sacharobehmed bucks the star for fair trade

Nether Wright’s Bar, nor even splashing out at the Garrick would do this time.  We needed to escape, get away from the LSE campus for a bit, seek a caffeine boost elsewhere.  So with Fairtrade Fornight in mind, we headed to Progreso in Covent Garden.  Set up jointly between a group of coffee-growing co-operatives and Oxfam, it sells certified Fairtrade and organic coffee. 

Located in this mall just off Neal Street, which though well-signed was not particularly obvious to the casual shopper in Covent Garden, it was around a corner, down some stairs, and in an atrium.  This lent it a light, airy atmosphere, and I always enjoy being able to see the sky, yet the setting seemed bizarre for a Fairtrade coffee shop, as it was in the middle of an ‘Everything Less Than £10’ shop (a lie as my companion later discovered, with much disappointment), and a variety of well-known surf/skate shops.

I’m not quite sure what I was expecting, but it struck me that Progreso was actually just like going to any other coffee shop.  Just like the Starbucks and Café Nero’s of this world, you went to the till, placed your order, paid, heard a loud whooshing as the drink was being made, then collected the beverage of choice at the other end. 

Unfortunately, the service was quite slow as there was only one barista initially.  However we were duly compensated.  When asked which products were in fact Fairtrade, she was extremely helpful, and had such vast, excellent knowledge.  It was mainly all the different coffees and hot chocolates, and a plate of Fairtrade Mocha Brownies, though I did also spy some Divine chocolate bars, Geobars, and the Greenleaf fruit juices (which incidentally are available in the Quad Café and SU shop).

I opted for the Vanilla Latte, whilst my companion went for the White Hot Chocolate.  These were rather curiously classified as ‘Comfort Coffee’ and ‘Leftfield’ respectively.  We apparently weren’t ‘Hardcore’ enough for an espresso or machiatto!  These bizarre, quirky classifications aside, Progreso served a wide range of drinks, incorporating plenty of non-coffee options, probably the largest of anywhere I’ve been for a while, including those delicious ‘Innocent’ smoothies.

Choice was a prevalent theme with food options as well.  These varied from fresh cheesecake, to sandwiches and salads, to quicker on-the-go snacks like nuts and cereal bars.   Though extremely tempted by the some fantastic-looking blueberry cheesecake, and the organic gourmet sandwiches, our wallets weren’t quite in agreement – these were on the pricey side, at £2.90 and about £4 respectively.  But in retrospect it’s not bad for London, perhaps I was just in a Scrooge-like student mood.  The Fairtrade Mocha Brownies were more tempting at £1.50 each, but they looked a tad dry.  However I am a firm believer that the proof is always in the pudding, so I shall definitely have to give them a try next time.

Whilst not quite at Wright’s Bar prices (£1.50 for a regular coffee), it’s not nearly as expensive as Starbucks, which comparatively is often up to £1 more for essentially the same product.  Though coffee from any of the aforementioned shops would be made from Fairtrade beans, Progreso differentiates itself by being totally dedicated to raising awareness about Fairtrade.   Whilst waiting for my coffee, I picked up literature which explained what Progreso stood for, the ownership of the company, as well as their loyalty scheme which is through Oxfam – instead of a free coffee, you get a free goat, which is given to families in Africa.  There was the Fairtrade Foundation Newsletter, “Fair Comment”, which was informative.  Around the café, the Fairtrade logo was prominent, there were pictures of the farmers who formed the co-operative in Honduras, and they even showed a Fairtrade documentary at 2pm every day.

Hot drinks in hand, we made beeline for these comfortable-looking table and bench creations.  The seating didn’t really make much sense to me.  The central area was lacking in any vague character, and had the feel of a food court, due to these green, plasticky, generally rather icky chairs and tables.  In fact the vast majority of customers, like us, avoided these.  But it was a surprisingly large space, and though it initially felt like it lacked an element of cosiness, this was offset by a marvelous discovery – there were books stored under the benches!  How exciting. 

Both of our drinks were delicious, with the White Hot Chocolate being a great discovery (if a bit overly sweet by the end).  Good coffee, literary delights, and a sound conscience for having helped farmers in developing countries get a fairer deal -  it was a satisfying if but fleeting escape from campus.