What happened to sugar in coffee shops?

There seems to be something going on with sugar. Or more specifically, the lack of it in coffee shops. I don't understand it. I frequent cafes quite a bit.

What’s your experience with sugar in coffee shops?

My preference is cappuccino. I love the froth on top. When it has been prepared properly, that is. Not every barrister can do that. I sprinkle some sugar on the froth and spoon it into my gob. Depending upon how thick the froth is I might sprinkle some more and revel in the sweet succulence. And if they have chunky raw sugar I get to crunch the sweet froth, which adds to the experience. Eventually, I get to the coffee. More sugar goes in. Stir. Drink. Sugary froth is just as important as the coffee itself.

So, here's the thing. Just about every time when a cup is brought to my table I have to ask: Can I have some sugar? Oh sure, they say, how many would you like? What? Do you ration the stuff, I think. How many? I feel like responding by asking how thick the froth is or how strong the coffee is.

I remember when a sugar bowl sat on every table. There are precious few coffee shops I frequent that provide a sugar bowl. I wonder if it was COVID that saw the end of the sugar bowl. Okay, fine. That’s understandable. But why not place a container of those little sugar sachets that seem to be everywhere on each table? One of my favourite cafes has a pot of sugar sticks on a side table that has to be shared between about eight tables. It’s as though sugar is the price of gold.

The worst experience I had, way back, the guy asked if I’d like some sugar with my coffee. Sure, I said, yeah I would. How many? Well, for the same reasons as above (froth depth, coffee strength) I didn’t know. I said half a dozen would be fine. I expected to see six little sugar sachets next to my cup.

Eventually, the coffee came. There was no sign of the sugar. I asked about it. I’ve already added the sugar he said. All six of them. Never went back.

Six !! Maybe they are saying “ here comes sweet tooth Errol again “ and hiding it :U.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ErrolFlynn

Not every barrister can do that.

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You should try getting a barrista to make your coffee, instead of a lawyer. 😊

I know a few baristas and the story I heard is that leaving sugar on the table is yet another chance for idiots to tamper with food.

I remember even in my uni days in the 1970's watching some students swapping sugar for salt and VV. Apparently these idiots now frequent coffee shops and/or younger people have taken up this and worse activities.
Even leaving packets of sugar on the table is a no-no as the same idiots successfully tamper with the sugar and restore the packets so's know one would know.
You'd think people have better things to do with their time

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BobL

I know a few baristas and the story I heard is that leaving sugar on the table is yet another chance for idiots to tamper with food.

I remember even in my uni days in the 1970's watching some students swapping sugar for salt and VV. Apparently these idiots now frequent coffee shops and/or younger people have taken up this and worse activities.
Even leaving packets of sugar on the table is a no-no as the same idiots successfully tamper with the sugar and restore the packets so's know one would know.
You'd think people have better things to do with their time

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Sadly its not just idiots - needles in strawberries, poisioning water irrigation systems in a wholesale tomato seedling nursery in Australia's largest tomato production region, opened an re-closed bottles / jars in supermarkets, ..... bolts in trees in forestry, ....... machinery sabotage, .... , farm invasions in high biosecurity risk areas, ..... mushrooms???

Plenty of people out there with agendas,

On a lighter note,

"Hey meester you want to buy some sugar ...."

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ErrolFlynn

There seems to be something going on with sugar. Or more specifically, the lack of it in coffee shops. I don't understand it. I frequent cafes quite a bit.

What’s your experience with sugar in coffee shops?

My preference is cappuccino. I love the froth on top. When it has been prepared properly, that is. Not every barrister can do that. I sprinkle some sugar on the froth and spoon it into my gob. Depending upon how thick the froth is I might sprinkle some more and revel in the sweet succulence. And if they have chunky raw sugar I get to crunch the sweet froth, which adds to the experience. Eventually, I get to the coffee. More sugar goes in. Stir. Drink. Sugary froth is just as important as the coffee itself.

So, here's the thing. Just about every time when a cup is brought to my table I have to ask: Can I have some sugar? Oh sure, they say, how many would you like? What? Do you ration the stuff, I think. How many? I feel like responding by asking how thick the froth is or how strong the coffee is.

I remember when a sugar bowl sat on every table. There are precious few coffee shops I frequent that provide a sugar bowl. I wonder if it was COVID that saw the end of the sugar bowl. Okay, fine. That’s understandable. But why not place a container of those little sugar sachets that seem to be everywhere on each table? One of my favourite cafes has a pot of sugar sticks on a side table that has to be shared between about eight tables. It’s as though sugar is the price of gold.

The worst experience I had, way back, the guy asked if I’d like some sugar with my coffee. Sure, I said, yeah I would. How many? Well, for the same reasons as above (froth depth, coffee strength) I didn’t know. I said half a dozen would be fine. I expected to see six little sugar sachets next to my cup.

Eventually, the coffee came. There was no sign of the sugar. I asked about it. I’ve already added the sugar he said. All six of them. Never went back.

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Here on the Sunny Coast a few of us frequent 3 different cafe's and 2 of them bring out a satchel of sugar with each cup of coffee which, we dutifully send back as we are all sweet enough.

