21 October 2024

By Ann Biedermann

As an English-Enthusiast I often travel to English speaking countries. From the Emerald Island to the steep Highland Hills, from England across the big pond to the US (and some more), all these places have one thing in common. Well, they have a lot more in common but there is one thing in particular which struck me. I hadn’t been prepared for the fact that there is no good coffee. I mean, sure, it is not coffee culture that comes to mind first thing when you think of England. I am aware of that and I don’t want to be mean to tea. But I thought that there would be at least some steamy, creamy coffee waiting for me when I get to these places. I might sound pretty Continental European now, but instant coffee is not (good) coffee. Starbucks is not good coffee. Sure, you’ll find your occasional good cup, but there is a lot more to coffee culture than simply black brew.

So colour me surprised when I lived in Australia and found a coffee culture that rivalled that of European metropoles! So many different types of coffee, cafés around every corner, good pastries to go along and each café so beautiful it is hard to pick a favourite. Whether it was a big, industrial chic or a small, third-culture café, a coffee cart or ‘Church of Coffee’ on campus, all cafés served wonderfully aromatic hot espresso from an Italian, industrial espresso maker. A medium flat white soon became my go-to to-go order. I would rarely make my coffee at home. Instead, I checked out new places wherever I went.

Each weekend I would walk to the next suburb to celebrate another successful week of working on my thesis and treat myself to my all-time favourite, the tiger bomb: a latte with orange zest. A dream in a cup! (Check the dozens of tiktok and insta-videos if you think I exaggerate). If you happen to be in Melbourne, take the train to Prahran, walk down to Mr Tone Café and see for yourself.

Sounds awesome, doesn’t it? There is only one drop of bitterness. Cafés in Melbourne close at 4 pm. What’s with that??