It’s hard to concentrate at work at the moment (not that I usually need an excuse, as the internet is always at hand to provide one), as the building’s electrics are being overhauled and there’s an ever present danger that the computer will turn itself off, along with the lights, the radio and the phone system. We’ve been without proper electricity downstairs since June, which means that only about 50% of the sockets on the ground floor actually fulfil their purpose in life. It also means that we have no fridge, no microwave and no kettle. The kettle is camped out in the end office (where mercifully sockets do work), but the milk is kept in a jug full of water (very Girl Guide camping) and I’ve been deprived of lunchtime jacket potatoes for nearly two months.
Making a cup of coffee for everyone in the building has become an epic task, and our consumption of hot beverages has reduced drastically. The end is in sight, thank god, as I am starting to get cranky without a constant supply of coffee.
Coffee is a battle royal that has been raging ever since I started this job in January. Because we work in a “fairtrade town” (although someone please define that one for me) all our coffee and tea is meant to be fairtrade too. Now, in theory, I’m totally for that. The problem is that I find all types - and I do mean all - of fairtrade instant coffee to be vile. I cannot drink them. Co-op, Cafedirect, Clipper – you name it, I’ve tried it and hated it. Ground coffee is fine, but there’s something about instant that just doesn’t sit well with me.
So I started buying my own personal jars of coffee to bring into the office. The first mistake I made was buying Alta Rica, which as many of you will know, is made by Nestle. Cue horrified intake of breath from boss, and accusations of supporting evil multinationals who abuse little African children. Now, don’t get me wrong, I am fully aware of Nestle’s reputation and the actions they have done, and I am not condoning them in any way. I do, however, feel that Nestle has become a scapegoat and that there are plenty of other companies who are just as bad in other ways. People virtuously boycott Kitkats and don’t touch Shreddies, but happily buy clothes from Gap and wear Nike trainers.
Anyway, rant aside, I took the jar of Alta Rica home so as not to offend anyone’s sensibilities, and brought in Carte Noire instead. Again, cue horrified reaction from boss. Now Carte Noire is owned by Kraft, and as far as I am aware there is no major issue with them (apart from being a huge multinational, of course, which intrinsically is beset with problems), so I couldn’t see that it would provoke such a reaction. But ANY coffee that isn’t Fairtrade is going to be A Very Bad Thing in my boss’ eyes.
By sticking to my guns, I managed to be allowed to keep the jar, with the proviso that it stayed hidden under the sink and the large vat of Fairtrade granules would be on display and freely available. Fine by me, I said.
What I couldn’t understand, though, was how I was getting through so much coffee when it was just me using it. Until one day, I went in to find another member of staff bent double, surreptitiously transferring a teaspoon of my Carte Noire to their mug. Looking shamefaced, they confessed that they, too, HATED the Fairtrade and ever since there had been an alternative available, they’d been using it, but had been too scared to admit it.
That was four months ago, and since then, we’ve got through numerous jars of Carte Noire. And the Fairtrade stuff? Still at the same level it was back in March.
Making a cup of coffee for everyone in the building has become an epic task, and our consumption of hot beverages has reduced drastically. The end is in sight, thank god, as I am starting to get cranky without a constant supply of coffee.
Coffee is a battle royal that has been raging ever since I started this job in January. Because we work in a “fairtrade town” (although someone please define that one for me) all our coffee and tea is meant to be fairtrade too. Now, in theory, I’m totally for that. The problem is that I find all types - and I do mean all - of fairtrade instant coffee to be vile. I cannot drink them. Co-op, Cafedirect, Clipper – you name it, I’ve tried it and hated it. Ground coffee is fine, but there’s something about instant that just doesn’t sit well with me.
So I started buying my own personal jars of coffee to bring into the office. The first mistake I made was buying Alta Rica, which as many of you will know, is made by Nestle. Cue horrified intake of breath from boss, and accusations of supporting evil multinationals who abuse little African children. Now, don’t get me wrong, I am fully aware of Nestle’s reputation and the actions they have done, and I am not condoning them in any way. I do, however, feel that Nestle has become a scapegoat and that there are plenty of other companies who are just as bad in other ways. People virtuously boycott Kitkats and don’t touch Shreddies, but happily buy clothes from Gap and wear Nike trainers.
Anyway, rant aside, I took the jar of Alta Rica home so as not to offend anyone’s sensibilities, and brought in Carte Noire instead. Again, cue horrified reaction from boss. Now Carte Noire is owned by Kraft, and as far as I am aware there is no major issue with them (apart from being a huge multinational, of course, which intrinsically is beset with problems), so I couldn’t see that it would provoke such a reaction. But ANY coffee that isn’t Fairtrade is going to be A Very Bad Thing in my boss’ eyes.
By sticking to my guns, I managed to be allowed to keep the jar, with the proviso that it stayed hidden under the sink and the large vat of Fairtrade granules would be on display and freely available. Fine by me, I said.
What I couldn’t understand, though, was how I was getting through so much coffee when it was just me using it. Until one day, I went in to find another member of staff bent double, surreptitiously transferring a teaspoon of my Carte Noire to their mug. Looking shamefaced, they confessed that they, too, HATED the Fairtrade and ever since there had been an alternative available, they’d been using it, but had been too scared to admit it.
That was four months ago, and since then, we’ve got through numerous jars of Carte Noire. And the Fairtrade stuff? Still at the same level it was back in March.
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