Shortly after my arrival in London and a stop at the La Marzocco UK office to greet my colleagues, Estelle, our galactic espresso ambassador, took me on the “golden coffee triangle” tour in the hip, coffee-worshiping neighbourhood of Shoreditch.

In the meantime, I take loads of pictures, my sight is astonished by all that’s going on around me. And my recognition of how many La Marzocco machines I see embellishing and serving Coffee Shops – here and there – makes me realize how coffee people in this kingdom really know their thing.

I take notes of some apparently random stories and words that are being exchanged amongst these ever-growing connoisseurs, and hear words such as rain water, de-constructed cappuccino, *##&!%%§§££°! Leaving aside the geekery when speaking about the coffee itself and the equipment, which I could never find more fascinating, it’s all about a quality-driven lifestyle, awareness, education… yet also about fun, pathos, coolness, essentiality and being social in a broader sense of the term.

Last but not least I get a taste of my British companions’ sense of humour who entertain me with the nursery rhyme “Pop Goes The Weasel”. What an injection of sensations, energy, and great vibes during my first 8 hours in London – I am simply just loving it and am sure you would too!

24 hours later…

Fundamental for my personal imprinting of what a (speciality) coffee shop is like, Ozone Coffee Roasters, London, is the one that offers me a first peek into what the beverage, that is 6 centuries old, means to the inhabitants of this coffee (Wonder)Land: I enter what is seemingly a lab on the ground floor, equipped with a bright white Strada EP espresso machine on the counter, silhouette-ish tools, glass jars and “instruments” containing ingredients (mostly coffee beans) of all sorts; everyone behind the bar seems to be preparing a magical potent, blending in the scientific appeal of the décor, mostly adorned with wood furniture.

I feel safe and cosy, am transported by the pleasant aromas and relaxing sounds in the air. The noise of steam water is literally “beating” a consistent rhythm and fits in perfectly with the entrancing music playing in the background. What a mystical ambiance! An image of an Arabica coffee plant is beautifully designed on one side of the wall and now and then the red beans capture my glance in this beige, warm-coloured setting.

People walk in and choose their morning beverage in tranquillity, take a seat on the benches, savour their coffee and appreciate scent-full hints of natural products and exotic lands. Brand new to the specialty world, I am glad to be doing a 360° training at “OCR” in the days to come.

Stay tuned for the next episode.