First middle of town Starbucks - opinions?

Crash

Just opened this morning on dame st. - just past my bus stop so decided i needed a bit of a pick me up.

Inside, a very nice coffee shop layout - ordered a hot chocolate with hazelnut syrup - quick off the mark and was only 5 minutes late for my lecture.

I know a lot of people hate starbucks on principle but i like this one :P

garthv

Never been to a Starbucks before so Im kind of interested in seeing what they have to offer.
I give it 6 months before they are everywhere though

xzanti

Is it not just another Insomnia/Cafe Sol/O'Briens/Beweleys/Barney's ????? Whats the big deal?

simu

xzanti wrote:

Is it not just another Insomnia/Cafe

Pretty much. I've been to ones in Germany and they're not very amazing at all.

xzanti

simu wrote:

xzanti wrote:

Is it not just another Insomnia/Cafe

Pretty much. I've been to ones in Germany and they're not very amazing at all.

A cup of coffee is a cup of coffee at the end of the day... I doubt they're hand picking their coffee beans themselves out in Columbia and bake they're pastries in store :rolleyes: Its another rip off coffee shop..

MiCr0

to quote dennis leary -
"coffee doesn't need a menu, it needs a cup and maybe a saucer under the cup"

BuffyBot

I don't drink coffee as such, but I do miss ready access to the odd Strawberry Frapp during the summer.

eoge

xzanti wrote:

Is it not just another Insomnia/Cafe Sol/O'Briens/Beweleys/Barney's ????? Whats the big deal?

No. That's what the excitement's all about. Pop into the Dame St. cafe and if you're expecting another Insomnia/Café Sol/etc. you'll be pleasantly surprised.

The surroundings are comfortable and very welcoming (with nice couches, armchairs, a bar with bar stools, window seats, outdoor seats and more) and they have a bookshelf complete with loads of great classic and contemporary Dublin books that you can pick up and read at your leisure. Their product range is excellent; many coffee options and nice sweet and savoury foods. I’ve been to a couple of the top Starbucks cafés in the US and I must say the Dublin outlet is by far the best I’ve seen.

This is good for competition -- the Insomnias/Café Sols/etc. will have to get their act together.

Blisterman

Starbucks have really nice coffee.
Quite expensive though, here in London, what are their prices like in Dublin?

eoge

Blisterman wrote:

Starbucks have really nice coffee.
Quite expensive though, here in London, what are their prices like in Dublin?

€2.85 for a tall cappuccino I think. That is expensive alright.

Blisterman

According to the tall latte index
http://www.finfacts.com/Private/bestprice/latteindex.htm
Britain pays $3.28US for a tall latte. It doesn't say Ireland, but the EU average is $3.72.
Not sure what that is in euros exactly.

Sarsfield

Tall latte is around €2.70 to €2.80 here I think. Taking €2.75 that makes $3.23 at todays exchange rate.

I'll get to the College Green store eventually. I passed by on the bus today and in fairness it did look nice inside but my experience of Starbucks elswhere has always been very disappointing - unpleasant stores with bad coffee.

Ag marbh

Disgusting company. I wouldn't give them the steam of my piss

Gordon

GaRtH_V wrote:

Never been to a Starbucks before so Im kind of interested in seeing what they have to offer.
I give it 6 months before they are everywhere though

I was just watching the news with the CEO of Starbucks. Apparently they have made over 1,600 new shops worldwide this year alone. Next year their target is 1,800. And they're just breaking into China now.

Sangre

They're everywhere in America.
Its actually taking the piss, you can usually see a Starbucks from another Starbucks in areas of high infiltration.

BuffyBot

They're everywhere in America.
Its actually taking the piss, you can usually see a Starbucks from another Starbucks in areas of high infiltration.

Just as bad over here. Two Starbucks within spitting distance in Hammersmith, London.

Guy:Incognito

eoge wrote:

No. That's what the excitement's all about. Pop into the Dame St. cafe and if you're expecting another Insomnia/Café Sol/etc. you'll be pleasantly surprised.

