The Richmond and Twickenham Times visited some coffee shops in Richmond to see how they were coping with the cost-of-living crisis.
The rising cost of living is having an impact on us all at the moment, and it might make us think about whether we really need to go out and buy that extra coffee.
When we took a trip around Richmond to see how cafe owners and customers were finding the crunch, some customers did say they had noticed a slight rise in coffee recently - but they did add that they felt coffee was expensive anyway.
Coffee shop managers shared a sentiment of increasing frustration and despair, identifying the increasing cost of ingredients, the war in Ukraine and less customers as causes behind the intensifying cost-of-living crisis.
We recorded the prices of cappuccinos, lattes and iced coffees and found that customers are charged around £3 to £3.50 for coffee.
The highest prices were closer to £4.
1) Coffeeology
Where to find: 4 The Square, TW9 1DZ
Coffeology is on Waitrose’s doorstep and is a favourite amongst those enjoying a day of shopping.
Both outdoor and indoor seating is available.
The shop is in a prime location, as it is slightly off the main high street.
Liz, Coffeeology’s barista, was asked whether she had noticed a change in the number of customers visiting since the start of the cost-of-living crisis.
Liz said: “A little while back it was crazy busy but now there has been a bit more of a fluctuation.”
Customers sitting outside told the Richmond & Twickenham Times that they hadn’t noticed a substantial rise in the price of coffee.
Helen, a customer, said: “I haven’t seen any rise in the cost of coffee yet.”
Large Cappuccino: £3.10
Large Latte: £3.10
Iced Latte: £3:00
2) OREE
Where to find: 28 George Street, TW9 1HJ
Towards the centre of Richmond High Street sits OREE coffee shop.
OREE’s Assistant Manager, Rashmi Lawati, said that the shop was feeling a knock-on effect from rising inflation.
Lawati said pricing coffee for customers “has been a bit of an issue because of inflation.”
She added: “We have had a lot of complaints from customers, but we can’t do anything about it because it is out of our control.”
Lawati told the Richmond & Twickenham Times that the shop had faced no choice but to increase coffee prices, as their suppliers were “raising the cost of ingredients.”
Lawati explained that the business was facing a difficult winter ahead, as “prices keep changing.”
However, the increased cost of supplies was not the only problem troubling OREE, as Lawati said that they also struggled to recruit enough staff.
Lawati said: “We are always short staffed.”
Although, Lawati did emphasise that the staffing situation was typically worse in August due to the month falling inside the holiday season.
Medium Cappuccino: £3.00
Medium Latte: £3:00
Iced Latte: £3:00
3) Mooca Café
Where to find: 7 Golden Court, TW9 1EU
A five-minute walk away from OREE and sitting on a side street off Richmond Green lies Mooca Café.
Mooca Café’s manager, Chadi said: "There is definitely less people.
“There used to be a queue for people needing to go to the toilet.
“Less people are shopping around Richmond and there have been lots of closures.”
Chadi said more people were choosing to do their shopping in Kingston, and this had negatively affected his café.
He added that increasing coffee prices was a consequence of suppliers choosing to hike their prices.
Chadi said: “Coffee which used to cost £1,000 now costs around £8,000.”
He said it was inevitable that the net result was “just losing more profit.”
Cappuccino: £3.00
Latte: £3:00
Iced Coffee: £3.50
4) Dharma Speciality Coffee
Where to find: 3 George Street, TW9 1JY
Dharma Speciality Coffee only recently opened its doors to customers on 1 April.
Their manager, Alper Ozyurt, told the Richmond and Twickenham Times that he left Turkey for the UK to set up his very first coffee shop.
Alper said he enjoyed his new life in Richmond but expressed similar anxieties to other managers the Richmond and Twickenham Times spoke to.
He said the current conditions for business were “very tough.”
Alper said: “Everything has been going up since the start of the war in Ukraine, with coffee prices included in that.”
Alper admitted the increasing cost of ingredients required employing “less staff.”
Cappuccino: £3.20
Latte: £3:20
Iced Latte: £3:50
5) Kiss the Hippo Coffee
Where to find: 21 Sheen Road, TW9 1AD
Kiss the Hippo sits opposite Waitrose and offers indoor and outdoor seating.
Meghan, a customer, told the Richmond & Twickenham Times: “I haven’t noticed much difference in terms of pricing.
“Coffee tends to be quite expensive anyway. It has gone up a bit to be fair.”
Cappuccino: £3:50
Latte: £3:50
Iced Latte: £3:70
6) Ole & Steen
Where to find: 59 George Street, TW9 1HE
Ole & Steen is a Danish bakery chain, and the company was first conceived 30 years ago in Copenhagen.
The shop’s pastries are homemade, and the café is popular with customers looking for a cosy environment to work in.
Cappuccino: £3.45
Latte: £3.45
Iced Latte: £3.45
7) Tide Tables Café
Where to find: 2 The Arches, TW9 1TH
Tide Tables Café is on the bank of the river Thames and is a popular place for walkers and cyclists to stop for a short coffee break and bite to eat.
The price of the coffee here is close to £4.
Cappuccino with organic milk: £3:80
Latte with organic milk: £3:80
Iced Latte: £4:00
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