The Mystery Of THCP vs. THC: Deciphering the Differences in Gummies Redefining Sustainability: Builders Embrace Wood Bricks for Eco-Friendly Solutions Navigating Air Travel: Hand Luggage Essentials Before Boarding Unlocking the Flavor Vault: Mastering the Art of Pellet Blending for Perfect Grilling Navigating The Mattress Maze: Dodging Common Mattress Shopping Mistakes

Is the Fasting Diet effective?

No doubt you have heard of the latest diet craze everyone is talking about, the Fasting Diet? Where you can lose weight simply by eating less for two days a week.

Well, despite its current popularity, fasting is nothing new as people have been doing some sort of fasting for hundreds of years in the name of religion, take Ramadan or Lent as two examples.

These days as many as 44% of all Americans are dieting with an incredible 14% using fasting as their preferred method.

Let’s see if the Fasting Diet is effective as suggested in the Resurge reviews or whether it is yet another fad diet that should be avoided.

What is the Fasting Diet?

Although the Fasting Diet can be called other names; for example, the Fast Diet or 5:2 Diet the basic principle is the same.

For two days a week, you should severely restrict your calorie intake to around 500 calories for women and 600 for men.

For the rest of the time, you should eat a normal diet.

One of the main attractions of this diet is its flexibility as to when you want to go for dinner for example you simply need to rearrange your schedule to ensure you do it on one of your ‘feast’ days.

Can you actually lose weight?

While undertaking this diet you can certainly lose weight due to the fact your weekly calorie intake should be reduced.

By restricting your calorie intake to just 500 calories for two days you should be able to lose around a pound a week.

Other claimed benefits of a Fasting Diet is the ability to reduce the risk of diabetes and other conditions, it can extend your life span and improve your memory.

If this sounds too good to be true then read on as there some potential risks too.

Despite its undoubted ability to aid your weight loss efforts, you will only be successful if you use a little moderation on the days you are allowed to eat normally.

Although the diet seems to make out that you can eat whatever you wish on the feast days, in reality, if you go overboard then you could negate any benefits you could receive from the fasting days.

One other issue surrounding this diet is its approach, and whether it would simply be easier to stick to the traditional dieting values of portion control. Basically saying would you just be better off reducing your portion sizes and calorie intake for the full week.

Although you can certainly lose weight with this diet it should only be undertaken by those who are able to use a little common sense regarding their food options on the feast days.

If you are just going to binge on those five days then you will certainly never reach your weight loss goals.

4 Things You Should Consider When Shopping For A Toaster Oven

Are you planning to purchase a brand new toaster oven, or planning to replace your old one? We got you covered. In this article, we will discuss some of the things that you should consider when looking for a toaster oven. Meanwhile, if you are looking for similar articles about food, you can visit Foodieandtours. Without further ado, let’s start:

  1. The dimensions of the oven

Before going into the specifications and features of an oven, you should first look into the size of the oven. This is a factor that must be taken into consideration early, because if the toaster oven does not suit the location you plan to use it in, it’s not a good purchase regardless of its features or other advantages. 

The reason for this is because toaster ovens have room or clearance requirements on its installation location. You should not install an oven too close to your walls, cabinets, etc. Before looking for a toaster oven, make sure that you are aware of the dimensions of the room that you want to place the oven in. This clearance requirement differs for every oven, and you can find what is the exact requirement by looking at the oven’s manual.

  1. The length of the cord

This should come as a no-brainer. The cord of the oven should be long enough to not require an extension cord, but short enough so that it is not a tripping hazard. After all, tripping on the cord of an oven is very unfortunate and often leads to accidents and injuries.

  1. The features of the oven

For some people, the features of the oven are the most important factor to consider when buying an oven toaster. There are digital displays, timers, reminder alarms, scheduling, and other fancy stuff that will certainly make your life easy. However, when stripped down to the bare essentials, there are really only three features in an oven toaster that you will need. They are bake, toast, and broil, which will be discussed below.