The surroundings are comfortable and very welcoming (with nice couches, armchairs, a bar with bar stools, window seats, outdoor seats and more) and they have a bookshelf complete with loads of great classic and contemporary Dublin books that you can pick up and read at your leisure. Their product range is excellent; many coffee options and nice sweet and savoury foods. I’ve been to a couple of the top Starbucks cafés in the US and I must say the Dublin outlet is by far the best I’ve seen.

This is good for competition -- the Insomnias/Café Sols/etc. will have to get their act together.

I've got an expensive leather suite of furniture, a large widescreen tv with dvd and surround sound and a cabinet full of books, all located in a convenient location, next door to my kitchen. My cup of tea costs whatever a tea bag, drop of milk and a spoon of suga costs.

Ag marbh wrote:

Disgusting company. I wouldn't give them the steam of my piss

I douby yjey'd have much use for it anyway.:)

Shabadu

Ag marbh wrote:

Disgusting company. I wouldn't give them the steam of my piss

Reasons? Examples? I am a little sick of your constant trolling on Boards.ie, particularly on After Hours. Consider yourself warned.

Sarsfield

BuffyBot wrote:

Just as bad over here. Two Starbucks within spitting distance in Hammersmith, London.

And they're both awful! Especially the one at the station entrance. But there's an O'Briens across the road

AARRRGH

Gordon wrote:

I was just watching the news with the CEO of Starbucks. Apparently they have made over 1,600 new shops worldwide this year alone. Next year their target is 1,800. And they're just breaking into China now.

Wow. That's incredible. I have to admire their aggressive approach.

BuffyBot

And they're both awful! Especially the one at the station entrance. But there's an O'Briens across the road

The one beside Sony Ericsson isn't too bad..I detest O'Briens though

eoge

Stekelly wrote:

I've got an expensive leather suite of furniture, a large widescreen tv with dvd and surround sound and a cabinet full of books, all located in a convenient location, next door to my kitchen. My cup of tea costs whatever a tea bag, drop of milk and a spoon of suga costs.

OK, that's grand. So where in town is that located? Are you gonna let me in?

FX Meister

It is expensive but if people want to pay it then why would they charge less. I'm sure a lot of their business comes from people who want to drink is Starbucks just because it's trendy. Does anyone know if they are selling thier syrups at this store? As for people who say coffee is coffee, do you eat nothing but spuds? After all, food is food.

Sarsfield

I passed by the store 3 times today and it looked pretty busy. I guess the novelty plus it being a Saturday and approaching Christmas helps. I had a lovely Americano in Insomnia instead.

Starbucks were giving out free tasters outside their shop in espresso sized cups. The street was littered with them by 5pm. We're a filthy nation

Crash

actually, i think i'll have to ask about the syrup thing next time i'm in. I developed a love for steamed milk and hazelnut syrup over the years, and very few coffee shops serve it, so if they sell it i'll be there.

(also, for some reason the town place doesnt have it on the menu, despite the DCU one having it - weird)

Freelancer

Shabadu wrote:

Reasons? Examples? I am a little sick of your constant trolling on Boards.ie, particularly on After Hours. Consider yourself warned.

Dude's got a point. Starbucks are so massive they're a force to be reckoned with internationaly and make a huge impact on bean prices.

The fact that in the states anyway they offer you the choice of either fair trade or non fair beans just highlights their hypocrisy;

"Would you like your half fat mochachinco vanilla latte with the blood of exploited workers or without"?

Essentially they're admitting that their aware that some of their coffee is produced by exploiting growers, and they don't mind this, but are aware you might do, and that ethical dollar is a growing marketplace and they want it.

In or out starbucks, either all your coffee is fair trade or none of it is. Can't have your frappicino and drink it.

That and despite it's birthplace, no self respecting Seattlite (no not satellite, Seattlite as in one who co habits in the city with Niles and Daphine, Fraiser having left the building) drinks the stuff. It's inferior coffee, they tend to over roast their beans.

