Was watching a BBC programme recently on the growth of coffee shops in the UK in the last 15 years. Specifically COSTA, Caffe Nero & Starbucks.
In one scene, a marketing guy for COSTA was talking about the retail units they have in petrol stations. Apparently, while you're waiting for your coffee to be dispensed, the machine plays some low-volume recording of coffee shop noise and emits some coffee odours, to 'enhance your coffee experience'.
I'm surprised how bad coffee still is in petrol stations! The Bewley's stuff is particularly bad. Topaz seem to differentiate themselves on the coffee front, but it's still not good enough for the cost, often on a par with "proper" coffee from a coffee shop. I reckon a petrol station selling Illy coffee would fly it.
I reckon that there's a good chance that the most welcome cup of coffee you've ever had was probably absolute muck. It's probably either
- the stuff you had at 3 am from a garage on a freezing night when the car heater didn't work
- a brew made during an all night stint trying to stay awake
- something thrown together while you had a vile hangover, and could barely make out the coffee jar. It could probably have been bisto powder for all you cared.