In the past when I took sugar in my coffee I asked for it when ordering the coffee.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

The other "trick" students at uni do was to take the lids of those sugar pourers, the ones that had a round spouts at the top. Cover the opening with a piece of paper and then invert the container and place it back on the table and slide the piece of paper out. Then just place the pourer on top so when container was picked up sugar would go everywhere, very funny harhar!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BobL

I remember even in my uni days in the 1970's watching some students swapping sugar for salt and VV.

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Ah, yes, the unbridled hilarity of watching some sucker tip a sugar dispenser (the glass type with a chrome lid and spout) into their coffee and see the carefully loosened lid dump the whole container into the drink.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BobL

You'd think people have better things to do with their time

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Such as? Attending lectures? :rolleyes:

I think you will find that waste sugar is a big issue so asking for it implies that it will be used, regulations are the pits but have to be complied with. We all live [most of us ] in a regulated world some would say over regulated.

Sugar white man’s opium


I’m possibly going too get outed hear, but I can’t stand Sugar in Coffee, I just like “Coffe”

Unfortunately spending sometime in Sourh east Asia, years ago, we’re coffe was regular served with 7/8 heavy teaspoons of sugar,yuk.

Cheers Matt.

In an early episode of Pie in the Sky, Henry was in a cafe for a meal. He reached into his pocket and brought out a small pepper grinder to season his dish. I laughed at the idea of carrying his own condiments. The restaurant should provide this stuff. I'm wondering, at the risk of the paper deteriorating and leaving my pockets coated in sugar, perhaps I should consider bringing my own sugar.

Hi,
These clowns think they have a sense of humor, but their sense is just a rumor.
Regards

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ErrolFlynn

There seems to be something going on with sugar. Or more specifically, the lack of it in coffee shops. I don't understand it. I frequent cafes quite a bit.

What’s your experience with sugar in coffee shops?

My preference is cappuccino. I love the froth on top. When it has been prepared properly, that is. Not every barrister can do that. I sprinkle some sugar on the froth and spoon it into my gob. Depending upon how thick the froth is I might sprinkle some more and revel in the sweet succulence. And if they have chunky raw sugar I get to crunch the sweet froth, which adds to the experience. Eventually, I get to the coffee. More sugar goes in. Stir. Drink. Sugary froth is just as important as the coffee itself.

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you put sugar in your coffee ???

Most times I can smell sugar in coffee -- for me the sugar disguises the taste of the coffee.


However, I understand the attraction of the sugared froth, and the benefit -- to you -- of adding more sugar to the brew.


What I've observed is many baristas add sugar as they make the coffee.
Other shops provide single serve packets that, although I usually return them unused, they are probably binned by the shop.
The SOP seems to be to throw away everything left on the table, even unused sugar packets.



Given you desire [crave?] the taste of sugared froth, perhaps ask the waitperson for those little packets of white powder.

i mean.... surely there is a very small cost saving to the cafe as well not having to supply sugar/sugar packets.

Depends how busy they are small totals add up if busy serving coffee.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Simplicity

Sugar white man’s opium


I’m possibly going too get outed hear, but I can’t stand Sugar in Coffee, I just like “Coffe”

Unfortunately spending sometime in Sourh east Asia, years ago, we’re coffe was regular served with 7/8 heavy teaspoons of sugar,yuk.

Cheers Matt.

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I rode a small hired motorbike around the big island in Figi back in the early 80s on the way to Canada.
They didn’t supply a helmet and my hat would depart once up to speed in the tropical sun.
I’d stopped outside a farm to rest for a bit and an Indian Figian from the farm asked if I wanted a drink. The tea he brought me was so sweet I struggled to drink it.
The upside was his wife sewed a strap on my hat so it stopped blowing off my head.
H

Actually, another thing I take umbrage with is when coffee shop owners put out sugar and don’t leave a spoon in the bowl to allow the sugar to be used.

So, here I am facing a sugar bowl without a spoon. A communal sugar bowl at that. Something other people are going to use after me. Do the owners of these cafes expect people to use their spoon to add sugar to their coffee, stir it in, and then put the bowl aside? Hell no. Maybe some, but not me.

My preference is to dig into this sugar bowl and sprinkle those delicious grains onto the fluffy stuff on top of my coffee. The fluff is to be savoured. When the first few millimetres of fluff have been consumed I dig into the sugar again and repeat. How often? How deep is the fluff?

So, here’s my dilemma. I now need to dig into that bowl again to collect another spoonful of sugar. But that spoon has already been in my mouth. Do I dare stick my spoon back into the bowl? Hell no. That would be unhygienic.

Luckily I don’t go to coffee shops alone. My partner comes with me, and I use her spoon to sprinkle the sugar from the bowl and use my own spoon to sup the delightful mixture. So, that’s fine so long as I’m with someone. Albeit an inconvenience to my coffee-sharing partner. To do that you’d want to be close. Not a work colleague. But it seems very selfish of the shop owner not to provide a sugar spoon. Though, I have to admit that on occasions I’ve thought ‘Stuff it’ and double, triple dipped my spoon into the sugar bowl. I think that bit of unhygienic practice is a problem for the owner of the shop rather than me. But that’s just me.