BuffyBot

Can't have your frappicino and drink it.

Well it appears they can.

Duffman

Sangre wrote:

They're everywhere in America.
Its actually taking the piss, you can usually see a Starbucks from another Starbucks in areas of high infiltration.

Yep, there's a starbucks in my college building here in Chicago facing another building across the street with a sign that says "Starbucks Coming Soon!"

It's the same in London. It's how starbucks do business. They enter a market and continue to open stores until they reach the point where their own stores are competing with each other. The effect is to drive any competing small businesses out of the market. Only when they've reach this total saturation do they stop expanding. Walmart operates along the same lines.

It's a pity really. Haven't been to the one on Dame Street yet but here the coffee is overpriced and generally sh*t. I'll actually walk a few blocks to find coffee that isn't starbucks.

I hope this isn't the end for pretty much every small coffee shop in Dublin :P

Freelancer

BuffyBot wrote:

Well it appears they can.

They can but they shouldnt, and this glaring bit of hyporcrisy should be exposed. Nescafé is introducing its own "fairtrade" range, but not even bothering to have this coffee adhere to fairtrade standards, it created it's own definition of fair trade, to exploit the ethical pound. As in the case of starbucks, they're admitting that the majority of their coffee is produced in an unethical manner, but rather than improve the lot of the majority of their growers they find a way to exploit another niche market.

Stark

Duffman wrote:

I hope this isn't the end for pretty much every small coffee shop in Dublin :P

I hope not. I actually like Starbucks and went in their the other night. But I also like they way Dublin (and also Galway) has lots of smaller coffee shops. In Cork, there's hardly anywhere of note.

Sarsfield

OK, so I tried Starbucks this morning at 07:30.

Comfortable store (it was almost empty which helped). Pleasant staff but not terribly switched on (maybe because its all new, maybe because it was 07:30!). The coffee was average at best (I had a mocha as I needed the extra calories to cope with the cold morning). The price was absolutely ridiculous!

€3.30 for a mocha. :eek: That's outrageous.

If their prices resembled the prices of other outlets I'd probably visit occasionally but not often. But there's no way I'll pay a 20% premium for very average coffee.

I'm sticking to Insomnia.

billyblanks

I believe starbucks are great places for people who are not into coffee. I have to say I really like the style/feel of their cafes but their coffee is awful. If you fill your coffee cup with syrup and cream it doesn't really matter how bad the coffee is...you wont taste it. My local coffee shop buy all their coffee in Ireland, it is freshly roasted, they put a little effort into making it and it is far superior to Starbucks coffee. This is something that Starbucks can never do.

I Think some people will suffer with Starbucks coming to Ireland but I'm hoping it will help to improve the quality of coffee served by its smaller competitors.

Alun

Absolutely. I like my coffee black and strong with just a smidgin of sugar ... no whipped cream, frothy milk, disgusting sickly sweet syrups, spices or whatever else it appears to be fashionable to put in the stuff nowadays. It's becoming increasingly difficult to find such a thing.

eoge

billyblanks wrote:

I believe starbucks are great places for people who are not into coffee. I have to say I really like the style/feel of their cafes but their coffee is awful. If you fill your coffee cup with syrup and cream it doesn't really matter how bad the coffee is...you wont taste it. My local coffee shop buy all their coffee in Ireland, it is freshly roasted, they put a little effort into making it and it is far superior to Starbucks coffee. This is something that Starbucks can never do.

I Think some people will suffer with Starbucks coming to Ireland but I'm hoping it will help to improve the quality of coffee served by its smaller competitors.

Where is your local coffee shop? I know close to nothing about coffee and would like to know what good coffee tastes like.

Can anyone recommend a few places in town I can try for good coffee?

billyblanks

Passion, its in Dun Laoghaire. To be honest it is more the coffee than her skills that make it good. If you really want to try a good coffee go down to the temple bar market(on saturday), there is a guy there selling Freshly roasted coffee(day before), get him to make you a cup....its fantastic!!

this is the guy who supplies passion with their coffee....

billyblanks

btw They are called Ariosa coffee......

eoge

Thanks. I'll check out your man at the market.

