to go get a Coffee and had to drive past possibly 100 or more locations that sell espresso to actually reach a location where folk were that had, the experience, the equipment and of course the passion to create (read: make) espresso.
It got me thinking and I accept that I look too deeply into matters at times but I wondered, would the coffee industry be best served if it were regulated by laws, rules and guidelines that ensured that people in business that sold coffee to the public we're actually qualified to do so?
So many times when travelling from point A to B I've fallen into the trap of purchasing crap espresso even after trying to research my purchase before purchase. It seems these days, anyone can buy a good machine, use good quality beans and yet bugger the process up so badly leaving the consumer exposed to all sorts of crap with virtually no recourse whatsoever.
A few weeks ago, I quizzed a Barista (& I use this term loosely) before purchase and he proclaimed to be "all that" yet what he served to me was revolting, scalding hot, over extracted DUNG. By the time I was holding the beverage it was already paid for and he wasn't even interested in what I thought about it. It was discarded and I left vowing not to return.
Anyway, fast forward to my most recent purchase (Weekend just gone), a competent barista using good equipment, fresh beans and shovel loads of enthusiasm/passion created a wonderful experience. It was whilst savouring that I wonder how the 'industry' could be best served by a dose of regulation/legislation.
Lets face it, if I hung a sign outside my shop and offered brown paper bags filled with assorted sweets for sale for $4 but ever so neatly filled the bag with excrement and made the customer pay before serving, can you imagine how long it might be before the powers to be swooped? What makes Espresso any different?
Would a bit of regulation improve the overall situation, help those within the industry that deserve to thrive, thrive?
It got me thinking and I accept that I look too deeply into matters at times but I wondered, would the coffee industry be best served if it were regulated by laws, rules and guidelines that ensured that people in business that sold coffee to the public we're actually qualified to do so?
So many times when travelling from point A to B I've fallen into the trap of purchasing crap espresso even after trying to research my purchase before purchase. It seems these days, anyone can buy a good machine, use good quality beans and yet bugger the process up so badly leaving the consumer exposed to all sorts of crap with virtually no recourse whatsoever.
A few weeks ago, I quizzed a Barista (& I use this term loosely) before purchase and he proclaimed to be "all that" yet what he served to me was revolting, scalding hot, over extracted DUNG. By the time I was holding the beverage it was already paid for and he wasn't even interested in what I thought about it. It was discarded and I left vowing not to return.
Anyway, fast forward to my most recent purchase (Weekend just gone), a competent barista using good equipment, fresh beans and shovel loads of enthusiasm/passion created a wonderful experience. It was whilst savouring that I wonder how the 'industry' could be best served by a dose of regulation/legislation.
Lets face it, if I hung a sign outside my shop and offered brown paper bags filled with assorted sweets for sale for $4 but ever so neatly filled the bag with excrement and made the customer pay before serving, can you imagine how long it might be before the powers to be swooped? What makes Espresso any different?
Would a bit of regulation improve the overall situation, help those within the industry that deserve to thrive, thrive?

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