Bake

This function is the default configuration of a standard oven. With this setting, the heat is coming from the bottom of the oven. The 

Toast

Toast is similar to bake, however there is one key difference – the heat is equally dispersed to the bottom and the top of the oven. This function does a great job of toasting bread, waffles, and other food on both sides. This function is also recommended for reheating pizza.

Broil

This function uses heat from the top of the oven, which makes it perfect for grilling meat and vegetables, melting cheese, and other food that you want to cook on the top.

  1. What you plan to cook with the oven

The food items that you plan to cook with the oven plays an important role in your oven selection process. If you are only planning to cook small items such as bread or cookies, there is no benefit to getting a large toaster oven. Additionally, the quantity of food you are cooking should also be considered. If you are planning to cook a large quantity of food in a single batch, it doesn’t matter how small the individual food items are. You will need a bigger oven that can accommodate a larger fan for the job. 

Lastly, if you are not sure or you are planning to experiment with different types of foods and varying quantities, we recommend you to get a toaster oven with room for a bigger pan. This allows you to experiment on bigger items and greater quantities without worrying about whether they will fit on your oven toaster or not.

What is Sonic Heroes is all about? – Understand the games!!

Controlling your player is quite easy. “A” is your jump, with “B” as your attack. Another attack occurs when you jump and attack at the same time. Changing your main player is as simple as pressing either “X” or “Y”, or running over a change pad in the game. “L” and “R” move the camera left or right, and the “C-Stick” manually rotates the camera. For the most part, you want to ignore the “C-Stick”, because it can give you some really strange angles. While the controls are simple, they can be also be frustrating. Many times I have plummeted to my death because it wouldn’t fly when I wanted it, or it would do a “Sonic Spin” right over a cliff.

There was one part that I couldn’t get Shadow to do a loop-de-loop, which was quite odd. These occurences are few, but they to dampen the excitement. Also, you will rarely be stuck in any section, either because it is obvious, or because one team member will ALWAYS tell you what you should do in a specific spot. This is useful in the beginning, but when you get to the last level, and your teammates tell you that, “You should do a Sonic Tornado on this pole”, it gets excessive and annoying.

Speaking of annoying, I should mention the sound, especially the voices. Some of them are well done, while others sound like a twelve year old girl with helium. At least they are crisply done. The soundtrack is typical Sonic. They have added a few new tunes, which are pretty catchy. In fact, the theme song is still stuck in my head! Free Download video games are provided to the people to enhance the experience. The downloading should not cause any charges from the people to get the desired results. The quality of the video games is required to be great to have fun and enjoyment at the platform. 

The replay of this game relies solely on the other two modes I mentioned previously; Challenge Mode and Multi-Player. Once you complete a level in the story mode, it becomes unlocked in the challenge mode. Here, you will have other goals, like complete this level in under two minutes, or collect 200 coins. These are also rated, from A to E. Getting any “A” scores are very difficult. Each completion of a challenge gives you an emblem. These emblems are used to unlock the various multi-player modes. You start off with a head to head race through one of the levels. After you obtain 25 emblems, you unlock an additional multi-player mode. These games are hit and miss.

The framerate is consistent in all of them, though. If you have other gamer friends that love Sonic, you’ll play these games quite a bit, especially Race mode. Non Sonic fans, though, will fail to see the novelty. A surprising feature that is missing is Chao raising. Perhaps due to the multi-platform release, this was scrapped, but it would have been a very worthwhile feature for Gamecube fans.

Conclusion

Most Sonic fans have already gone out and bought this game. It is an excellent follow-up, and focuses solely on the gameplay that is enjoyable in previous Sonic games. However, it is not a radical departure for the series, and you will be doing some of the same things over and over. Even the stages, for the most part, won’t feel any different than previous installments. So, if you never enjoyed Sonic Adventures before, there isn’t too much here to change your mind. It is worth a rent though for fans of platform gaming. It may just make a Sonic fan out of you.

Top 5 Picks Of Gaming Keyboards 2020!