Blisterman

Freelancer wrote:

Dude's got a point. Starbucks are so massive they're a force to be reckoned with internationaly and make a huge impact on bean prices.

The fact that in the states anyway they offer you the choice of either fair trade or non fair beans just highlights their hypocrisy;

"Would you like your half fat mochachinco vanilla latte with the blood of exploited workers or without"?

Essentially they're admitting that their aware that some of their coffee is produced by exploiting growers, and they don't mind this, but are aware you might do, and that ethical dollar is a growing marketplace and they want it.
QUOTE]

What proof do you have that their coffee is exploiting growers? Just because a product isn't Fair Trade Labelled, doesn't mean that the workers are being exploited. Fair Trade is a brand.

Freelancer

Blisterman wrote:

What proof do you have that their coffee is exploiting growers? Just because a product isn't Fair Trade Labelled, doesn't mean that the workers are being exploited. Fair Trade is a brand.

Fair trade isn't a brand its a philosophy. Any coffee already produced for starbucks could simply apply for the fairtrade label

from fairtrade.net wrote:

All products carrying the FAIRTRADE Mark meet standards set by the international body http://www.fairtrade.net/

I mean thats very clear if all starbucks coffee met the fairtrade standard then they'd the able to put the fairtrade label on all the coffee on their menu. No?

But they don't. Which would imply that most of their coffee cannot adhere to fairtrade standards.

I'd suggest that the very concept of having fair trade on the menu as an option means that that they're aware that the majority of their coffee made with exploiting their workers, they're just indifferent to changing practices to improve their workers lots, while mindful of the the allure of the green Euro.

The adding of fairtrade as an additional option to their menu would imply that they are now offering fair trade coffee ontop of the standard brands which aren't traded under such standards.

I mean if all their coffee is made without the exploitation of workers then they wouldn't need to add the fair trade coffee to their selection all their coffees would adhere to it, already?

But again I'm sure you have a valid point somewhere.

billyblanks

Freelancer wrote:

I'd suggest that the very concept of having fair trade on the menu as an option means that that they're aware that the majority of their coffee made with exploiting their workers, they're just indifferent to changing practices to improve their workers lots, while mindful of the the allure of the green Euro.

If they have it as a choice on the menu then their customers are also indifferent to "changing practices to improve their workers lot." If everybody asked for fair trade coffee then it would be the only choice on the menu!

"Give the customer what they want";)

Don't get me wrong here I am not a fan of Starbucks but I do live in the real world and I do realise they are a company out to make money. There are two problems with Fair Trade, 1 you are not guaranteed top quality coffee and 2. it is more expensive! The price of coffee has risen by about 20% in the last year or two and it is only going to get higher. I have heard that China are slowly becoming a coffee drinking nation, if this happens the price of coffee will rocket. If the price of coffee rises then the only people who benefit are the farmers.

Freelancer

billyblanks wrote:

If they have it as a choice on the menu then their customers are also indifferent to "changing practices to improve their workers lot." If everybody asked for fair trade coffee then it would be the only choice on the menu!

"Give the customer what they want";)

Fine but admitting that some of your produce is unethical, and offering an ethical alternative sends out the message

"Hey I know our coffee stink ethicaly, we don't care, you might so here is an alternative"

Don't get me wrong here I am not a fan of Starbucks but I do live in the real world and I do realise they are a company out to make money.

Very nice very patronising.

There are two problems with Fair Trade, 1 you are not guaranteed top quality coffee and 2. it is more expensive!

Okay lets deal with the points two fold.

How are you not guaranteed good coffee with fair trade over regular coffee?

I drink fair trade machu pichu medium roast south american coffee and to quote Erick Stolez in pulp fiction "It'll take the pepsi challenge with any of your amsterdam ****" Work have switched the coffee to fair trade organic recently, and no one has noticed the a drop in quality in coffee.

