Coffee mornings have long suffered from a bit of an image problem, dismissed as the preserve of busybody suburban housewives such as TV’s Margot Leadbetter or Hyacinth Bucket. It is good to learn, however, that a quiet revolution has been taking place in the function rooms, village halls and living rooms of the nation – yes, coffee mornings have become cool.
Perhaps it is something to do with the surge in cupcake consumption or the global re-branding of coffee as the beverage of choice, whatever the cause, it is definitely something to be celebrated. Who could possibly criticise an event that encourages wholesale consumption of delicious cakes washed down with fabulous coffee? Throw into the mix a good old natter with friends and the chance to meet new people, and a coffee morning sounds like the perfect way to get out and socialise.
Another great reason for throwing a coffee morning is to raise money for charity. At the forefront of charity coffee mornings in recent years is the Macmillan Cancer Support event where, up and down the country, people invite friends and neighbours to their homes in aid of a good cause. This co-ordinated campaign has been a great success and has raised the profile of coffee mornings once more as an effective and enjoyable method of raising funds and awareness for charities. This year the World’s Biggest Coffee Morning in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support takes place in September and anyone can sign up to host an event.
If September is far too long to wait, staging an independent coffee morning, either for fun or in aid of a favourite charity, could not be easier. There are plenty of local charities in Caerphilly who would welcome donations generated by such events, so why not take the initiative and get organised?
So, what makes a successful coffee morning? Well, there is a clue in the name – great coffee. Make sure the coffee that is served is of the highest quality, richest tasting variety. For the best barista style coffee, consider using Tassimo’s product range. For the ultimate in convenience, Tassimo coffee can be ordered online from their user-friendly website and home-delivered in time for the special day. Click here to find out more about Tassimo coffee and beverages and see how they could make a coffee morning a great success.
In addition to coffee, there has to be cake – and lots of it. Chocolate, lemon, fruit, coffee and walnut, coconut macaroons, shortbread, scones and a million varieties of cupcake, the sky is the limit. The more delicious goodies on offer, the happier guests will be, and they will spread the word around that coffee mornings at your place are unmissable.
Decorate the house with bunting and flowers, and make the place look good enough to eat. Dress a table with crisp white linen, use vintage style cake stands and floral porcelain crockery for serving. Make guests feel relaxed by providing adequate seating for informal chats as well as plenty of room to mill around and circulate.
It is time for Caerphilly to embrace coffee morning culture wholeheartedly – whether it is for charity or simply to have a chat with old and new friends, there really isn’t a downside to the coffee morning revival.