Coffee houses brought tipping into our society. As patrons in a local coffee house establishments enjoyed their meal or beverage at the table. A copper or tin cup was kept on the table or mounted to the wall near the table for a place to deposit coins. This donation of coinage was to make sure that the server would not forget about them during the course of the meal or drink. So the sounds of clink and plunk of coins in the pot was “To Insure Promptness” a.k.a. TIP to the listening server eager for more money.

Here’s another great “TIP”, St. Ives Coffee Roasters offer free shipping anywhere in the Continental USA.

Ed Thilenius
Roastmaster

From a previous post, I mentioned how coffee was considered the “Devil’s Brew” and how the Pope was used to say that it was okay to drink it. Well, we are back in London, the time is in the mid- 1600’s and the coffee house is evolving. Coffee and the houses in which it was consumed are now being considered as social gathering places. Londoners from all walks of life are discussing politics and social matters with stranger and friend alike. A cup of coffee at these social gathering places cost the patron a mere penny. Thus the name “Penny University” came into being.

Social clubs emerged from such beginnings, such as the Oxford Coffee Club and the Royal Society. Lloyd’s of London, one of the great insurance firms in the world, got its start in a coffee house as merchants discussed shipping insurance and tracking deliveries.

Try starting your own Social Club, invite your friends over for some delicious St. Ives Flavored Coffee.
Ed Thilenius
Roastmaster