Sharp-eared readers will remember that this time last month, I appeared on Episode C of the wonderful Espressno podcast. At the end of Episode C, the lovely Paul, the man behind Espressno, mentioned that there was a second part, which would be known as Episode C+ (if you don’t get it, don’t worry, it’s a rather geeky computer in-joke).

The good news (or bad news, depending on what you thought of Episode C) is that Episode C+ is out on Easter Monday. If you heard Episode C, you should know roughly what to expect since this is very much more of the same, only covering slightly different topics.

On the other hand, if you didn’t listen to Episode C, then it’s basically me and Paul (okay, mostly me) blathering on for half an hour about coffee, with the occasional diversion into social media. It’s probably akin to going to your favourite coffee shop and getting stuck next to two blokes having a long conversation about coffee. But without the benefit of being in a coffee shop. Unless, of course, you’re listening to it in a coffee shop…

Anyway, Episode C+ came out on Monday, so now’s a good time to listen to Episode C, just to refresh yourself and to fool Paul into think he’s got another listener. You can find Episode C in the link below along with the link to C+ as well:

http://www.espressno.org/episodes/episode-c-basketball-bloggings-loss-is-our-gain4/3/2015

http://www.espressno.org/episodes/episode-c-coffee-people-be-good-people6/4/2015

If you’ve ever wondered how I go about writing a piece for the Coffee Spot, Episode C+ is for you. I talk about my writing style, the importance of (self-imposed) word limits and why it’s Brian’s Coffee Spot rather than just The Coffee Spot. I also touch again on the whole positivity aspect of what I do and why I don’t (and don’t want to) take advertising. Finally, I explain why I like to sneak into coffee shops like a normal customer rather than announcing myself, plus what I do on that rare occasion when I don’t like a place.

There’s also a long discussion on coffee festivals, including my conversion to the joys of the London Coffee Festival, why Paul and I agree that the explosion of coffee festivals is a good thing and why we think that there should be even more of them. We go on to talk about the confusion of there being both a Glasgow Coffee Festival and a Scottish Coffee Festival within a week of each other and how, due to train fares in this county being way too expensive, I couldn’t go to both.

If you’ve ever wondered what I do when I’m not spending all my time writing the Coffee Spot, then in Episode C+, I let you into a little secret: I do actually have a day job. I also spend (waste?) a lot of my time on social media, which launches Paul and I into a long diversion about the social nature of social media, why twitter’s so great for finding out about things you don’t know about and how not following your customers is a bit arrogant.

Talking of secrets, you can also find out how I first came to meet Paul, where I think I am on the coffee geek scale and why, if you don’t know what a TDS meter is, you’re probably better off that way. Finally, Paul tells a joke… Sort of… (well, no, not really, but don’t tell Paul: just smile, nod politely and laugh where you think it might be appropriate).

We close with some thoughts about the kindness of people in the speciality coffee industry and their generosity with their most limited commodity of all, time.

After all that, if I’ve not convinced you to listen to Espressno, I never will, so here are the links again:

http://www.espressno.org/episodes/episode-c-basketball-bloggings-loss-is-our-gain4/3/2015

http://www.espressno.org/episodes/episode-c-coffee-people-be-good-people6/4/2015

Download them, listen to them, tell all your friends. And your enemies. And everyone else. And listen to all the other episodes of Espressno. All two of them (so far…).

You can also read my Saturday Supplement on Episode C if you like.

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