Cafes and Fairtrade in Ambleside, Lake District
I decided to celebrate my dreaded 30th birthday by tackling Scafell Pike in the Lake District, along with friends. We’d originally planned for a summery outing (this being the 26th July and all), but the weather clearly had other intentions and we were instead subjected to a barrage of showers and wind, whilst even the shivering hill sheep looked like they needed an umbrella. It was that bleak on top that I couldn’t even bring myself to take out the flask for the customary cup of Grumpy Mule coffee, so the brew of Panama Diamond Mountain waited until we descended to the car.
Nick had put his booking skills to the test and so we stayed overnight in Ambleside Youth Hostel overlooking lake Windermere, which Robert had fond memories of from years before. Naturally we were pleased to see that they had the luxury of an espresso machine in addition to a range of local, bottled ales. The Lake District has a very strong Fairtrade town movement that’s well supported by local businesses in the hospitality trade, so it was no surprise to see Fairtrade certified coffee available in the hostel.
It didn’t take too long to naturally progress from coffee to beer, via wine and a cocktail (this being a birthday, after all) that tasted about as ice cold and bleak as the weather outside. The latte in the café beside the lake came as light relief the next morning.
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