Last week I was very fortunate to have been sent up to London by work on a barista course. Basically, I got to spend an entire day indulging in two of my favourite things, London and coffee.
The whole point of the trip was to learn everything there is to know about coffee, after which I gained the fancy new title of 'Master Barista'. The course took place in the bustling Business Design Centre in Islington, about a 5 minute walk from the Angel tube station. It was run by the coffee giants Matthew Algie, and it was informative and brilliant. Making a great coffee, to me, is such a joy. You probably think I'm a bit weird by saying that, but I've never really been that artistic, so in a way coffee lets me be a bit creative.
You're probably thinking, "Hazel, it's just coffee, like, what is there to really know about it?!?!", and you'd be surprised. There is so much to know, and people (like myself) get very passionate about it. The coffee industry is exploding, and people are starting to realise there's a lot more to coffee than a Nescafe Instant. There's a whole load of coffee based drinks you could have, from a latte to a flat white, cappuccino to a macchiato; there is something for everyone. And it's not just about the milk techniques, there's the whole espresso process too, and honest to God it's so much more technical than you could ever possible imagine. And then there's the latte art...
Unless you were hiding under a rock last week (or in a different country - you lucky things!), you'll have also melted slowly in the heatwave that washed over the UK. Typical brits, never happy when it's hot, never happy when it's cold; but seriously, it was damn hot. Running around London in my work uniform when it was 33 degrees outside was not a highlight. Seriously. An all black uniform comprising of plastic feeling trousers and a polo top is not essential city heatwave attire. I had to make a pit stop to H&M on the way back to the tube to buy a vest top, because I physically couldn't bare to get on the tube whilst I was that hot.
But I'll tell you one thing I noticed; I think I cracked what the makeup adverts are trying to sell us when they hammer on about The London Look. It's a mix between extremely casual with messy hair, and lipstick. Always lipstick. Lipstick to London is what ties the whole combo together. It's the statement made by every woman in the city that yes, they have made an effort today despite their hair drying to a frizz and their makeup slowly melting off. Lipstick is essential London wear, so after I stripped off to my vest top and jeans (For Gods sake Hazel, you knew it would be this hot and you brought JEANS with you???), I slathered on a layer of lipstick and pulled my shades down. My transition into casual Londoner was complete. (Minus my giant floral backpack, otherwise I'm pretty sure I looked cool.)
I'll admit I miss living only an hour away from London, and being able to hop up there for gigs and whatnot. But all-in-all, I had a great time on the course, and now I even have a certificate. That's right, your gal is now officially a coffee expert. I got to spend the day surrounded by coffee, making coffee, drinking coffee, talking about coffee - it was basically a day inside my dream world.
(Also, shout out to my Boyfriend, James, for coming up with the title of this blog post when I couldn't think of an adequate coffee-based London pun)
(Also, shout out to my Boyfriend, James, for coming up with the title of this blog post when I couldn't think of an adequate coffee-based London pun)
Much love ♥
