A consuming interest

People's passion for coffee is at the heart of a research project that is lifting the lid on international consumption.

The Cappuccino Conquests: A Transnational History of Italian Coffee by University of Hertfordshire professor Jonathan Morris identifies why Italian-style coffee occupies a unique and popular place in global coffee culture, and how different national markets consume it.

‘The study has broad appeal,’ says Professor Morris. ‘At one level it engages and challenges people in the debate about the nature and differences of local and global cultures of consumption. At a practical level, it can help companies in the international coffee industry develop their brand identities, and sales and marketing strategies.

‘And it provides those who just love espresso-based coffees with a wealth of information and ideas to enhance their enjoyment of their favourite drink.’

The growth of coffee

The project traces the success of Italian-style coffee beverages over more than a century, exploring:

• the development of the first coffee machines and roasting in Italy in the early 1900s.
• the 1950s coffee-bar boom.
• a growth in the Anglo-Italian café in the UK.
• espresso’s role in the speciality coffee revolution in the US.
• contemporary ‘cappuccino culture’ spreading across Europe and the developing world.
• the impact on Italy itself.

The Cappuccino Conquests also reveals how different nationalities have interpreted the heritage of Italian-style coffee, and how this is reflected in modern-day lifestyles and different cultures of consumption.  

The variety in cup sizes for a cappuccino is one such area of comparison.

Impact on coffee industry

In carrying out his research Professor Morris spoke at length with almost 100 people from the international coffee industry, analysing:

• photographic and commercial images
• coffee machines
• media reports
• cultural products such as books and films

Regularly cited as a model of an original and interdisciplinary research project, The Cappuccino Conquests has reached an exceptionally wide audience, with members of the Anglo-Italian restaurant and catering community welcoming its recognition of the important role they play in developing the UK’s coffee culture.

Professor Morris, who is a research professor in Modern European History, has become a regular speaker at coffee industry gatherings in Italy and the UK, and has featured in numerous articles, television and radio broadcasts, exhibitions, conferences, workshops and other public events in Europe and America.

Learn more about history research projects

Contact Professor Morris  to find out more about The Cappuccino Conquests and other projects currently being researched in the History Department.