Lost in a Cup has been a bit sleepy in the last months. How come you may be wondering?
Lack of coffee in the morning? – Definitely NOT!
Dark winter days in Swedish winter – well partly
But mainly a lot has been going on in backstage with the founder writing his master thesis (more on that soon) which led to a slowing down of operations in terms of content creation beyond some posts on the social media channels.
But fear not! 2020 is here, a new decade, a lot of things have happened in only a few weeks of the new era which will provide plenty of inspiration for themes and topics to go with your fika break and spark debates and conversations as Lost in a Cup loves doing.
Today is ‘Black Friday‘ part of ‘Black Week‘ the day in which all prices of every physical and online store get slashed for the joy of the masses – apparently.
This “tradition” started in the USA and as many things in popular culture it spread to this side of the Atlantic too. In Sweden it arrived fairly late, only the last year or two but now it’s a big thing and countless emails spammed each and every one who had the misfortune of signing up to newsletters from online shops and retailers.
This new phenomenon of Black Friday in Scandinavia is all the most interesting because it encourages people to rush, push and go grab the best deal – something that is not really that common in this part of the world.
Ironically today is the first day of real snow in the Uppsala – Stockholm region with several centimeters which fell over night. I would like to think that it was the old spirit of Janteläget blowing its white dust to cover the country and hinder people from the shopping craze some might have been keen on taking part in.
Those of you who follow carefully Lost in a Cup’s social media might remember from last year that the prices were not slashed and that there was actually a campaign to underline how the whole selling tactic goes against our ethos and way we see the world.
Therefore, even this year Lost in a Cup will have no discounts. But luckily there is lots of snow around here, so feel free to join us in a snow fight instead of doing so in a shopping centre or on our online shop.
Enjoy the snow and don’t get too lost in a cup of black (Friday) coffee. Look beyond!
Lost in a Cup was proud collaborator at ‘Career Day 2019’, a yearly fair organised by five different student organisations who focus on creating events for students who study degrees in the political science / diplomatic sphere at Uppsala University.
The event was held at V-Dala Nation and counted over 400 participants who had the chance of speaking to recruiters and explore career paths in the various stands.
Lost in a Cup had its own stand, providing Italian style coffee to energise the participants with espressos and the occasional cappuccinos.
It was a fantastic experience, many coffees were made and interesting conversations took place with the many who stopped-by. Special thanks to the team of volunteers who organised such a successful event and all who took part!
The first PopUp Cultural Café by Lost in a Cup will take place in Base10, right in the heart of Uppsala’s Tech Startup scene.
During the evening there will be a series of interesting talks, open debate and ample opportunity to mingle with people who share similar interests on the topic.
As the Cultural Café will Pop-Up in a StartUp hub, the topic is technology in modern society and the impact its having on our lives. Whilst the advantages of innovation are uncountable and in the StartUp world we often praise their glory, is there also a down side to this? Is our use of technology increasing the sense of alienation for us and the people around us?
The Speakers
Isabelle Edlund – Founder of ‘YouViaMe’
Claes Thorén – Senior Lecturer at Uppsala University
Uppsala is a very lovable city, especially for students. It’s a place where many historical events took place and if buildings could talk, most would tell fascinating stories dating back centuries. Cafés too played a key role in fuelling the academic work, a great example of this is Ofvandahls.
The café opened its doors in 1878 as ‘Erik
Andersson Konditori og Damkafé’ and changed name to Ofvhandals in 1901. In many
nation songbooks you find a song dedicated to it which mentions a series of
things you could have ordered at the time (including ‘avec’ such as cognac,
punsch etc.) which shows the long lasting love affair between the café and the
student community.
A former Uppsala student, class 1968, told me that she and her friends often used to take lunch or fika there and then when the cathedral bells rang they would run up the hill to Universitetshusset to attend lesson. “Many cafes and restaurants come and go but Ofvandahls stays” said the lady who was visiting Uppsala for the day and chose to stop by at her cherished café.
Today the student atmosphere lives on and there still is a dedicated discount on coffee. Many still choose to meet there as opposed to going to more modern cafes in the center, prefering its coziness to free Wi-Fi. Homemade cakes, soups, sandwiches and the selection of teas offer something for everyone’s taste, especially on a cold winter day when something comforting is what you need.
Many things in Uppsala’s society are changing for better or for worse but the fika is a lasting institution in which people meet up, chat for hours and no matter how many cups you drink your bank account doesn’t suffer and drowsiness is not a problem; on the contrary, the more you drink the more you get pepped up, talkative and creative, as the caffeine rush goes through your veins.
This daily ritual lives on strong and so does the temple of traditional fika such as Ofvanhals, with its over 140 year history. It is a guarantee that no matter what happenes in the world, in that corner of Sysslomansgatan the hot drinks keep flowing; providing continuity in service that stands outside the boundaries of time.
Location: Sysslomansgatan 5, 753 11 Uppsala – Sweden
WiFi: No
Student Discount: Yes
Best for: ordinary Swedish coffee (filter) and traditional cakes!
In cold days we all need a bit of love and love is all about coffee.
Make the most of this lovelydeal in which all existing Lost in a Cup customers get a 15% discount off the next coffee purchase when they introduce a friend to our products.
Friends, on the other hand, will experience good quality, Italian coffee and fall in love at first taste.
If they love it, they will love you too!
How does it work? The new customer registers an account on the website and makes a first purchase then sends an email to alex@lostinacup.com with the name and surname of the friend who tipped them about Lost in a Cup.
