Leith and I have both explored the extraordinary price of coffee in Australia, with causes as varied as the price of beans in Brazilian drought to local labour costs and draining income.
Coffee is now a luxury item.
And the cafepocalypse in full swing.
I admit, we’re not losing much here. I have long criticised the height of Hellbournian aspiration to be to own a cafe. What does that achieve?
But, there are a few news stories around that show you can still get your hands on an affordable coffee if you are enterprising enough. From the Tasmania Pulse:
A young woman who hid methylamphetamine inside a coffee machine and used encrypted apps to run a sophisticated drug trafficking operation between Melbourne and Tasmania has been jailed for nearly three years.
This is not a new idea but kudos for bringing it to Tasmania. They can certainly do with a cheaper cup of coffee down there, given its two cups per person per double-head.
They need cheaper coffee up north too. From Nine:
And it just keeps coming:
Border Force officers intercepted a shipment of 200 kilograms of methamphetamine and six kilograms of cocaine, hidden inside a consignment of coffee beans.
The shipment arrived in Melbourne three days ago from Panama.
These are the examples of failure. No doubt there are many successes, which is why the price of coffee is not $20 per cup.
Then again, maybe these are the success stories because they have, ultimately, gotten their hands on an affordable cup of coffee behind bars, though perhaps of lower caliber than they are used to.
