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Wednesday 9 December 2015

Coffee addict or tea fanatic?

It’s a hot topic! To settle with a pleasantly warm cup of tea, or to catch a milky latte from your local barista? That, my friends, is today’s question. I could tell you that here at FlatClub, our staff has debated the question since we set up our first desk and swivel chair. And as passion has gotten the better of us, friendships have been severed and milk has been spilt!


Tea fanatics

On one hand we have England’s quintessential tea, imported from what were once the extensions of a great monarchy. Fine leaves of green, black, and earl grey have been shipped in wooden crates from as far back as the 17th century when the tea trade was as innovative and exciting to entrepreneurs as the P2P home rental business is today. Tea really became huge in the early 18th century when we Brits leveraged our resources in India (the jewel of our crown). Tea shops opened up in every corner of London and tea time became a part of any proper Brit’s schedule.
Today there are still several tea shops and distributors that cling on to this symbol of our glory. You can enjoy a pot of strong tea with milk and sugar any day of the week. Twinings is perhaps the oldest standing tea company, being over 300 years old. Try a traditional cup’a’tea for yourself and see what all the rave is about.



Coffee addicts

For those who prefer a stronger kick or a more abounding flavor, coffee has hit the market hard. As London has grown, globalized, and modernized, fast-paced button-down shirts holding smartphones in one hand and cardboard cups in the other have stampeded the streets every morning between 7 and 9.
We have the Italians to thank for the introduction of espresso, cappuccino, and latte into British culture. But ‘Americanos’ (from the US) and ‘flat whites’ (from Australia) are also very popular.
Whether you are a caffeine fiend or a hipster, there’s a cup of coffee out there for you. But if you prefer door-to-door delivery and hand roasted coffee beans over long lines and stale cups of joe, you might want to consider Pact, a growingly popular service.
To be honest, I find it hard to pick a side when my office erupts in dispute. Tea has its place in my life and so does coffee. So, I’d say you should try some of this stuff for yourself and make up your own mind.

Two incredible days at TechCrunch Disrupt London




Another year, another successful TechCrunch Disrupt! Entrepreneurs, startups and those looking to invest in the next Uber, Airbnb and Facebook all gathered in the Copper Box Arena in London’s Olympic Park to listen, pitch and connect. We had an absolute blast getting to know some of our fellow startups and inform others about what we do. Here are just some of our highlights:


  • our collaboration with TechCrunch was met with an overwhelming response! So many were interested in hosting Battlefield participants and we were happy to give them a ticket to Disrupt for free in return
  • we chatted with loads of people from all over the world and all niches of sectors to find out about their companies and tell them more about FlatClub. Entrepreneurs love to connect, to collaborate, to come together to create something even better, to open their ideas for the benefits of their customers. It was inspiring to see and listen to many great collaboration ideas and we’re excited to see what comes of out them in the coming months!
  • our fellow Techhubbers Jukedeck made it to the final round at Battlefield! We watched their incredible pitch with delight and couldn’t be happier for them. Working next to these amazing guys is simply a pleasure!
  • the Battlefield competitors were insanely creative this year. From deliveries in African cities within three hours to managing relationships between creative freelancers, vendors and contractors and of course creating custom, royalty-free music for videos and other uses from the guys and gals working next to us at Jukedeck
  • our FlatClub stall was a huge success! We’ve had hundreds of people visiting us, asking questions, looking to collaborate, to invest or to simply find out why they should stay with us next time they’re moving abroad temporarily. The response was overwhelming and we were happy to share our ideas (and our vouchers) with everyone who was interested



We cannot wait for next year’s TechCrunch Disrupt and are excited to see new startups, new ideas and make new connections to improve everyone’s experience.