I know, weird. I've been to a local Wetherspoon pub a couple of times for coffee recently and been disappointed both times (I know Wetherspoon isn't that popular on here but please indulge me). The first time, the coffee was stone cold and rather flavourless and the refill was a bit hotter but still bland. The second time, the coffee was reasonably hot but it had a distinct taste and aroma of pencils rather than coffee! As if someone had tipped the contents of a box of HB into the coffee machine rather than coffee beans. To say Wetherspoon sell Lavazza coffee, a supposedly premium brand, it's all rather odd. I've had similarly underwhelming coffees from Coopland and Gregg's recently.
I don't know if I've acquired a preference for my cafetiere coffee which I've been making at home since November (Morrison's Guatemalan or Taylor's Italian) or if shop and pub coffee has hit a new low. Stale coffee beans, dirty and mouldy coffee machines ? Who knows ?