Yes it is slighty more expensive, but the difference is nigh on unnoticable. It's a few pence, is that really such a heavy price?

The price of coffee has risen by about 20% in the last year or two and it is only going to get higher. I have heard that China are slowly becoming a coffee drinking nation, if this happens the price of coffee will rocket. If the price of coffee rises then the only people who benefit are the farmers.

The only people? Thats laughably naive. The people who will benefit first will be the coffee sellers who, generally rarely pass on the benefits of a rise in coffee prices to their growers, but are quick to slash prices when to bottom falls out of the market.

While growers will eventually see some rise, theres a limit to the amount of coffee a small grower can grow, and what is more likely to happen is farmers growing other crops will switch to coffee, while new farmers will use brutal techniques to clear forests to grow more coffee. While the larger farmers will be able to take on more people and more land, a small community can only farm so much, hey they may even come the tempation to take children out of school to help grow. Now if theres a global slum, or some exceptional poor weather and crops are ruined, the farmers have no alternative, while the buyers get rich jacking up the price,

billyblanks

Ok.....I'm in work so this will have to be quick.

You say that Starbucks are unethical? but at least they are making the effort to sell fairtrade, you cant expect a company that size to change overnight. Fewer than two years ago there were no Fair-Trade certified coffees whatsoever available from outside Spanish-speaking Latin America in the American market. It's just not realistic to expect starbucks to only sell fair trade. look at other big coffee companys, Nestle, Kraft or Proctor and Camble who refuse to sell fair trade, they wont even negotiate, yet it doesnt seem to bother anybody.

you are just jumping on the starbucks bandwagon because they are an easy target.

As far as quality goes fair trade is not as good quality, thats a fact! I'm not saying they dont produce good quality, they do, but non-fair trade coffee has scored better in quality every year since fair trade coffee came in.

And for the record fair trade-certified cooperatives and small holders have still have problems of child labor, less pay for women, inadequate medical care, use of dangerous chemicals, and nonpayment of minimum wages. so its not all rosey for the fair trade farmers.

Ill be back to this after work......

Shabadu

Please continue this interesting debate, but bear in mind that one should attack the post, and not the poster.

billyblanks

Sorry....by "you" I meant people in general who attack starbucks for their coffee ethics not just freelancer.

bloody hell I need a coffee......

Beruthiel

crash_000 wrote:

I know a lot of people hate starbucks on principle

that would be me, as with McDo's, I will never darken their door

FX Meister

And that principle is what Beruth?

Freelancer

billyblanks wrote:

Ok.....I'm in work so this will have to be quick.

You say that Starbucks are unethical? but at least they are making the effort to sell fairtrade, you cant expect a company that size to change overnight.

That logic suggests starbucks is eventually going to become totally fair trade. They're not. They've made no attempt to suggest that this is the path they're heading towards, they merely offer fair trade coffee as an "alternative" my point still stands.

Fewer than two years ago there were no Fair-Trade certified coffees whatsoever available from outside Spanish-speaking Latin America in the American market. It's just not realistic to expect starbucks to only sell fair trade. look at other big coffee companys, Nestle, Kraft or Proctor and Camble who refuse to sell fair trade, they wont even negotiate, yet it doesnt seem to bother anybody.

It does bother me, Nestle's "alternative" fair trade brand is that most outrageous example.

you are just jumping on the starbucks bandwagon because they are an easy target.

No I'm not and I resent the slur that I am. And clearly you directed the above directly at me, and not in general, and thats a pathetic piece of back peddling on your part.

As far as quality goes fair trade is not as good quality, thats a fact! I'm not saying they dont produce good quality, they do, but non-fair trade coffee has scored better in quality every year since fair trade coffee came in.

So you're saying as quality goes fair trade is not as good quality, thats a fact! And then I'm not saying they dont produce good quality. Which is it?

If it's fact I'm sure you'll be able to furnish me with where that fact is published. Scored better where? By whom? Who were the judges?