The best gaming keyboards will make your gaming desk look incredible. When you set up the gaming setup keyboard is one of the important parts of it. Good quality keyboards will make level up your gaming experience to exceptional. 

However, you can cater to your choices among top gaming keyboards that are designed for specifically gaming, offering durability. If you are a newbie to gaming, so finding the best gaming keyboard can be a tough job for you. We are listing out top options below that are durable keyboards for gamers allowing them to have better experiences. 

Top 5 picks of gaming keyboards 2020!

Setting up gaming set up is an incredible idea, but it is better to get top gaming keyboards specifically designed for gamers for the amazing gaming experience. Additionally, you can show off your amazing fancy RGB lightning and make your set up look desirable. For elite gamers, gaming keyboards are necessary for playing top-rated games on pc as gaming keyboards can make a significant difference surely. 

  • Razer huntsman elite:

when you want to aggravate your speed, the huntsman elite is an elite choice for you due to its new optomechanical switches. The manufacturer has managed to combine mechanical switches with optimal sensors, which feels more like interesting.  The brand has really pushed hard to offer elite gamers a better option of keyboards. It is really comfortable to type on and covered with more RGB lighting to make set up look more fancy. It needs USB cables for power with the setup, which can add to setup cost but surely worth it for gaming’s amazing experience. 

  • Alienware pro gaming keyboard aw768:

when looking for something affordable, alien is your perfect pick surely. You can attain the toughest keyboard that is inhibited with mechanical keys dedicated to macro keys. It is one of the great gaming keyboards that can come in handy for improving the gaming experience at a modest rate. You can use this keyboard for playing elite games on your pc along with making your keyboard look better at the same time. 

  • Corsair k95 RGB platinum:

if you are looking for something exceptional with hypnotic disco lighting, handy media, and shortcut keys, it is a great choice for you surely. The classic aluminum build looks amazing and compliments the setup. For boot, you are provided with 19 zones light bar and 16.8 million color options that are fascinating surely. You have 6 dedicated macro keys, 8 MB onboard storage, and an aircraft-grade anodized brushed aluminum frame adding to its convenience. To aggravate speed in the league of legends keyboard that is elite is a must, and it can be one for you. 

  • Havit low profile mechanical keyboard: 

this gamine keyboard is great that has programmable keys, thin,  and sleek design that looks desirable for elite gamers. With RGB lighting garish hunks of metal, you can play several games on pc. You can enjoy great RGB lighting and convenient for type as well as games on. However, there aren’t any multimedia buttons, but surely, the other budget features are a great thing for newbie gamers. 

  • Steelseries apex 3:

it is an affordable brand that offers great RGB lighting, which is extremely impressive for people using it up. Keyboards have mechanical switches that have offered a keyboard with great features to make the gaming experience better than ever before. Ip32 water resistance for protection against spills makes it durable and easy to clean. 

So, these are top picks for gaming keyboards that would provide you with amazing experience of gaming. It is better to consider for you to buy anyone to benefit from the incredible and long-lasting experience of gaming. Gamers who go for long gaming sessions would find gaming keyboards extraordinary. Using good brand keyboards are helpful for people practicing difficult games on pc. 

The final verdict

 from the details stated above, it is great to choose for the incredible brand that improves the gaming experience quality.  It is fascinating to have RGB lighting under your keyboard and making your gaming even more fancy. People must be giving a thought to add on a keyboard to their playing station and enjoying a satisfactory gaming experience.

My Dog Doesnt Listen How To Improve His Hearing

Does your dog look at you with a blank stare when you tell him to “sit” or “stay”? Few things are more frustrating than a dog that just refuses to listen. It’s easy to think that our dogs are just doing it out of spite or secretly plotting against us. The truth is that our dogs refuse to listen to us for one of two reasons: training problems or medical issues.

Is Your Dog Hard of Hearing?

