HAL’S KITCHEN: No price hike at Winnipeg coffee company, for now

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As the cost of coffee soars around the world, at least one local company is holding the line on its prices. Rob Young, owner of Winnipeg’s Writers & Rockers Coffee, says he’s been able to work with a number of brokers and roasters to keep his prices stable … for now. That’s not the case elsewhere, due primarily to extreme weather in Brazil and Vietnam, the world’s two biggest coffee-producing countries. And if you’re not paying more for a cup of coffee yet, you may be soon. Industry experts estimate the retail cost of coffee could jump as much as another 20% in just the next few months. As for who has the world’s best coffee (I pick Costa Rica), Rob says his top three are Kenya, Columbia and Guatemala. One final thought, don’t be surprised if your favourite coffee starts tasting a bit different, as companies mix cheaper beans into the blend to save money. Isn’t skimpflation glorious?!

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SIGNS OF TOO MUCH COFFEE

Because Sunday is National Coffee Day (and Tuesday is International Coffee Day), here are five signs that you’re drinking too much coffee.

-You’re passing everyone on Pembina Highway & you’re not in a car
-You call my radio show & ask me to turn myself down
-The mortgage on your home is with Starbucks
-Your birthday is a national holiday in Brazil
-You finish your 60-minute presentation before everyone is seated

SOLO DINING IN WINNIPEG

Earlier this month, I told you that more people are solo diners these days. Well, it turns out that Winnipeg is one of the top cities in the country for the trend. According to OpenTable, dining alone is up 22% in our city from a year ago. And it just so happens that this time of year, more specifically October, is the top month for people to grab a table for one.

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NEW PICKY EATER RESEARCH

If you’re the parent of a kid who’s a picky eater, it may be all your fault. A new study by British researchers says food fussiness in children is largely genetic, while other factors, like the types of foods eaten, might only be significant when the child is a toddler. The study also discovered that pickiness over food tends to peak at the age of seven.

ONE-HANDED RAMEN NOODLES

Japanese food company Nippon Ham is now selling Boost Noodle. It’s a new type of instant ramen which is designed to be consumed with one hand, by simply sucking the contents from a small pouch. The stuff was created with gamers in mind or anyone else who wants to quickly consume some calories without taking a break from whatever they’re doing. Boost Noodle is made with a special type of yam noodles, chashu pork, menma (fermented bamboo shoots) and a mix of pork stock and seafood broth. And because its target market is gamers, each pack also contains 35 milligrams of caffeine. The product also doesn’t need to be heated.

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CURDERBURGER RETURNS

If you’re planning a trip to Grand Forks soon, Culver’s is bringing back its CurderBurger. It’ll be available from Oct. 1 to 14. The CurderBurger is made with golden-fried cheese atop a Deluxe ButterBurger. Culver’s will also be debuting Hot Honey Cheese Curds during the second half of October. If you are going to GF, do you mind grabbing me a Gargantuan at Jimmy John’s? Thanks!

BOOZY BOARD GAME

Hasbro has just announced a board game for players old enough to drink. Monopoly Board Crawl challenges players to pour their favourite drink and then navigate a reimagined board that includes a VIP section, dance floor and dive bar. Participants can even settle their debts by taking sips of their alcoholic beverages.

— Hal has written columns for years. He’s also the host of Connecting Winnipeg weekday mornings from 10 to noon on 680 CJOB. You can email him at Hal@HalAnderson.ca.

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