Coffee Culture
If Starbucks is the poster girl for coffee then Italy is the team coach! I rented an apartment just outside Milan to facilitate my consulting (strategic food retail) work in Italy. I am not Italian and am learning to speak and read the language. But having spent the last 18 months travelling in and out of Italy, I have developed a smidgen of understanding of Italian culture, especially it’s food culture which obviously incorporates coffee. Drinking coffee in Italy is nearly a 500 year old custom. Let’s start with that to define a culture.

Italian culture (generally) can be summarised in three words – food; family; fun. Italians like to socialise and enjoy themselves and if you don’t have a walnut brown tan in summer, something is wrong! But Italy is also like an onion. You can look at it simplistically or you can peel back the layers and discover it’s incredible depth. I suggest peeling the onion, you will not be disappointed. I’ve always espoused that visiting a place or country for a few days holiday is nothing compared to immersing yourself into the culture and staying for a month or two. I find it amusing when speaking to ‘holidaymakers’ who are self appointed experts on 20 destinations they’ve visited on a whistle stop 22 day holiday. They must be geniuses or something to be able to take it all in – sites, geography, food and culture. Americans are particularly apt at sharing this way. And Las Vegas and Starbucks are good examples of America’s ability to commit “identity fraud”. Copy a few painted ceiling murals, put in a canal, add a motorised gondola and hey presto – the ancient city of Venice is ‘live’ at the Venetian Hotel, Las Vegas. So too with Starbucks – name the amount of coffee you purchase as – grande; venti; Trenta and “poof” – it’s instantly 500 years of Italian culture in a to-go cup!

But here’s my take on why Italian coffee culture is copied (badly) around the world. Italian mothers are integral to the family structure, and you’ll be a brave man to take on the family matriarch. She rules the house with a light but steady (influence based) touch and a bit of what I can only describe as ‘Jewish guilt’. The family unit is everything. Everybody can cook … something! If it’s not a bbq recipe handed down, its gnocchi, or homemade prosciutto or salami, a salad dressing or bottles of homemade tomato sauce. If you arrive at an Italian home – prepare to eat SOMETHING! And you will drink good coffee – fresh home brewed and brilliant – every time. Coffee = home.

It’s also a faith based country – God (Catholicism) is at the centre of daily life.

Work / play balance – I’ve lived in 4 countries on 3 continents and I’ve travelled to most parts of the world. Italians have the best lifestyle balance I’ve ever seen. You could be mistaken for thinking they’re lazy, they’re not, they’ve learned to put work into perspective. Money is important to Italians, but it’s not their god. They close shop for 3 hours everyday, it’s lunch time which is the main meal of the day. Few choose to trade on Sundays. And they take a minimum one month summer vacation.

Italians are well organised with a tremendous political system and superb infrastructure – some think it’s political system is Byzantine bureaucracy at its worst. I disagree, yes they could streamline somewhat, but it all runs well. They have a three tier system of local, regional and national governance that for me, works because they all have real power. You may obtain regional permission but you may not get local permission, it’s a negotiation with checks and balances. That’s just how it works.

Food is a massive part of life and culture. The quality and freshness of raw ingredients is amazing. I speak as a chef who owned restaurants and food manufacturing businesses in various countries. Small specialist outlets like bakeries, butcheries and cheese shops thrive. Bakeries don’t sell sandwiches, drinks, salads and soup like a “Panera Bread Company” or “Pret A Manger” … they sell loaves of bread by weight not quantity. If you’re lucky they might do a few biscuits, pastries and tray pizza. And they’re busy. Butchers too. Italians like buying from the butcher or local town markets. There is usually a fresh market a couple of days a week in most communities.

Italians don’t mess with food tradition. Most food in Italy is scratch made. A lasagne is made with beef – if you make a similar lasagne type product with a sauce of salmon broccoli and mushroom – it’s not lasagne. That’s got another name, but it’s not lasagne nor is it salmon lasagne! Alfredo is pasta with butter and Parmesan, if you add chicken, fresh cream or cheese or béchamel sauce or tomato, it’s not Alfredo. Pizza with garlic is not pizza – that’s actually focaccia – don’t get me started on putting pineapple on pizza. At first you think it’s stupid, small minded, what’s all the fuss … but after being here awhile you learn to enjoy a more simple ingredient profile. And you learn to respect the traditions, heritage and ingredients of the dishes.

And they must be doing something right – no culture has transported its national foods around the world like Italy has. France is at best a very distant second. Pasta; pizza; olive oil; balsamic; pesto; Parma ham; a myriad of wines; bolognese; Parmesan (cheeses generally) from mozzarella to Ricotta, Marscapone to Gorgonzola; Tiramisu; panettone; gelato; ciabatta; focaccia … COFFEE … the list goes on and on. And that’s why they don’t bastardise food … it’s sacred. They leave that to the Starbucks of this world!

So why do I share all this when we are talking coffee culture. Well I think all these things are factors in understanding coffee culture in Italy and why it’s hard to copy!

They take coffee, like all food, seriously. No gimmicks! It’s a part of their social fabric and culture. Work needs to be broken up. Remember, the work / lifestyle balance I mentioned. What better way than to quickly stop in at the local coffee bar, swop a story or two and drink a coffee. It’s as quick as a toilet comfort break, but it makes the day interesting. It literally starts and ends everything, from breakfast to social gatherings and business meetings.