You contradict yourself within the space of a sentence so I'm just dying to find out where you got that "fact" from.

air Trade Guatemalan Wins Coffee Review Supermarket Cupping
In a June 2003 Coffee Review article entitled "Pursuing Quality at the Supermarket," coffee quality guru Ken Davids reports on a blind cupping of coffees pulled from the shelves of supermarkets in New York City. The winner? Bucks County Coffee's Fair Trade Certified Organic Guatemalan, which scored an impressive 94. "This extraordinary coffee should seduce just about everyone," Davids writes in his review. The coffee, produced by the Asobagri farmers cooperative in Huehuetenango, is one of four Fair Trade Certified coffees

Awards like this?
http://www.transfairusa.org/content/email/buzz_july.htm

And for the record fair trade-certified cooperatives and small holders have still have problems of child labor, less pay for women, inadequate medical care, use of dangerous chemicals, and nonpayment of minimum wages. so its not all rosey for the fair trade farmers.

Ill be back to this after work......

Thats a bit rich and again I'm sure you'll be able to back up the above. A link would do nicely.

The fact is that fairtrade profits go back into the grows community funding schools and health care, and seeing as my coffee is certified organic I'm sure you'll be able to point me in the direction of what exactly are these dangerous chemicals they use.

Please you seem to be in the know do enlighten us.

billyblanks

B]That logic suggests starbucks is eventually going to become totally fair trade. They're not. They've made no attempt to suggest that this is the path they're heading towards, they merely offer fair trade coffee as an "alternative" my point still stands. [/B]
No you point doesnt still stand, Starbucks consume so much coffee that they are pushing up its price, Fair trade is still only a small part of the total amount of coffee produced......it is not realistic for starbucks to change to fair trade only at the moment. You obviously dont understand this point.


It does bother me, Nestle's "alternative" fair trade brand is that most outrageous example.

Ok, since you obviously feel so strong about nestle's products I'm sure you boycott them on principal?
NESTLE UK PRODUCT LIST
NESCAFE
Gold Blend * Blend 37 * Alta Rica * Cap Colombie * Cappuccino * Decaff * Fine Blend
DAIRY PRODUCTS Carnation * Chambourcy * Fussells * Ideal * Milkmaid * Tip-Top * Bonjour * Chamby * Creme Vienna * Darlky * Flanby * Fulcreem Custard * Hippopota * Jacky * Le Grande * Nouvelle * Robot
Also Sealtest and Haagendaas Icecream.
CONFECTIONERY AND SNACKS
Kit Kat * Maverick * Rowntree * Aero * After Eights * Lyons Maid Ice Cream * Nestle Ice Cream * Polo * Smarties * Lion Bar * Baci chocolate * Blue Riband * Breakaway * Cabana * Caramac * Caramel Wafer * Cello * Creamola * Dairy Crunch * Drifter * Eclipse * Good News * Festival * Fizzy Jerkz * Fruit Pastilles * Fox's Glacier Mints * Henri Nestle Collection * Jellytots * Karima * Lion Bar * Matchmakers * Milky Bar * Montego * Munchies * Novo * Quality Street * Rolo * RPC * Savana * Secret * Toffee Crisp * Toffo * Tooty Frooties * Walnut Whip * Weekend * Willy Wonka * Yorkie
SEASONINGS British Shoyu * British vinegars * Cook-in-the Pot * Dufrais * Sarsons vinegar
MINERAL WATER Perrier * Ashbourne * Contrexeville * Buxton * Vittel * Vittelloise
OTHER DRINKS Milo * Build-up * Caro * Elevenses * Flo-Mix * Libby's C Drinks * Mix-O-Choc * Moonshine * Nescore * Nesfit * Nesquick * Slender * Superquick * Um Bongo
PROCESSED MEALS Findus * Buitoni pasta and canned foods * Crosse & Blackwell * Maggi * Alphabetti * Bonne Cuisine * Dish of the Day * Eskimo * Four Seasons * Healthy Balance * Lean Cuisine * Pasta Choice * Rice & Things * Scrunchies * Waistline
SPREADS & PICKLES Branston Pickle * Gales Honey * Holgates Honey * Pan Yan * Sun-Pat * Tartex * Vessen pate
CEREALS Shredded Wheat * Shreddies * Cheerios * Cinnamon Toast Crunch * Cocoa Puffs * Crisp Rice * Energen low cal wheatflakes * Force * Golden Grahams * Honey Nut Cheerios * Luck Charms * Team * Robertson's cornflakes * Sunny Jim * Wheatflakes * Golden Nuggets
COSMETICS L'Oreal * Lancome * Claudel
PET FOODS Spiller's * Friskies * Go-Cat * Go-Dog
CONTACT LENS CARE Alcon *




