The Costa café at Great Portand Street, London, has won the ‘café and fast food’ section of the Restaurant and Bar Design Awards.  The café, designed by Stiff & Trevillion, was shortlisted against several sites known for their espresso, including Beas of Bloomsbury, Tinderbox and Peggy Porschen and Moo:baa of Birmingham.

Meanwhile, Costa surprised the rest of the trade at the beginning of July with the introduction of Costa Light, a ‘milder’ espresso-based drink.  The aspect which surprised the café trade was the reported brewing process, described as ‘a new production technique of adding Costa’s Mocha Italia espresso to skimmed milk in its own jug, and frothing, to create a milder, well-balanced, light, yet indulgent coffee… with an indulgent mouthfeel’.

The drink is measured at 80 calories per cup, and Costa has offered sugar-free flavouring syrups beside it. Costa is offering customers a taste-test guarantee, in which they can buy the drink to try, but if they do not like it, can change it for a free cup of their usual drink.