Coffee

There's a nice post on the Telegraph blog about a chap who has written a book about Starbucks which is - yawn - a long moan.

Now Starbucks coffee might not be the best, but do any of those who complain about its supppsed homogenizing effect and impact on local coffee shops remember just how bloody awful coffee shops used to be? Until Starbucks came along, buying coffee in British cafes meant buying some disgusting brown sludge.

Good riddance to those shops forced out of business, Starbucks opened up the market by serving decent coffee, and led the way for other chains, too. All of which are better than what went before. (For what it's worth, I prefer Costa, with Caffe Nero next best.)