International Coffee Day

Every day is an international day of some sort, but the international coffee day seems one worth raising a glass, or mug, to, and today's the day! Being made from a grown source, the coffee bean, it is obviously difficult to tell when coffee drinking was first discovered. The first evidence appears to show coffee drinking starting in the mid 15th century in Yemen. Coffee became popular in England due to the British East India Company, and Oxford's Queen's Lane Coffee House started up in 1654.

Over the years coffee has become a much loved commodity across the world, and nowadays is the source of many social and business meetings, with coffee shops becoming increasingly popular year by year. The phrase 'going for a coffee' is used even by those who never drink coffee, it's become something of a modern day term for going for a drink, whether that be tea, coffee, juice or pretty much anything that's not an alcoholic beverage. Despite the big chains such as Starbucks and Costa having coffee shops left right and centre, the local and unique coffee shops are still popular, and are often even more popular than the big guns due to being a bit different and being supported because they are a locally owned and run business.

Why not take the opportunity of it being 'international coffee day' to visit some of the locally owned coffee (or tea) shops in the Olney area?! There are lots- Beans, Cafe Tosco, Teapots and Much Ado, to name but a few!