Experience has told me that Starbucks though they now sell the flat white aren’t much good at making them. I have also found asking them to make a skinny flat white results in either excuses that this isn’t possible or that the end result will not be very satisfactory.
Costa however do seem to be able to make an adequate flat white.
Like most things, they don’t seem to come close to the ones I had out in New Zealand. Costa also don’t complain if you ask for a skinny flat white either.
The only thing I don’t quite understand is why is the flat white more expensive than other similar coffees on offer?
Oh and another question is a flat white different to a latté? It should be in my opinion, a latte should have less foam and a flat white should use a foam consisting of much smaller air bubbles than you would find in a cappuccino. Not every coffee place I go to knows that though. Ah well one day I will need to go back to Auckland for a visit.
I’ve had antipodean flat whites too James and nothing you say here will ever change the fact that they ARE the best.
However, the fundamental problem with coffee in the Uk is that it just isn’t good coffee. Try as I might, the closest I can get to real flavour if the Americano available at Bagel Nash – a Leeds based regional chain of, well, bagel sandwich shops. http://www.bagelnash.com/
However (again) flat white or no flat white, the coffee to beat is that served pretty much anywhere in Vienna. Delish!! (Seattle was good too!)
http://eduvel.wordpress.com/2010/06/04/good-coffee/ and http://www.flickr.com/photos/dsugden/4641659131/