AKA Coffee, Conversation & Commerce: How London Became the Centre of the World
Coffee didn’t just wake London up. It fuelled its takeover of the world…
Mark brings London’s coffee-house world vividly to life.
In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, a strange new drink transformed London.
Coffee played a crucial role in turning London into the global centre of trade, finance and speculation.
Pasqua Rossee’s Coffee House and Jonathan’s and Garraway’s and Lloyd’s and countless other establishments became places where news was swapped, fortunes made and lost, and modern capitalism was improvised at small, crowded tables.
In hundreds of bustling coffee houses, merchants, shipowners, insurers, pamphleteers, gamblers and visionaries gathered at cramped wooden tables to argue, gossip, calculate, scheme and change history.
The Coffee-House Big Bang traces the arrival of coffee from the Ottoman Empire and shows how a bitter black drink sharpened minds, loosened tongues, weaponised rumours, lubricated deals, and helped create modern capitalism. Coffee houses became places where fortunes were made and lost, newspapers were born, markets moved and the future was improvised at small crowded tables.
A visitor to London in 1698 marvelled at what he found:
“You have all Manner of News there. You have a good Fire, which you may sit by as long as you please. You have a Dish of Coffee. You meet your Friends for the Transaction of Business, and all for a Penny, if you don’t care to spend more.”
– Maximilien Misson
We walk lanes and alleyways once frequented by Samuel Pepys and Benjamin Franklin and meet some of the other regulars who haunted these establishments. Scientists, spies, swindlers and visionaries all rubbed shoulders here, including the man who was Christopher Wren’s best friend and Isaac Newton’s most implacable enemy.
Mark uncovers how pillars of the British economy, from Lloyd’s of London to the Stock Exchange, began life in coffee houses. Not as respectable institutions but as noisy, argumentative, occasionally riotous rooms where dark deals were struck, sharp practice was admired, and the future of the world was hammered out over “dishes” of coffee strong enough to keep you awake for days.
Rebecca –
I really enjoyed the walking tour with Mark. He was incredibly knowledgeable, informative and engaging, bringing the story of coffee to life with fascinating images, stories and insights. He also added plenty of historical references along the way, which made the tour feel rich and engaging throughout.
It was particularly impressive how much history and detail he managed to weave into such a relatively small geographical area. Mark clearly has a real passion for the subject, and his enthusiasm made the tour both interesting and enjoyable. A warm, fascinating and very well-presented tour — highly recommended!
Anthea Lang –
This new walk by Mark was brilliant. He was so entertaining and his uses of pictures was excellent. We found hidden alleys and quaint buildings we would never have seen and I don’t think I’d have noticed the grasshopper on the top of the Royal Exchange if he hadn’t pointed it out!
Tim Gifford –
A fascinating dive into the history of coffee houses as the key places of commerce that enabled London to become the global trading force it was in the 18th and 19th centuries. Mark’s knowledge and enthusiasm has crafted an absorbing walk that maintains interest in past and present coffee emporia. Great fun.
Sandra White –
A fascinating look at the world of coffee and its origins. Mark’s knowledge of the subject was amazing, with the passion to go with it.We walked down small alleys to discover interesting things at the other end.Highly recommended.
Sandra White –
We had a really lovely afternoon discovering all about coffee. Mark is very knowledgable and enthusiastic about the subject and his enthusiasm showed. We went down a lot of small alleys in The City and discovered fascinating things on the other side. Highly recommended.
Henriko Kalter –
Mark gives a fantastic tour. The pictures he shows during the tour really add a lot to the experience. I wish more guides did this.
David Sohl –
We’ve been on many Walks (first Walk was in 2006), so great to see a new one! Mark is a great guide, and I think wins the prize for having the most visuals and props of any walk I can bring to mind! The walk itself is over a pretty small area starting at the Royal Exchange, so no worries if you’re not up for a long hike. However, the history and stories are the exact opposite – deep and long, covering many topics, but keeping a center around coffee.
Grant Haskell –
Perfect!
Stephen –
Excellent — from pre-walk info through to post-walk feedback with additional information, and of course the walk itself in between. Mark gave us a fluently presented and well-prepared tour of coffee houses and much related history. And all within a 300m radius of the Royal Exchange. Highly recommended
Melanie Curtis –
Excellent walk with very engaging guide who brought a lovely set of pictures to help take us back in time and gave us lots of interesting information. I so enjoyed this walk that I might well do it a second time.