By Jack Crisfield
LONDON, UK— London barista Alex Benn recently expressed disgust on finding that his favorite roaster’s espresso blend is now available for “mass consumption” in his local supermarket.
Benn, head barista of a notoriously successful coffee shop in Dalston, claims his spirit and faith in the coffee industry has been ‘broken’ in response to the news that a well-established London roaster seem to be trying to put their brand out to a more general public.
“I’m absolutely gutted,” a despondent Benn told Knockbox staff. “I’ve been an ardent fan of theirs for years and I never thought they’d sell out like so many other roasters have.”
“The industry is going down the toilet,” Benn spat, and left the interview without further comment.
We contacted the roaster in question for a response to Benn’s comments and they released the following statement:
“We are all about getting great coffee to as many people as possible. We decided to start selling our beans at a grocery in our own neighborhood in order to do just that. This does not mean the excellent quality of our beans or our original vision has changed in the slightest. These comments highlight a snobbery in the industry which we believe it could do without.”
An anonymous source says Benn seemed “rather down” and “taken aback” about the response, but seems to have changed his tune after it having been implied that he is a snob.
Jack Crisfield is a barista and postgraduate student based in London, UK.
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