You walk into a Costa Coffee, and it’s like stepping into a warm embrace. The smell of freshly ground beans hits you, the hiss of the espresso machine cuts through the soft chatter of punters. It’s a comforting scene, a slice of normalcy in a chaotic world. But peel back the layers, and you’ll find a different story – one of tragedy, exploitation, and corporate cock-ups. This isn’t your feel-good coffee tale; this is the raw, unfiltered truth about Costa Coffee.
A Life Lost Over a Hot Chocolate
It was February 8, 2022, a chilly day in Barking, east London. Thirteen-year-old Hannah Jacobs just wanted a hot chocolate, a small treat to warm her up. She ordered it with soya milk, as she always did, because of her severe allergies to dairy, fish, and eggs. But something went horribly wrong. The drink she got had cow’s milk in it. One sip, and her body went into revolt – chest pains, swollen lips, an itchy mouth. Within hours, she was dead. A young life snuffed out because of a failure to follow basic allergy protocols.
The coroner’s inquest laid it bare: there was a “failure to follow the processes in place to discuss allergies” and a “failure of communication” between the staff and Hannah’s mum, Abimbola Duyile. The staff didn’t show the dietary requirements book, as they were meant to. And tragically, neither Hannah nor her mum had her prescribed epi-pen with them. It was a perfect storm of negligence and bad luck, and it cost a girl her life.
A simple fucking process – check the allergy book – and they couldn’t get it right. A girl’s life, gone, because someone didn’t bother to do their job properly. The coroner pointed to the need for better allergy training, but the family’s lawyer called it a “tick box exercise.” Meanwhile, campaigners who’d lost their own daughter to a similar fuck-up at Pret A Manger demanded government action. Costa promised to “consider the coroner’s comments,” but for Hannah’s family, that’s cold comfort.
Workers Treated Like Dirt
But it’s not just the customers who get screwed at Costa. Behind the counter, the workers – the ones who grind your beans, steam your milk, smile through the rush – have their own horror stories. Back in 2019, allegations surfaced about shitty working conditions at 29 franchise stores run by Goldex Essex Investments Ltd and Bristal Investments Ltd. Workers said they were denied pay for sickness or annual leave, forced to slog through extra hours, and had their tips nicked by management.
One ex-employee got £1,000 docked from their holiday pay. Others talked of 13-hour shifts with barely a breather, and wages slashed for being late or scuffing a uniform. One bloke, Daniel Gyori, even took it to court and won his withheld wages. “We were not treated like human beings,” they said. Picture it – busting your arse for minimum wage, hands burned from the steamer, feet aching, only to find out your boss is screwing you over. It’s the same old tale: big corporation, little guy gets fucked.
Costa launched an independent audit, fair play to them, but the damage was done. The franchise owners denied the worst of it, but the stories paint a grim picture of exploitation for profit.
Stepping into the Culture War Minefield
Then there’s the culture war bollocks. In 2023, Costa decided to wade into the transgender debate with a cartoon on one of their vans. It showed a trans man with mastectomy scars, blue hair, surfing away. Part of a mural for Brighton and Hove Pride, meant to celebrate diversity. But to some, it was seen as glorifying surgery and glossing over the messy reality of gender identity.
Social media lost its shit. #BoycottCostaCoffee trended, with critics calling it “shocking and irresponsible.” They reckoned it pushed the idea that surgery can rewrite who you are, which they see as a dangerous lie. Others cheered Costa for standing up for inclusivity. The company doubled down, saying it was about making people feel “welcomed, free and unashamedly proud to be themselves.”
Look, I’m all for people living their truth, but when a corporate giant like Costa jumps into a divisive mess like this, they’re begging for trouble. And trouble they got. It’s a stark reminder that in today’s world, even a cartoon can kick off a proper shitstorm.
Smaller Gripes, Bigger Picture
Oh, and don’t forget the smaller dramas, like the 2021 cup size row. Some clever sod on TikTok showed a large coffee fitting into a regular cup, sparking cries of rip-off. Costa had to explain that large drinks have more coffee and liquid, with froth mucking up the volume. It’s a petty gripe, but it shows how quick people are to call bullshit when trust is thin.
When you’ve got dead customers and exploited workers, though, arguing over froth feels like small potatoes. The real rot is in the systemic failures that let these tragedies and abuses happen.
The Bottom Line
So, what’s the deal with Costa Coffee? They sling millions of cups a day, but behind the scenes, it’s a mess of negligence, exploitation, and tone-deaf stumbles. Are they worse than other chains? Nah, probably not. But that doesn’t make it alright.
Next time you’re queuing for your latte, think about Hannah Jacobs, the workers fighting for a fair shake, and the cultural wars raging over a bloody cartoon. And maybe, just maybe, ask yourself where your money’s going. Because behind that comforting brew, there’s a whole lot of ugly.
Lee Thompson – Founder, The Cummins Accountability Project
Sources:
- Sky News: Girl, 13, died after sip of Costa Coffee hot chocolate due to ‘failure to follow allergies processes’
- BBC News: Costa Coffee franchise workers ‘not treated like humans’
- GB News: Costa Coffee faces boycott over ‘shocking’ post-op trans cartoon
- Daily Mail: Fury as Costa uses cartoon image of ‘trans man’ with mastectomy scars: Angry customers now warn they will boycott chain over ‘horrific imagery being used to sell coffee’
- Daily Mail (cup size): Costa Coffee accused of ‘ripping off’ customers after viral clip shows large hot drinks fitting into regular- sized cups