These guys in the 1930’s did not order a ‘caramel latte’; it was not on the menu at the time – but might they do that today?
The coffee world is ever changing and in recent years globalisation and big brands have brought the buzz of an expanded selection of coffees and drinks into the mainstream.
If the 80’s and 90’s were all about big chains of burgers and fast food; the first two decades of the new millennium have been all about coffee chains and capsule coffee – what else?
This has been a very exciting process which has seen many parts of the world discover espresso coffee and also American style long milk based coffees entered the high street with added syrups, flavours and whipped cream possibly.
You would not have found this in your local konditori 20 years ago!
This exciting innovation also has a down side, which is the struggle of independently owned cafes that due to difficulties in innovating or lower margins than the big chains often were forced to shut down.
So is it the end of independent cafes?
A typical “Bar” in Italy
I surely hope not! Family-run businesses offer charm and atmosphere that chains can’t! Even if they instruct their staff to write your name on the cup, smile and wish you a nice day it is still not authentic. It’s about history, community and passion.
In my coffee drinking mission I will explore many different kinds of cafes both old and new to see what they are all about!
What works? What doesn’t? What cool ideas are out there? By the end of this I might not be able to write a recipe of ‘how to make the perfect café’ but I hopefully will be able to give a few good pointers!
Follow this series of articles here on Lostinacup and on our social media pages /lostinacup. Don’t forget to share your thoughts in the comment section below or by using the hashtags: #TomorrowsCafe #EspressøYourself
Text: Alexander Maxia – Photos: Marcus Sätherström
Last November ‘Italienskkulturinstitutet‘ or the ‘Italian Cultural institute in Stockholm’ celebrated their 60th birthday. On this occasion ‘Lost in a Cup‘ was there with our Pop-up Café to contribute by bringing quality Italian coffee to the party.
PopUp Café at the Italian Cultural Institute in Stockholm
The participants to the event included many Italian expats who have made Sweden their home but also many locals that for one reason or another fell in love with Italian culture and took any opportunity to practice their Italian.
Over a hundred guests attended the celebrations
We designed the stand so that the coffee machines were facing the public and not the baristas. Our idea was to teach people to make Italian espresso themselves – for each other! After all, our hashtag is #EspressøYourself so what better way to promote the company ethos than by encouraging people to get a hands-on experience in espresso making and interact with others around them?
Luckily Ismaele Rombi, La Tazza d’Oro’s coffee expert, was on hand to supervise the many amateur baristas who were keen on learning how to make good coffee like in an ‘Italian Bar’. Italian espresso nowadays can be enjoyed across the world as long as the ingredients are of good quality and you have the right tools to make it. For the occasion we collaborated with the Italian household brand ‘DeLonghi’ who lent us their grinder and espresso machines that together with our own ‘Adesso Espresso’ capsule machine delivered fantastic espressos to the many enthusiasts.
Ismaele Rombi (left) sharing his knowledge on good espresso making
A few hours and 200 coffees later, the party ended. It was a great evening and the team at the Institute really did a phenomenal job in organising such a popular event. Driving back to Uppsala we reflected on the many interesting conversations we engaged in, the many stories of people who love ‘il Bel Paese’, the feedback and encouragement many gave us. We felt a sense of satisfaction. On a cold and dark winter evening we brought the taste and atmosphere of a ‘bar della piazza‘ to a location so very far from Italy, yet so strongly connected to it.
The team: Edwin Oldfield, Ismaele Rombi and Alexander Maxia
Thanks to the team at the Italian Cultural Institute, Ismaele Rombi and DeLonghi Nordics for making this PopUp Café such a success. See you next time?
Last week was Black [Coffee] Friday so this week is brown coffee.
In Sweden many have a common belief that the darker the coffee is the stronger it is and also the better.
Obviously it is a fact of taste but true Italian espresso coffee is not black but is a light shade of brown, at least on the surface.
Why?
Because of the ‘crema’ which comes naturally when the water comes out of an espresso machine at a high pressure.
This ‘crema’ effect does not happen when you make coffee at home with a classic Italian ‘moka pot’ as it is a different coffee making system.
Did you know that technically moka made coffee is not called espresso coffee? Even though it is the most common household coffee available in Italy, it is referred to as ‘caffé’ – coffee.
Ever wondered what’s the secret behind a great tasting Italian coffee? Love the barista made cappuccino but at home the froth never comes out right?
This is your chance to find out what makes a good Italian coffee and gain tips from a professional on how to become your own barista.
Join Lost in a Cup and La Tazza d’oro for an evening where all will be revealed about espresso coffees, latte art, Italian coffee tradition and much more.
You will get the chance to see Italian coffee expert and barista trainer Ismaele Rombi working his magic. He came especially from Italy to showcase great coffee so make the most of his tips! Feel free to ask him for advice and find out what it takes to make great tasting coffee, even at home or in the office.
There will also be the opportunity of tasting La Tazza d’oro coffee which is roasted in Cagliari, following 80 years of Italian espresso tradition. Discover one of the most renowned coffee brands in Sardinia that is now available on the Swedish market.
The event will be hosted in the beautiful Hamnpaviljongen Restaurant in the centre of Uppsala, just by the river.
Entry is Free of charge but you need to fill in the form and let us know how many will attend. If you no longer can make it, please let us know asap! The number of spots at the event is limited.
You will get the chance to see Italian coffee expert and barista trainer 
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