I was invited to the most lovely event yesterday – a coffee morning at the London School of Coffee to learn all about coffee beans and the art of making the perfect latte. I have been wanting to know for ages how to make those lovely shapes on top of the milk and now I can do them myself (or rather I know how they are done). YAY! Life’s small pleasures (when in need of major distractions)….
First we learnt about the different coffee beans and how you should only keep them in a plastic bag with all the air squeezed out and an elastic band round in the fridge or freezer to keep fresh:-
Then we got shown how to make the perfect espresso, followed by a lesson in “latte art”:-
Here is my first attempt – not bad, but more like a bottom than a heart or a leaf:-
I came second in the competition with the “best tasting latte” (although I had thought I had made a cappuccino):-
The reason we were there however, was more important. We were looking at ways to help promote the benefits of milk – especially to teenage girls. The Make Mine Milk campaign is funded by the Milk Marketing Forum and I really like the poster campaign they are running at the moment featuring celebrities such as Elle McPherson, Jenson Button, Olly Murs and Justin Bieber, Usher, Gordon Ramsay, Pixie Lott and the A Team.
How much milk to you drink? Your children? If you’ve got teenage girls in particular (Expat Mum and Auntie Gwen) do they drink milk? All my children drink milk with their evening meal. Always have. My teenage son sometimes drinks a pint after exercise and I have just watched my 10 year old down a pint in 19 seconds having just watched the videos below. Not bad. Except that he’s just waddled off to football training and will probably be sick on the pitch.
How can we help make milk appear less bland and more “cool” to teenage girls? (Other than giving it additional flavours and colours -although I did suggest that adding alcohol would zip it up a bit and make it WAY more appealing). We agreed that packaging milk in cool pint cartons with a straw – with funky colours and teenage idols on should work – I used to buy milk like that when I grew up in Hong Kong. Or what about milk in a can? Or doing something directly with the farmers? Inviting kids to milk cows with celebrities? Or reintroducing milk to schools.
Hayley
November 21, 2010Aw man so sad I couldnt make this in the end, J’s birthday was yesterday and in the build up it just slipped my mind! Would have been great to meet you again! Looks like those lattes were good!
Sinead G
November 22, 2010Latte/cappuccino – meh let’s not be too strict about the detail, it tasted good and that’s the most important thing!
susan
November 22, 2010Thanks for sharing about dairy! As a dairy mom I share your concerns for our children.
Babes about Town
November 22, 2010Hey again, I enjoyed this event too although obviously I need a few more lessons in the art of being a Barista. Wish I could have tasted your latte. And actually I think your pic of coffee looks very big hearted, and not at all arsy! 😉
'm'
November 23, 2010Just catching up here……Coffee thingy looks wonderful, what a lovely way to spend a morning. But got to add this; whilst the milk campaign is overall a good thing – children really do need to drink more healthy stuff like this rather than constantly glugging ‘Cola’ – in all its guises, but….Really irresponsible films there, ‘role models’ down pints of milk as if it was a race – that is so bad for the digestive system – and as you quite rightly say – then they go running off to play football/netball whatever and end up being sick. Totally counter-productive. I don’t think the ad agency thought this one through enough.
Lanelle Lyseski
January 16, 2011Excellent put together article! If only I had written it. Thanks for posting it regardless.
Melitta Coffee Makers
Michelle
November 15, 2011Sorry to gate crash your lovely blog, but I just wanted to point out two things. 1) milk is NOT good for you and we shouldn’t be encouraging people to drink it (google ‘Not Milk!’) and 2) in answer to any questions about ‘why haven’t we been told this’, just look who is funding the milk campaign…
Family Affairs
November 15, 2011Why do you say milk is not good for you? I thought it was? Calcium and all that? Vitamins etc. ??? Lx