In September, the Sociology of Food course visited Queen’s Lane Cafe in Oxford. It claims to be the longest-established coffee house in Europe, and is located across the road from the site of the first coffee house in Oxford (which was established in 1652 where the Grand Cafe is now located).
The first coffee houses in Oxford were known as ‘penny universities’. They were an informal setting where people – academics and non-academics alike – could come together over a one-penny cup of coffee to discuss all sorts of topics. Coffee, a physiological stimulant that originated in the Turkish Empire, contributed to the liveliness of these discussions but did not have the social connotations and side-effects of drinking alcohol in public houses. Political, economic and social changes over the next 200 years led to the demise of these penny universities. Studying them illustrates the complex interconnections between global trade, colonial power, social class, taste, and dietary and social practices of everyday people.