Jokes aside, your dog may have a medical condition that’s causing a problem with his hearing. Some dogs are born with congenital conditions that make them deaf. Others may become hard of hearing because of head trauma or something as simple as an ear infection. Some dogs also lose their hearing as they age.

Scheduling an appointment with your vet is a great first step. They will examine your dog to look for any reasons for his hearing issues. If there is a medical issue, they can recommend a treatment plan to try and resolve the problem. Make sure to have a small dog carrier when you bring your pet to the vet so he or she will feel comfortable.

If a medical issue is not affecting your dog’s ability to listen, the issue is likely a behavioral one. In this case, some good old fashioned dog training should do the trick.

Start with the Basics

There are five basic commands that your dog should understand: sit, stay, leave it, heel and come. Make sure that your commands are clear and concise. Always use the same word when training your pup to avoid confusion. One or two word commands tend to work best. Using the same tone of voice and body language is also important.

Reward! Reward! Reward!

Use positive training methods with food rewards to teach your dog to respond to you. If he obeys you when you command him to do something, and there’s a tasty snack for him when he does so, he’s much more likely to do it again.

Doing as you ask has to be more fun for him than ignoring you; otherwise he won’t leave what he’s doing to answer your call.

Be Persistent with Training

Training should be an ongoing thing. Even after your dog has mastered the five basic commands above, you still need to continue using these commands regularly. Without regular training sessions, your dog will forget what he has learned. Training sessions should be short and sweet, and end on a positive note. Even five minutes daily will make a difference to how your dog responds to you.

Minimize Distractions

Find a quiet place to train your dog. Although it may be tempting to bring him to the park for training, the sensory overload may be too much for your pup. Between the sights, sounds, smells and people, he will find it incredibly difficult to pay attention to you. After your dog has mastered the basics, you can slowly start introducing distractions, such as other dogs and people. Again, keep rewarding him for obeying you in the presence of these distractions. You need to be much more interesting than anything else in his environment.

Consider Hiring a Professional

If you’ve given the training your very best shot and are still not seeing results, you may want to consider hiring a professional for help. We all experience challenges while training our dogs. Sometimes, it’s more effective to call on a professional for help, even if it’s just to see where you’re going wrong. It may be something very basic and easily remedied. If not, then they will create a customized training plan for your dog and provide you with the guidance you need to successfully manage your furry companion, and improve his “hearing”.

Myrtle Beach Electrician Electrical System – Know the system

The basics of your home electrical system

To be able to better understand your electrical system, you will need to learn about the basics and primary parts. Generally, a residential electrical system consists of an electrical panel, breakers and the circuits.

From your local electric provider, electricity travels to your home through wires. This will then flow through your electrical panel and breakers, sending electricity to power your lights and appliances by going out through the circuits and outlets. Aside from rhis, there is also a main breaker that is the main switch for the electricity that flows throughout your home. If you want to shut the electricity throughout the house, all you have to do is switch off the main breaker.

For each of the major appliances in your home, such as the heating and cooling unit, there is a dedicated breaker assigned individually for them. This ensures consistent and safe flow of electricity throughout the house. This is also true for some areas of the house, particularly those that require a lot of electricity such as the living room where your television and home theater is and your kitchen where your oven, washer and refrigerator are. Find Your Electrical Contractor at online reputed websites. It will require spending of adequate time and efforts at the place. The information about the working and charges should be provided to the individuals. The hiring is made with the skills and excellence. The running of the electrical appliances will be great. 

Although the entire wiring and electrical system is too complex for a homeowner, it helps if you know the basics so you know what to check and where to look should you encounter any electrical problems. An electrician from Five Star Electric can provide you with all the information that you need to learn more about your home electrical system.

What to do in case of an electrical problem

There are different problems that can occur to your home electrical system. It can be a power outage caused by some problems from your local electric provider or damaged wires due to strong winds or lightning. A problem might also occur with your home’s electrical panel causing you to have flickering lights or loss of power in some parts of the house.

