It’s phoney but there’s a real cost

THEY are spreading like a bad rash. Coffee shops are a consumer con, offering fancy-sounding drinks in foreign lingo.

The product is phoney. More froth than caffeine, and more of a fashion statement than a drink.

And the prices are phenomenal. The true meaning of Starbucks is evident in the second half of the word.

I wouldn’t mind this alien invasion of our town centres if they simply offered an alternative bevvy for people who like that sort of thing.

But the march of the coffee shop is over the dead body of the pub.

Blinded by business tax rake-off, councils are despoiling high streets with a mono-culture of flashy, trendy outlets.

You won’t catch me in one of them. Give me a proper barman over a barista any day.