Passing on a suspended coffee

A Caffè Sospeso is more commonly known as a suspended coffee. The tradition is almost as old as coffee houses themselves, but has seen a revival recently due to us all being on our knees thanks to the recession.

The idea is that when you buy your coffee, you pay for two, but the second is for a less fortunate soul to enjoy later. How cute.

The reality is that this gives the barista the awkward and somewhat inappropriate task of deciding who deserves to be gifted a free drink. Not so cute.

Therefore, it's not a revelation that what is essentially a benefits system is flawed. It's honourable that some local coffee shops are offering suspended coffees, but the minefield of political correctness has prevented the system becoming available in the majority of Brighton's establishments.

This is an area where we doff our hats to the marketing departments of the major chains. How does one deflect attention away from the fact that one doesn't support the scheme? The answer to that, courtesy of our beloved yet much-chastised chains, is to brag about how much you contribute to charity. Now that is cute.

By the way, The Little Coffee Company proudly supports Project Waterfall and Coffee Kids.