Everything that’s wrong with Black Sheep Coffee, from a self proclaimed caffeine addict

When you mention Black Sheep Coffee, a lot of people either don’t know what you’re talking about, assume you mean Blank Street Coffee or, like my mates, openly say “Oh, I don’t like that place.”

Branches of the British coffeehouse chain are popping up across the country and although some people immediately flocked to the stores, others are yet to find the same hype in it. But why is this happening, and what has resulted in the turning tide against Black Sheep? From a pretty experienced coffee connoisseur myself, along with a glance at wider opinion, here’s a look at perhaps why.

It’s a high street coffee brand – so it’s expensive

Let’s start with the basics. A regular latte at Black Sheep will cost you £3.89, and although that’s not over the £4 mark, it’s already at least 20p more expensive than other competitors. If you’re feeling fancy and want to try one of its speciality lattes, such as its Black Hoof, it will set you back a fiver. That’s on the higher end.

Black Sheep doesn’t appear to have a niche

Unlike its competitors, Black Sheep doesn’t seem to have a unique selling point. Blank Street is known for its matcha, but what niche does Black Sheep exclusively have to offer? Other coffee shops use marketing to create hype around products outside of just coffee. Just look at Starbucks – the chain creates hype around its secret menu items, the 2017 Unicorn Frappuccino being one example. Gail’s is known for its pastries and lunch items.

Most Read

All the gross and unfiltered videos Bonnie Blue has posted from her challenge with Julia Filippo

A former flatmate of Jacqui from MAFS Australia speaks out about what she was like to live with

Everything the cast of Young Sheldon have been up to one year after that emotional finale

Whilst Black Sheep offers other menu items, and some people do go mad for its matcha range, it’s not inherently known for any of these, which makes it blend in. The only thing that makes Black Sheep different from the rest of the herd is that they use Robusta coffee. Yet, for many people, that’s its main problem. If you don’t know, Robusta coffee is a high caffeine coffee, yet coffee lovers claim it’s low quality – and that brings us onto our next point…

Some customers don’t think the coffee actually tastes that good

According to some users on Reddit, the coffee ain’t all that. Whilst Robusta beans make you feel more awake, the downside is the coffee is lower grade and allegedly tastes bad, based on some people’s opinions. So it seems that Black Sheep isn’t offering anything that special, other than a higher caffeine rush… and crash.

Like many other popular brands, not independent

Although Black Sheep Coffee was set up by two flatmates at St Andrews University, the brand is a franchise and received funding from the president of Coca-Cola Canada. Although this is the same with other high street brands such as Blank Street and Pret, it doesn’t help the brand’s image, as nothing sets it apart from its competition.

A lot of locals have expressed favouring independent coffee shops, which are usually cheaper, and the customer knows the money will go to a family and not banks. Speaking about black Sheep, one user on Reddit claimed: “When they started popping up, I was glad there was some competition for Starbucks and Costa. Then I realised they’re a chain themselves, not just a couple of shops opening in Edinburgh.

“And then I went in and waited ages for a terrible coffee that I had to order on a screen for some reason and which was like a quid more expensive than the nice and quick coffee shop on my street.”

In addition, independent coffee sips usually have more going on than just coffee, with launch parties or events for local customers. A large proportion of people believe that community centred events like this make these independents more favourable than the bland copy and paste franchises.

It’s not actually that cool

Brands like Blank Street Coffee, which already sounds similar to Black Sheep, are popular amongst Gen Z. Again, let’s circle back to Blank Street, which started as an independent coffee cart in Brooklyn, and is famous for its matchas.  The brand has gained a cult following in person and through social media and influencer deals and has leaned into its aesthetics, crafting more than just coffee and matcha, but a look for itself.

Building up this hype among influencers and content creators is literal gold – and having them like your product is just free marketing. Despite its cute branding, Black Sheep Coffee is yet to break into that marketing industry

But what do you think? Are you a fan of their Robusta beans and the bigger caffeine boost? Or do you agree with the majority, who won’t be joining the herd anytime soon?

Featured image via Canva and TikTok @nina.pemb

Black Sheep Coffee has been approached for comment.