Sheesh. Blubbing again.

I used to go and buy a pound of beans from Monmouth in Covent Garden on paydays when I was working at a record shop in the West End.

I made a throwaway comment to my brother, years ago, long before Flat White made it to Soho, that there was only one place to buy good coffee in the city. He told me later that night he'd found it. I was sceptical but, yes indeed, he'd stumbled across Monmouth. Its Borough Market shop does a roaring trade in single bean coffees from various parts of the globe, dripped through cone filters.

Also, I have a theory that modern coffee culture really took off here in the aftermath of the '87 crash - in Wellington, at any rate. Loads of restaurants went under due to a sudden lack of expense account clients, and building development ground to a halt. It made sense for the resulting out of work chefs and wait-people to move into the acres of empty retail space and start dishing up good - but cheap - food, offering something in between coffee bars and fine dining. And it was almost impossible to get a liquor licence back then. So, coffee it was.

I haven’t yet found good coffee in Palmerston North, ’though I haven’t been cafe hopping all that much either. Anyone got any helpful suggestions?

I frequent Cafe Cuba when I'm down that way; Cafe Express on the Square also does a pretty decent cuppa. Everywhere else I've tried there... hmmm... not my taste.