Should you encounter any of these problems, the first thing you need to do is to go to your main electrical breaker and shut down the electricity supply to the entire home. This will prevent your current problem from causing damage to your appliances. Then, you need to call a local electrician in Myrtle Beach and have him check your home electrical system. Note that even a simple and minor electrical problem can easily lead to more severe problems such as an electrical fire if not addressed and resolved at once.

To further protect you, your home and your family from the dangers of electrical problems, you should also consider having a professional install automatic safety features such as surge protectors and ground circuit fault breakers. Also, make sure that your home’s electrical system is up to date and using safe and approved wires.

Consulting An Upright Vacuum Cleaner Rating

There are now numerous brand and vacuum types out in the market. Nonetheless, the old upright model has not completely disappeared. In fact, many homeowners still prefer this classic model. This is why many manufacturers have now come out with new product models and innovations. With the many types of uprights available, how can you make a good choice? One way to ensure that you get the right model is by consulting an upright vacuum cleaner rating. Like other products, uprights get reviewed too and knowing what other users think can help you find what’s best for you.

Among the first things that consumers would consider about this model’s upright vacuum cleaner rating is its fair price at a little over $500. This German engineered product is already considered a good buy for its price because of its automatic features. It can automatically stop suctioning once the dirt bag is full, signaling the need for a new bag, and can even have an adjustable height. One other great thing about it is that you can perform serious cleaning with a model that truly looks ultra sleek and modern. So even though it is intended for some heavy work, it can still look perfectly classy. Its other features include different brushes and controls plus an efficient filtration system that is perfect for those with dust allergies.

For a perfect upright vacuum that will definitely not break your wallet, check out products fro the company Sanitaire. The S782 sells at just under $200 and is a great portable alternative to the more expensive brands on the market. This twin-motor vacuum has a collapsible handle and can also automatically shut down when its brush jams because of dirt or hair. It weighs in at just 14 pounds, and has a 30 foot cord so you can imagine the endless amounts of space that you can cover at any given place, whether it is 1 or 2 floors high. Extremely portable and storable, Sanitaire is one with a high upright vacuum cleaner rating.

The product name Miele speaks for itself. Consumers would know that this company is among those who can generate high quality products. Their s163i almost has every great feature in an upright vacuum. It can be portable, affordable, powerful and definitely nice to look at. Its sleek form that is priced only at $250 works on 1000 watts of power and can be guaranteed to last for approximately 10 years. What is surprising about it is that it can be disassembled so that it can also be brought along to vacuum your car or other spaces that are difficult to clean. Everything about this vacuum model deserves to be given a fantastic upright vacuum cleaner rating.

It is not for nothing that Miele is one of the best brands available in market today where you can purchase the aspirapolveri senza filo le migliori at a cheap price but this does create a huge responsibility on its makers to make better and upgraded models even though the products are quite popular among the consumers in large numbers what with increase in number of sales with each passing day.

These are only examples of what consumers look for when they generate their upright vacuum cleaner rating. There are of course numerous other models and ratings out there. If you would like to get the best buy or the best bargain, make sure to seriously go over some consumer ratings. Other people’s opinions and experiences can help you a lot in making an informed decision that you would not regret.

Weight Loss FAQs

As you may have guessed, this is a web site dedicated to losing weight. Some of you may already know what to do and the best way to do it. But for others, there may be some questions you have.

Below are some frequently asked questions on the subject of weight loss. I hope it helps.

What would you regard as the best diet for me?

As I have said elsewhere in this site:

What works for one person may not work for you which is why you should always check out resurge ingredients beforehand. However, any diet which promotes eating healthy, low-fat foods while also keeping an eye on the calories will help you to lose weight. There are many diets that fit this description so the choice is yours. There is no ‘best’ diet plan but many of the ones that feature the points mentioned above will help. If you are still unsure, check out top brands for women helping with the diet plans.

What is my ideal weight?

Again, without seeing you in person, it is hard to answer. However, to get a good idea of your ideal weight, you should know your body mass index (also known as BMI). Once you know your ideal BMI, it is easy to see what weight you should be. Take a look at our BMI calculator for more help.

