THE COMPETITION

Greeting Ladies and Gents!

Today I made my first journey to a local coffee chain in the UK. The name of the coffee shop was Costa Coffee. I had seen several Costa locations in the last few days and I knew that I eventually needed to check it out. While at Windsor Station, after touring the Windsor Castle, I decided it was time to find out how the locals "do coffee". I made my way into the shop attempting to keep an open mind, but I couldn't help compare it to my beloved Starbucks. I have provided below the video of my very first trip to this local shop. As I made my way in my initial reaction was how cramped this shop was. I do however need to state that this shop was stuck in with a variety of others and perhaps that is the reason for the close quarters. I will visit other Costa locations before jumping to conclusions. Nonetheless, as I made my way into what resembled a gally kitchen I was blown away by the array of delicious-looking pastries. I chose to order a primo (small) coffee to get the full experience of the coffee taste. Upon receiving the cup I immediately noticed something was missing. This cup did not have a collar like I am used to at Starbucks. The Costa cup had built in heat protection as you will see in the photo. I am sorry to say that this method of heat protection did not live up to my expectations. As I held the cup, my hand began to feel like it was it was burning and I wanted a coffee collar. I was very pleased with my first sip of Costa Coffee but it was super hot! The brew at this shop was a bit more acidic than the coffee I am used to drinking. As I made my way through my drink I grew to like the coffee more and more. I will definitely be trying other local shops to see how they compare. My first non-Starbucks trip was overall a good one minus the hot cup. I'll be back tomorrow!

AM