CAFFEINE FIX

Why does a squirt of syrup in your coffee at Christmas burn such a massive hole in your wallet? Olivia Petter finds out.

- Olivia Petter

The festive season starts at a different time for everyone. For some, it’s always the day after Halloween; pumpkins out, tinsel in. For others, it’s when Christmas decorations start lighting up their local high street. And for everyone else, it’s when the coffee shops change their menus. You can’t avoid it: overnight the options go from standard latte fare to oversized, over-sweetened, over-caffeinated – and severely overpriced – Christmas coffee madness.

What used to be a light touch – say, the addition of an eggnog latte – has now become an entire market in its own right, with different, more ludicrous and expensive variations on the classic cuppa added each year. This silly season at Pret a Manger, you can pick up a “caramelised almond latte” or a “maple pecan latte” for a whopping £4.40 (my local Pret a Manger in south London charges £4.65). Meanwhile, the regular latte starts at £3.80; that’s almost an entire pound in difference. And for what exactly? A few pumps of syrup? Some sprinkles and some cream?

The same liberties are being taken across the board. At Costa, London prices for a small gingerbread and cream latte were found to be £4.50, according to research carried out by the Allegra Group, which analyses the coffee industry, while a normal latte is £3.80. You also have the option to customise your beverage there, by paying 60p for a single pump of syrup and an additional 60p for cream.