You oughta know #15

In this week’s issue: More evidence that says coffee is good; Restaurant NZ rem survey shows baristas are getting paid; FIFA Women’s World Cup is breaking records.

Where has the last two weeks gone? It’s been a busy old time in TMR Towers, but we’re back with some things You oughta know.

Wait - the name - it’s changed? Yeah bro - Things you should know has become You oughta know. Why? Cos I love Alanis Morissette, and it was time for a change!

And where was this last week? I’ve been volunteering at the FIFA Women’s World Cup - so I was a bit busy doing other things!

But I did get down to Grey St Kitchen, which I’ll write about next week… (spoiler alert - it was mad!)

In this week’s issue: More evidence that says coffee is good; Restaurant NZ rem survey shows baristas are getting paid; FIFA Women’s World Cup is breaking records.

NZ Herald: Coffee kick - The health benefits of your morning espresso

Call it confirmation bias, call it cherry picking facts - I don’t care what you call it. The evidence (that I choose to read) is clear. Coffee is good for you.

In the latest story about the benefits of coffee, the NZ Herald shouts from the roof tops:

Dr Federica Amati, a medical scientist and nutritionist at Imperial College London, has been intrigued by the various benefits of coffee for many years. She refers to a major 15-year study of more than half a million participants, known as the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (Epic), which showed that people who drank more coffee were less vulnerable to a range of chronic illnesses.

“Data keep coming out which show that coffee drinking is protective for health,” she says.

However, there are caveats. “Whether you have milk or not doesn’t seem to make a difference, but as soon as it’s sweetened with sugar, you start losing the beneficial effects,” she says. “Some studies also suggest that espresso drinking is the best.”

Check out the article for more reasons why you shouldn’t give up the good stuff. Like you needed more reasons, right?

Baristas are getting paid - you should pay more for your coffee

The Restaurant Association does regular surveys of hospitality industry remuneration, and the 2023 survey results are in.

Workers in cafes are earning more this year than in previous years. This is great news for the industry that keeps us all going. Here’s some of the results:

• Barista - 2023 average wage: $25.01/hr. Up 6% from 2022.

• Cafe Assistant - 2023 average wage: $23.82/hr. Up 7.5% from 2022.

• Cafe Manager - 2023 average wage: $28.31/hr. Up 12.6% from 2022.

If you look at the increase in wages (a good thing), increase in coffee prices (a good thing for farmers) and increase in transport/logistics/energy (a thing - can’t be helped), it’s hard to comprehend that a flat white still costs around $4.50 to $5.00.

Prices should increase to not only reflect the true costs of the service, but also to make sure our coffee professionals continue to be paid a wage that acknowledges their skill and experience. It’s about mana and us consumers can make sure we have mana-enhancing interactions with our favourite baristas by paying a fair price.

You can check out the executive summary of the latest remuneration survey here.

FIFA Women’s World Cup is smashing records (and breaking hearts)

Ex- Liverpool manager Bill Shankly once said: “Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I assure you, it’s much more serious than that.”

That was for the opening game at Eden Park. A game where the Football Ferns bet Norway, 1-0.

This was a huge result for the Football Ferns, but also gave the New Zealand fans a massive kick in the slats to get along to games. Attendance has been huge, the vibe has been massive and New Zealand is fully into the biggest sporting event we’ll ever host!

But with the highs are of course the lows. Despite the strong start we had, the Football Fern’s couldn’t get a result over the Swiss, and we aren’t progressing to the knockout stages. And, we probably should have.

We’re now at the pointy end of the tournament, with the round-of-16 kicking off on Saturday. There’s still plenty of opportunities to get behind the tournament and head to a game.

It’s an absolute blast and well worth supporting!