No I'm not and I resent the slur that I am. And clearly you directed the above directly at me, and not in general, and thats a pathetic piece of back peddling on your part.

Back Peddling??? are we reading the same thread?

What I said was by "you" I meant people in general who attack starbucks for their coffee ethics not just freelancer

PM me a definition of back peddling just in case I have a different meaning.

next.... So you're saying as quality goes fair trade is not as good quality, thats a fact! And then I'm not saying they dont produce good quality. Which is it?

Fairtrade = good, non fair trade = better. Simple enough for you? Fair trade can and do make good quality coffee, but on the whole non fair trade make BETTER Quality coffee.

air Trade Guatemalan Wins Coffee Review Supermarket Cupping
In a June 2003 Coffee Review article entitled "Pursuing Quality at the Supermarket," coffee quality guru Ken Davids reports on a blind cupping of coffees pulled from the shelves of supermarkets in New York City. The winner? Bucks County Coffee's Fair Trade Certified Organic Guatemalan, which scored an impressive 94. "This extraordinary coffee should seduce just about everyone," Davids writes in his review. The coffee, produced by the Asobagri farmers cooperative in Huehuetenango, is one of four Fair Trade Certified coffees

Supermarket coffee?? oh yeah right thats where all the coffee cupping is done. All the farmers from all over the world bring their coffee to Tesco to be judged.....ever hear of the cup of excellence?? http://www.cupofexcellence.org/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=148
These guys are who I listen to, not Tesco.

Thats a bit rich and again I'm sure you'll be able to back up the above. A link would do nicely.

Most of what I am saying is taken from. articles http://www.natcath.com/NCR_Online/archives/020703/020703a.htm


http://www.coffeereview.com/articles/print/93.cfm
On the other hand, an argument could be made using the same sources that Fair-Trade may not produce quite the percentage of truly exceptional coffees as generated by the larger world of non-Fair-Trade production. For example, 12.5% of the non-Fair-Trade coffees we reviewed in 2004 scored 90 or better, to 10.5% for Fair-Trade coffees. Not an enormous difference, certainly, but one that could be seen as reflected in this month's cupping, where several excellent Fair-Trade coffees appeared on the table, but none leapt off and rang the bell

not a massive difference but it proves my point.


The fact is that fairtrade profits go back into the grows community funding schools and health care, and seeing as my coffee is certified organic I'm sure you'll be able to point me in the direction of what exactly are these dangerous chemicals they use.
Please you seem to be in the know do enlighten us.

emmmmm.....Fair trade and organic are 2 different things. do you now feel enlightened?

I'm going to end on this. Despite my argument above I am in principal pro fair trade, and would like to eventually see all coffee fair trade. But at the moment it is not realistic to expect massive company's to switch just because it is "ethical right" do do so. As far as fair trade coffee goes there are other companys out there a lot worse than starbucks.

segadreamcast

Bravo sir. Some well argued points there - the kind of stuff you see on boards.ie all too rarely. Kudos indeed.

Binomate

To hell with starbucks, we need Dunkin' Doughnuts back.

segadreamcast

Too right. I still don't know if it'd work here. Maybe a few around Dublin...