Coffee, culture?and the family

Andrea Illy, the third-generation family boss of the eponymous coffee maker, was in London this week unveiling the latest version of the company’s famous artist designed espresso cup.

This time it was Anish Kapoor's turn, famous among other works for his huge steel and PVC sculpture stretching from end to end of the massive turbine hall in Tate Modern in London.

Other artists/cultural figures to have worked on Illy’s cups have included Jeff Koons, David Byrne, Federico Fellini and Robert Rauschberg.

Andrea reckons coffee extends beyond just a tasty warm drink, but has cultural significance as well.

As he said in an earlier interview with CampdenFB: "Coffee has always been the official beverage of culture because of its aesthetic properties.”