What sort of weight loss targets would be good for me?

It is always better to set your target first and then break it down into smaller targets. As an example, if you would like to lose 50 pounds in 5 months, then you would aim to lose 10 pounds per month or better still, concentrate on losing 2.5 pounds every week. By breaking it down into a weekly target, the goal will seem more achievable and this will also keep you motivated.

How are diabetes and being overweight linked?

When a person is overweight, especially obese, there are many negative ways the body responds. This is usually in the form of illness. One of the illnesses that many overweight people suffer from is diabetes. It has been shown that being just 10% over your recommended weight can greatly increase your risk of diabetes.

What is the best way to cut down on my sugar intake?

That is a good question to ask. It may not be possible to cut out sugar altogether but you can cut down by reducing the amount you have in your tea or coffee. Also, by cutting back on the number of sweets, cakes, and desserts you may have in a normal week. Less sugar will mean a lot fewer calories.

Should I weight myself every day?

The experts tell us you should not weigh yourself more than once per week. However, some of us will weigh ourselves many times in one day. It may be best to try and stick with weighing yourself 2 – 3 times per week at most and no more. Because the weight will go up and down every day, it is hard to know what is going on. By weighing your self at the same time every week, once a week (as an example: every Monday morning at 8.00 am), you should get a more accurate picture of what your weight is doing.

I hate exercise. Do I really need to do it?

You may not like this but the simple answer is YES! It does not have to be an exercise to an Olympic standard. In the majority of cases, something simple like taking a 20-minute walk 3 times every week will be enough. You can also ride a bike to work or use the stairs more instead of the elevator. In conclusion, try and have more activity in your week. It will help to keep the weight off.

Can you explain what a calorie is?

In simple terms, a calorie is a unit of energy. The more calories you eat, the more energy you have. The trouble is that if you can not use burn off the energy you have eaten through your normal daily activities, then the leftover calories (or energy) will turn into fat. The average man should aim to eat no more than 2500 calories per day and a woman should eat no more than 2000 calories per day. Once more than this is eaten, then it will need to be used up through activity or it will turn to fat.

Can I lose weight without changing what I eat?

Yes, but only if you are currently eating fewer calories than you use every day. If you normally use 2500 calories (or if you are a woman, 2000 calories) every day through normal living, then if you are eating fewer calories than you are using, you will lose weight. However, if you are eating more than these amounts, then you will need to change what you eat.

What type of food should I include in my normal eating plan?

You should try to have a healthy but balanced diet with some variety. But you should include foods such as wholegrain foods, fish, vegetables, fruit, and water. This list is by no means extensive but if you can include these food groups with other aspects of your diet, then you will be going fine.

Is It Time To Invest In Blogging?

Today something exciting happened- Rachel of In Spaces Between opened up the doors to round #3 of her highly acclaimed Bright Eyed and Blog Hearted course.

Last year, for me, this course presented itself at the perfect time- I had just stepped out on my own and had begun building my website and my own personal brand and had become completely overwhelmed with what I had the front of me. Not only the amount of work but the technicality of building my own website, which was challenging, I must admit.

What made this process so much easier was this online course, and whilst sitting alone in my home office, the day this course started I was welcomed into a supportive online community of passionate people, all sharing their knowledge and wealth of experience with me- all I had to do was type a question and bang- answers! I was no longer alone.

Bright-Eyed and Blog Hearted are so much more than just a course about blogging- it shares information on marketing and creating an income from your blog, it shows you ways to ensure that your brand and message is clear and how to portray this to your audience. It is also great for networking with like-minded people, giving you the opportunity to share your business and blog posts with over 700+ interested people each week.

SEO, media kits, source from which you can buy youtube likes cheap, and how to get your name and blog out there in that world wide web are all covered in the six modules, and trust me- you will be satisfied on the completion of this course (and for years to come) that this is one investment in yourself and in your business that you are proud of making.

