17/10/2026
In the North West of England, there are many curious specimens of the human variety. But few are quite like the North West Coffee Connoisseur, a man on a mission to visit every single coffee shop in the region before next summer. Armed with a spreadsheet, a laminated map, a frankly alarming caffeine habit and an unwavering devotion to Robusta, he’s taking the local coffee scene by storm. Not always in a good way, mind. There’s been a barista in Macclesfield left quaking, a full-blown incident in Altrincham and, in Bolton, a cup of tea that very nearly brought the whole operation crashing down.
But our man is nothing if not resilient. He’s back on the road, his Ralph bag packed with beans, an emergency cafetière and a laminated photograph of a particularly good flat white. The spreadsheet is growing, the stakes are high, and somewhere in the North West, an unsuspecting barista is about to receive a very educational morning.
NW Coffee Connoisseur, you beautiful little bean lunatic.
Head over to the Oi Polloi website to read his full story.
