Costralia

Someone at Costa Towers has obviously noticed the growing popularity of London's independent, Antipodean coffee shops as it has recently introduced a new beverage to its collection, the flat white, which is found in all the aforementioned coffee shops, one of which is even named for it. For a long time, I thought a flat white was just a latte with less milk and an artistic pattern made in the foam on the top; however, flat whites are all about the texture of the milk, which Costa describes as, "velvety smooth" (as does the Wikipedia article for flat white, funnily enough).

Anyway, once this beverage is introduced to the closest Costa to my new desk, I'll probably order it but I would still rather go to Nero or, better, an independent, regardless of Costa's efforts to serve what the cool people are drinking. I don't have any strong desire to sit whiling away the hours in Costa, anyway, and it's the combination of good coffee, friendly staff and a nice atmosphere that attract me to the non-Costas and non-Starbucks of this world.