Course highlights for me were:

  • The steady,

go-at-your-own-pace that allows you to move through the content in your own time, all the while being encouraged by Rachel and the community to complete it and get going on your blog.

  • The private Facebook Group-

full of encouraging and knowledgable people, who are there to help, provide feedback, constructive criticism, praise, and help you make those tricky decisions.

  • The lifetime access-

knowing that I can log in at any time and read over my notes, or revisit the course altogether for a refresh every now and then is very comforting.

  • The great value-

I think this course is an amazing value! Rachel has poured her heart, soul, and knowledge into this course, and believe me, it shows. She has thought of everything!

  • The extra resources,

educational and motivational videos, interviews with successful bloggers, SEO experts, and more-all available in the members portal.

Want to know more? Then visit Rachel’s website, which covers the course content in depth.

MY BONUS for YOU:

Seeing as though I am so excited about spreading the word on this awesome opportunity for my community- I would like to offer a FREE BONUS to anyone who signs up via my affiliate link. For those who sign up for Round 3 of Bright Eyed and Blog Hearted, I would like to offer a FREE Social Media Health Check report- valued at $109!

The Health Check will be available for you to use up until November this year, so you will be able to work through the modules and on completion of the course (when you are ready) I can go over your channels and present you with a brief report on what you are doing, where you are going, your opportunities and where there is room for improvement with regards to your social media.

Gourmet Coffee Consumption in England

The English are traditionally known as a nation of tea drinkers, but market research reveals that they are also big fans of coffee. Independent market intelligence provider Mintel valued the UK coffee market at £782 million in 2009, and predicted that it would grow by nearly 25% by 2014.

It is difficult to predict the future of such ventures because even though the Brits are long standing coffee lovers, they still have to deal with stiff competition from other brands that might have the Best Single Serve Coffee Makers even with tea being the ultimate for many of them in the long run so Gourmet Coffee does have its own standing.

Brits have traditionally used instant coffee to get their caffeine fix at home, and this preference is still entrenched in the UK population: 80% of the total value of coffee sales came from instant coffee during 2009. However, consumers are increasingly turning away from cheaper brands of instant coffee and are instead choosing brands at the higher end of the market. Sales of premium instant coffee rose by 44% in the five years leading up to the release of Mintel’s 2010 report.

A taste for fresh gourmet coffee is also developing in England, particularly among the younger generation. Coffee retailers such as Starbucks have become a common feature on British high streets over the past few years, and terms such as latte, mocha, and macchiato are gradually entering the vocabulary of the average Brit. An increasing number of people in England are now seeking to replicate the coffee shop experience at home, and sales of espresso machines are growing. UK high street retailers such as John Lewis now stock extensive ranges of coffee makers, which means that gourmet coffee is more accessible than ever in England.

One of the most notable trends in the UK coffee market is the growing preference for coffee that has been ethically and sustainably produced. Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the environmental and social problems that exist in many coffee-growing regions and want to use their purchasing power to influence positive change. Fairtrade coffee accounted for 5% of the value of UK coffee sales in 2009, and its share of the market is growing all the time. Consumers like to know that the producers of the food and drink they consume are getting a fair deal, which the Fairtrade brand guarantees.

One might expect the recession to impact negatively on coffee sales, but this does not seem to be the case in the UK. As families tighten their belts, many people find themselves working long hours, and popping out of the office for a cup of coffee is seen by many as an affordable treat that helps to keep them motivated and happy. Analysis shows that although people are cutting back on the amount they spend on big items, such as cars, holidays, and electronic gadgets, small luxuries such as gourmet coffee are still within the reach of most people, even those whose budgets are being stretched. The recent rise in at-home coffee consumption (sales in this area grew by 17% between 2005 and 2009) could possibly be linked to people dining at home more frequently and swapping nights out for quiet evenings in due to financial constraints. At the same time, the ever-growing popularity of Fairtrade coffee in the UK suggests that tight budgets are not enough to make the citizens of this nation abandon their ethical principles.