Babyccinos?

[Daffodilly]

I confess that one of the highlights of my days packed with stimulating toddler activities is the chance to sit down for 5 mins with a nice grande latte (an occassional muffin).

I've recently discovered the joys of the "babyccino" (quite possible that this is mostly a London thing, so for those that aren't in the area it is steamed milk froth served in a cute little cup with a sprinkle of chocolate on the top).

On the plus side it keeps DD (20 months) happy and content spooning the froth into her mouth and keeps her sticky fingers off my treat for long enough for me to enjoy it.

On the downside I feel I may be hooking her far too early on the whole coffee culture and I dread the day she stays "baby - chino please" in front of one of my relatives. I will never live it down.

Does anyone else indulge their little ones in this over priced froth?

This is making me laugh as I used to get DD some frothed milk in the garden centre down the road in good old rural Dorset.

It didn't actually occur to me that with chocolate sprinkles in London it actually had a name ! It was only about 50p here.

I do . Even worse I ask for a soya babychino as DD is allergic to milk. When I hear myself say the words "one soya-babychino hold the chocolcate sprinkles" I want to either shoot myself or emigrate to New York.

DD (22 months) loves them andas soon as she has been served she asks for a "magagine" from my newspaper and then we both sit quietly and read and sip our coffee.

Oh yes - marketed under the right poncy name they can charge double that in some places for an egg cup full of mostly air!

Mind you many places near us offer one free if you buy an adult drink. I wish case it seems to good an opportunity to miss for a (free) quiet 5 mins.

Artichokes that is genius. I must get her into a "mazagine" as she calls them too.

Free in cafe nero.

Dd scalded her leg with one though so am not a fan.

Yip - South African granparents are coming for a visit in December and they have told me straight that with an exchange rate of R16 to £1, DD should be pleased to just breathe the air in the Starbucks!!

It's not just a london thing.
Us 'ere devoners 'ave em too, aaar!

I think they're cute.

god, yes. Big part of Sydney cafe culture, I was making them for the nippas in the cafe I worked at back in my school days (nigh on 20 years ago now)

I think they're great. I am all for my dc drinking milk, so why not integrate it into doing stuff with mummy. I laugh when not-quite-2 dd says "I NEED a coffee!". It's all part of mimicry and role play, and not in a bad way, I don't think.

I've never been charged for one apart from once in Soho - 50p or so I think.

they are free in cafe nero & i always get an extra stamp for my loyalty card too!

my local starbucks stopped doing them, becuase a child got scalded

DS much prefers my Chai Latte (uber ponce emoticon>>

DS1 (nearly 6) loves the hotchoc babyccino from Costa (in Cheshire) as it comes with a marshmallow. It's only 50p and they add lots of cold milk so it's quite safe. I think it's fine and he gets to drink out of a china cup and saucer - very civilized!

They are free in my nearest starbucks. Both my dd's love them (even the one that won't drink milk!)

I remember them when my eldest was little, about 11yrs ago in Abbeville Road in Clapham. We thought the coffee bar had invented them.....I can't even remember if it was a starbucks...

Have steered clear so far, but it might stop DS demanding to spoon the froth off my (decaf) coffee

Pizza Express do these as part of their kids menu - they call it a Bambinocino and serve it in a proper dinky espresso china cup and saucer, it is SO cute!

dd's like fluffies/frothies from muffin break.

DS loves a babychinno, and I like nicking the marshmallows if we're in Costa. They always make it on the cool side - Starbucks are always hotter, so I nick some and add cold milk from the jug.

these sound fab!

do you think they'll have heard of them in our cafe neros here in central scotland?

dd2 has them sometimes as a special treat - I never used to order them but I got sick of sharing my froth from the top of whatever I was having. her face was a treat the first time she had one. Choc ring from the sprinkles around the cup rim - made her look too cute.

oooohh, m&s and costa do them too?!

how did i not know about htis?

oh ffs
ponces

I love the notion that London is this big place with a whole other language and culture .
And yet the thread is about something you can get in Starbucks and Costas.

Blimey. Life in the fast lane eh

So - this babychino thing. Do I have to take the piece of straw out of DC's mouth first. Do they mind wellies? Could i call them on one of them there mobiley phone thingums and ask ?