But here’s the rub, buying a cup of Italian coffee is cheap! I mean really cheap. One Euro usually gets you a coffee – and a little biscuit on the saucer. A small pastry or cake (they do small delicious bite sized pieces) and coffee … 2 Euro! In major metropolitan cities or tourist traps – coffee alone is maybe 1.50–2 Euro. Still cheap!

And it’s incredible quality from brands like Segafredo, LaVazza and illy. Coffee beans are a commodity item in Italy and the roasting process, an art. That’s why Italian processed (roasted) coffee beans are considered the best in the world. A cup of coffee is also not a gallon bucket of liquid, like the USA do. It’s small and a caffeine hit to pick you up.

So it’s both inexpensive and meant to break the day (social). You usually go to your favourite coffee ‘Bar’. You may have 4 or 5 during the day, including your morning breakfast coffee at home, but it doesn’t break the bank.

And there are virtually no coffee chains. Most are independent operators supported by the coffee roasting brands. Starbucks has just arrived in Milan – it took them 47 years to arrive and they have built an incredibly beautiful shop. The decor is mind blowing but the word on the street (in Italy) is its too expensive and too gimmicky – almond syrups, chocolate sprinkles and drinking latte’s after lunch – not on. I’ve been twice to check it out. It’s full of Americans and tourists, but very few locals! The volume of tourists and the price points should keep it in business, but it’s simply not comparable on flavour, quality (past the initial wow factor of the decor and design) with a traditional Italian coffee bar. As a business model it’s flawed too (I think) because their are not many Italian cities like Milan which are cosmopolitan (touristy) or large enough to hold a Starbucks like that. And anything less than that will blend into a fog of nothingness because the primary product – the coffee … is not so good.

Italy doesn’t do hundreds of varieties – flavours, syrups, fruits, creams – it’s a simple affair. They don’t write an essay and customer name on the side of the take out cup. Each shop looks different. Some are old and suit the older clientele, who sit and play cards or board games with one or two slot machines; some are modern and slick; some historic olde world and wood panelled. But all are friendly, relaxed and accommodating. Just don’t order the wrong thing at the wrong time. Latte is for breakfast …!

I find it interesting that Howard Schultz has managed to pull off the notion that Starbucks is a ‘copy’ on Italian coffee shops. It’s like saying a camel and a dog are similar because they both have 4 legs and a tail.

Coffee came to Italy via Arab traders from Africa through Venice in the 17th Century. And it initially was considered an evil drink because of Islam / Arab influence. However Pope Clemence VIII liked its unique complex flavour and aroma and it was sanctioned ‘a Christian beverage’ accordingly. The first coffee house opened in Venice in 1683 and spread to Europe. Hence the point above about being a faith based country. Church had a lot to do with the acceptance of coffee as a beverage.

Italians primarily drink espresso – a short rich strong coffee and the reason is simple. A clever Italian business owner created a method to speed up the brewing process by applying force and heat so that his staff wouldn’t spend time brewing coffee and would get back to work. In so doing he unwittingly also improved the flavour of coffee through heat and pressure to create the concept of “CREMA” – the naturally smooth creamy froth that forms on top of a good coffee. Because it was strong, milk was added in some instances to weaken the strength and the latte and cappuccino were born. In 1905 the first proper espresso machine was manufactured in Italy, and Italy’s influence on coffee has taken the humble coffee bean around the world.

The reason coffee culture is so ingrained in Italian culture is because it’s social, it’s Christian, its reminiscent of home – warm and inviting, and you know your barista and they know you, but mostly because it’s inexpensive. It’s not a luxury or treat to drink coffee, it’s just part of daily life.

A Starbucks coffee comparitively is a treat, if you buy a coffee say in Starbucks London with a small nibble … that’s minimum £7–8.00 – do that 3 or 4 times a day and you need a 6 figure salary, not too mention a huge bladder. But my real issue is the quality of coffee Starbucks serve, it’s not great! If your desire is a – Soy Milk Coffee Frappuccino with sea salted caramel and cashew nuts – then Starbucks is your place. If you’re a coffee aficionado – and want an unadulterated quality coffee, it simply is not that. It’s developed standardised foolproof systems and equipment to produce a uniform product across the vast estate – they needed to do that because they’ve got around 29500 stores at my last count, but only around 1500 of those stores are in Europe with a further 1030 in the U.K. not exactly gang buster growth in Europe. Europe get quality (not quantity) in a way that most Americans don’t! Starbucks are to coffee what Mc Donald’s is to the humble hamburger – a product in name only. Training staff for an operation that size becomes an exercise in logistics, standardisation and lowest common denominators, not quality. I’m not knocking Starbucks. It’s a gold mine, but we are not talking economics, we are talking (brand) culture and quality.

My final point is this – I still think there is a huge gap in the marketplace for a proper traditional Italian Coffee concept in the U.K. or USA, Australia or almost any country. One built around a simple quality offer with a light nibble priced around (£ or $) 2.00 or 3.00 a cup (but not a bucket), a bit of merchandising and a strong authentic heritage and community message. A true Italian concept built around a value offer that builds a coffee culture.

SALUTI

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['Lifestyle', 'Brands', 'Starbucks Coffee', 'Italy', 'Coffee Culture']