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    IronLady2010 wrote:
    BillyTheKid wrote:
    PrincessPea wrote:
    BillyTheKid wrote:
    PrincessPea wrote:
    BillyTheKid wrote: £2-3.00 for a cup of coffee ? You can get a whole bl oody jar of it in Sainbury's for that money. And I bet none of you donate to any charities !
    What a bloody stupid comment. How has this story got anything to do with charities?! For you information I would happily spend £4 on a coffee as a treat (Starbucks as costa is crap) and yes I also donate to various charities, shocking huh! Instant coffee tastes like crap!
    Oh dear, what a sad little girl who can't understand what the grown-ups are saying ! These fashionable places, whether it's clothes, curry or coffee always charge way too much money because, as they say, the market will stand it. In other words, mugs like you will waste your money on it for the sake of a lifestyle statement. My second point was to emphasise the first by suggesting, quite arrogantly I suppose, that I thought that people's priorities were wrong if they felt able to waste money in this way. I implied that donating to charity was a more honourable way of shedding excess cash if you have it. By the way....how do you know what cra p tastes like ? Do you cut it up with a knife and fork, or use a big spoon ? And next time you spend £4.00 on a cup of coffee, think of the hundreds of children, somewhere in the world, who will die that night for want of one cup of water.
    Little girl?! I'm in my 40's thank you very much! It is not a waste of money I I can afford it and enjoy it, which I do. I suppose you give all you're spare money to charity do you and don't buy anything that isn't completely essential. What a load of old bullcock. I earn my money and will spend it on exactly what I want thank you.
    You arrogant, petulant, self-centered, pompous, opinionated airhead. You did not appear to understand what I had written, so I spelled it out for you. What is "spare" money ? Is that leftover money, money you don't need ? Like most poorly-educated nitwits, you make wild, groundless assumptions. But no, I don't waste money on £4.00 cups of coffee, and, although I don't confine my purchasing solely to essentials, I certainly don't waste it on pointless luxuries. I think you'll find most normal people think that way. You may be nearly fifty years old, but mentally you seem to exhibit the intellect and maturity of a teenager.
    Bit harsh! x
    When, in a debate, or on a comments page, a person resorts to personal insults and is not commenting on the subject in hand, they have lost their argument."
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Coffee wars break out in Southampton between Costa and Power Gourmet

4:26pm Friday 18th May 2012 in Food News Photograph of the Author By Jon Reeve , Education Reporter

Costa Coffee and Power Gourmet in Southampton High Street Costa Coffee and Power Gourmet in Southampton High Street

WHEN cafe owner Bobby Ladher decided to offer free samples, he had no idea it would provoke threats from a franchise holder of one of the world’s biggest multi-national coffee shop chains.

But the Southampton businessman was left stunned when the boss of the neighbouring Costa offered to “go to war” with his small organic outlet.

And within an hour of staff at Power Gourmet, near the Bargate in High Street, handing out small smoothie samples to passers-by, Mr Ladher received an email from the shop next door threatening to report his cafe to the authorities.

Before he had a chance to respond, Robin Arkle, managing director of a string of Costa franchises that includes the High Street branch, sent another message saying he had informed Southampton City Council of the cafe’s “illegal sampling”.

In his second email, Mr Arkle, who accused Power Gourmet of resorting to “aggressive marketing tactics”, said: “If you wish to go to war, just let me know. Costa has very deep pockets.”

He added he would now “vigorously” object to the cafe’s application to put chairs and tables outside.

Stunned Mr Ladher, 32, who opened his business a month ago and said he had not realised sampling was breaching any bylaws, but had stopped immediately once told to by the council.

He said: “I was gobsmacked. I’ve never heard anything like it.

“We feel quite bullied. This is not the done thing from a worldwide chain.

“We’d had a really nice email before wishing us well, and surely a friendly chat would have been the right way forward?”

Costa, which boasts more than 1,300 branches in the UK and another 600 around the world, said it has “no direct control” over franchise owners, but does expect them “to maintain high standards in all aspects of operating their franchise business”.

In a statement, the firm said: “This type of behaviour is not something we condone.

“We value independent coffee shops in our industry as they have the same mantra as us, to deliver a great coffee experience. We regret that this incident has occurred.”

Mr Arkle said Power Gourmet has continued to flout the rules, and claimed its staff have tried to poach Costa customers, telling them its products are “rubbish and full of pesticides”.

He said he had no problem with competition, but had become fed up with what he described as Power Gourmet’s rule breaking.

He said: “I’m not going to get into any further dialogue with them. If they obey council guidelines I don’t mind what they do.”

Southampton City Council confirmed it spoke to Power Gourmet about sampling outside its cafe, but said it was unlikely to take any formal action against the business because it had so swiftly complied with requests.

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