Halo of Fairtrade casts a shadow on poverty

Telegraph.co.uk

"Fairtrade purports to work within the market economy but its rise has been largely based on marketing subsidies and public-sector procurement," says Tom Clougherty, the policy director of the Adam Smith Institute.

Fairtrade fails to tackle poverty, report says

Despite huge pressures on the public purse, local councils are squandering large sums to become Fairtrade towns and cities, to hector people into buying only Fairtrade. Meanwhile, the Fairtrade Foundation has received £1.5 million from the Department for International Development. This week sees the start of Fairtrade Fortnight, when charities, politicians and teachers will promote the scheme as an undisputed good. With all this effort, what a pity Fairtrade does not work.

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Free coffee up for grabs

Robert: seems to be a trend

Olympia Coffee Roasting Company's Roasting Works shop at 108 Cherry St. in downtown Olympia will offer free coffee to customers from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday to take advantage of Starbucks' planned three-hour closure for espresso training.
Click here to find out more!

Starbucks announced earlier thi s month that it would close 7,100 company-operated Starbucks stores in the United States for three hours to focus on training more than 135,000 employees.

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Businessmen sit for hours in coffee shops

LONDON, Feb. 23 (UPI) -- London coffee shops have become crowded with businessmen who sit for hours using wireless Internet and buy only one or two drinks, a report said.

American media labeled the nomadic, coffee-drinking businessmen the "new Bedouin" after a trend originating in San Francisco coffee shops, The Times of London reported.

"We have 10 tables and if five of them are taken up with single people surfing the Internet and only buying a couple of drinks then we're not making any money," owner of London's The Breakfast Club said.

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Delocator.net helps find non-corporate coffee houses

Use Delocator.net to find a café, bookstore, or movie theatre that is not owned by a public corporation.

The mission of Delocator.net is to assist the public in finding and supporting independently owned businesses. On the results page for each search, listings of both independently owned entertainment venues and corporate businesses are presented. By comparison of quantity and user-created information, Delocator.net users will be able to make an informed decision about spending a buck (or eight) on a cup of joe, a new book, or an afternoon at the movies.

www.delocator.net

Too-Much-Coffee Man

Too-Much-Coffee Man: San Franciscan’s Java Obsession Has Led Him to Rate Every Last Cafe in The City (From 1 to 587)

Meet Greg Sherwin, the man whose coffee break is a break from drinking coffee

By Joe Eskenazi
SFweekly.com

Greg Sherwin drinks so much coffee, I think he gave me a caffeine buzz through the phone. And whether it’s the coffee or just the way he goes, I may never have interviewed a faster-talking man. But, then again, Sherwin has a lot to talk about.

Over the past five years, he’s spent thousands of hours and dollars criss-crossing San Francisco and ordering a cup of Joe in virtually every coffee-selling establishment in this city. And, in a remarkable display of meticulousness that probably fits the definition of obsession, he’s rated every cafe and its espresso in town, from best to 587th and worst.

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Coffee Klatch celebrates Starbucks store closures with free coffee

San Dimas, California (Market Wire) February 19, 2008 – Coffee Klatch
Roasting's two retail coffee shops in San Dimas and Rancho Cucamonga
will offer free coffee to customers on Tuesday, February 26th from
5:30 PM until 8:30 PM PST in celebration of Starbucks' planned 3-hour
closure for espresso training.

Described by Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz in a press statement as a
"bold demonstration of our commitment," the company announced earlier
this month that it would close 7,100 company-operated Starbucks
stores in the United States for 3 hours to retrain more than 135,000
employees.

Coffee Klatch, home of reigning United States Barista Champion
Heather Perry, has no need for similar employee remediation and
consequently invites the public to visit for an opportunity to taste
expertly crafted espresso beverages and exclusive coffees from exotic
locales -for free- at its two Southern California locations during
the closure.

"I'm not sure why it's going to take them 3 hours to learn how to
press a button," says Coffee Klatch Roasting owner Mike Perry,
referring to the automated espresso machines that are used by
Starbucks employees to prepare beverages. "While they practice
pushing buttons, their customers can come to Coffee Klatch and learn
how coffee is really supposed to taste."

Coffee Klatch Roasting locations:
San Dimas: (909) 599-0452
806 W. Arrow Hwy Ste A, San Dimas
57 Freeway and Arrow Hwy in the Target Shopping Center
Rancho Cucamonga: (909) 944-JAVA
8916 Foothill Blvd Ste C, Rancho Cucamonga
Corner of Foothill and Vineyard in the Thomas Winery Building

About Coffee Klatch Roasting

Founded in 1993, Coffee Klatch Roasting operates two coffee shops in
Southern California (San Dimas & Rancho Cucamonga) and supplies
wholesale customers from a dedicated specialty coffee roasting
facility. In addition to publicity gained from the accomplishments
of two-time U.S. Barista Champion Heather Perry, Coffee Klatch
Roasting has been recognized as serving the "Best Espresso in
America" by the Los Angeles Times and the "Best Espresso in the
World" by an esteemed panel of judges at the 2007 World Barista
Championship in Tokyo, Japan. For more information, visit the Coffee
Klatch website at www.klatchroasting.com.

Media Contact

Mike Perry
Coffee Klatch Roasting
(909) 224-9452

Coffee Fest Washington, DC

We had a great time at the Coffee Fest in Washington, DC this week-end. What a big trade show this has become, with over 300 exhibitors!

Had a very nice espresso by Jim P. of 1st Line Equipment on his new Elektra Kappa machine. We attended a few seminars, saw some old friends and made some new ones. We also gained a little weight by snacking at the crowded booths offering samples.

For more information on upcoming shows, go to their website at www.coffeefest.com (Hawaii and Hong Kong are coming up soon).

For some photos of the show, CLICK HERE