'I tried the Costa Autumn menu to see if I could turn me into a fan and I won’t be racing back'

Despite admittedly not being a coffee connoisseur I’ve never been a huge fan of Costa. I’ve always found their hot drinks weak, either too hot or too cold, or their milk over-steamed.

But in the spirit of giving second chances, when I saw their Autumn Maple Hazel menu selection I thought it was the perfect opportunity for Costa to change my mind. There are three items on Costa’s Autumn menu - the Mapel Hazel Frappe, the Mapel Hazel Latte and the Mapel Hazel Hot Chocolate.

I decided it would only be fair to try all three of the items on the menu, to give Costa a fair stab at winning me over. The Mapel Hazel Latte can be served both hot or iced, but I opted for the former in the spirit of the coming colder months.

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First, I tried the Mapel Hazel Frappe and was immediately hit by how sweet it was. I’m not sure if a lot of the syrup had collected at the bottom but even after a stir it was incredibly sweet.

In full transparency I did almost finish this one but it was a struggle and I have a particularly sweet tooth. I’m not convinced I’ll be rushing back for the frappe again anytime soon.

Next up was the hot chocolate which I had been looking forward to the most as it's one of my favourite drinks in the colder months. While this one was sweet, it was a little bit more manageable than the frappe.

However, I was pretty sugared out (and in fairness Costa probably doesn’t expect you to have three drinks in a row) so I only managed a few sips of this one before passing it onto one of my housemates.

They reported back that the drink was too sweet for them, so there seems to be a running theme with Costa's Mapel Hazel selection.

Finally there was just the Mapel Hazel Latte left to try. This one actually turned out to be my favourite as it was far less sugary than the other drinks. However I can’t say it had a particularly strong coffee taste either, leaving it a little weak and milky. For someone looking for a more subtle flavour this would be a good option.

However, I did have another bone to pick with the Mapel Hazel Latte as there was almost no foam on the drink. This meant that not only was the milk not the creamiest, I also ended up spilling a lot of it on the way home.

The prices weren’t bad for London with all of the drinks on the Autumn menu costing less than a fiver at £4.30. However, while the price may be tempting I’d rather spend the extra pound to get something tastier from a local coffee shop.

Got a story? Please get in touch at katherine.gray@reachplc.com

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