Tea with milk is an English staple, but that doesn’t always mean they’ve perfected the art of a good cup.
The hot beverage trade is big business in Britain; 165 million cups of tea (or milk with tea, if you’re unlucky) and 70 million cups of coffee are consumed each day.
Yet with so many beverages being served, it’s a wonder coffee chains can’t quite get it right.
“THIS is not tea with milk, it’s milk with tea!” I heard one of the city’s coffee chain customers proclaim, irate and brandishing a boiling hot beverage, with a point to make.
Next in line I could vouch for her — she was indeed holding a very large paper cup of watered down milk.
“This is not the first time! You don’t care about the customer!”
This woman had been served one too many milk-with-tea.
Also see: Putting on The Ritz for high tea in London
In true English fashion the service assistant stared back at her with only the vaguest of interest.
“I don’t understand what you want,” she says.
“I want to speak with the manager!”
“I am the manager and you need to calm down, you’re disturbing other customers.”
Not in the least! I love a bit of impromptu aggravation with my coffee – and I was on this customer’s side.
Tea is supposed to brew before adding milk, however this is London and if the coffee is burnt and bitter you can assume the tea will be scalding and flavourless.
Let’s face it, you don’t go to a coffee chain because the roast is to die for — you go to scoff a stale muffin while using the free Wi-Fi for hours on end.
If you’re in need of a fix of caffeine or Internet in London you need only look around. If by some slim chance you’re not already standing directly in front of a coffee house, it’s likely you’ll need only to walk ten feet to enter one.
My advice, though – go for the hot chocolate.
TOP IMAGE: Via Pixabay
