The following is a verbatim copy of a recent email sent to Caffe Nero to which I neither received confirmation or response: My wife and I have been great fans of Caffe Nero since you opened and would go out of our way to search out a bar however, this year we have been made increasingly aware of reduced quality and a questionable marketing direction. i) the starbucking of the size of cups; gone is the original small cup previously used that are standard in Italian bars, the new style cappuccino is merely hot milk with a 'hint' of coffee. I know we can always ask for less milk but the previous smallest cup always gave great balance and flavour. Anyway, as a lot of the staff speak very limited English, explaining and getting what one wants is often difficult. I always have real trouble getting cappucino 'senza' chocolate, even when I ask repeatedly. ii) either the quality of the coffee has changed (for the worse) or the gramme weight per serving has been reduced!? iii) who's supplying your panini now? In Cambridge last week, on inspecting the contents of a chicken version with a creamy white dressing (can't remember the name) there was a minute slither of tomato, even less of a pepper, a green leaf and two of the tiniest slivers of chicken imaginable. Also, given that the undermanned bar meant that the panino was in the grill for so long (we had to go looking for it) it arrived so hot and flattened that any flavour it might have had was ruined. iv) extend the training period of your baristas. The average quality of of the staff we encounter now generally wouldn't last 5 minutes in an Italian bar. Also we see far too many assistant baristas manning your bars, with the resultant lengthening queues, grumbling customers and fractious staff. Also, a reasonable grasp of English wouldn't go amiss. Overall and although your branding has always claimed kinship with Italian bars, the similarity is becoming so distant as to threaten a visit from a trading standards officer. Tatler's 'The best espresso this side of Milan' is a but hazy memory of better time's now past. Yours.
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Yes when I looked through the window of a Cafe Nero that had opened and saw customers drinking out of "BUCKETS" I thought then it can not be COFFEE, did not go in and after your review was probably right. Regards Steve.
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Sep 6th, 2007
(Sep 5th, 2007)
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