Where Does London's Best Pumpkin Spice Latte? We Tasted And Rated Them

Will Noble
By Will Noble Last edited 65 months ago

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Where Does London's Best Pumpkin Spice Latte? We Tasted And Rated Them

What with the whole Trump Baby saga this summer, the special relationship between the USA and UK is frankly fraught. Fortunately, the pumpkin spice latte forms a spicy, cultural lynchpin — holding two disparate nations together. We visited four of the big PSL players in London, and put their spooky caffeinated potions to the test.

Pret a Manger - £2.85 ★★☆☆☆

Pure as the driven snow. And about as tasty, too.

What anaemic folly is this, Pret? This cup of fluffy nothingness is a chai latte going through a nervous breakdown. It's more like something you'd send a two-year-old off to bed with, than the peppery explosion of festive goodness that a PSL should be. Did you forget to put the coffee in, Pret? Did you forget to put the syrup in, Pret? How are you making these abominations, Pret? Sticking your arm out of a plane and scooping bits of cumulus into a cup, Pret? This PSL also went tepid during the three-minute walk to the office. Stick to those cheesy croissant things you do, guys — this is an actual embarrassment.

Bonfire Latte, Costa Coffee - £2.95 ★★★☆☆

Pumpkln Spice Lattes: Rated
We had to do something to make this photo more interesting.

Ooh la la, a Bonfire latte ay? Pumpkin not good enough for you, Costa? Actually the combination of cinnamon and slightly burnt-tasting caramel (with an extra dusting of the stuff on top) does conjure up the crunch of leaves underfoot, the announcement of train cancellations due to leaves on the line. Here is a half-decent twist on the PSL, which let's face it, never tastes like actual pumpkin anyway. The irony of calling this thing a bonfire latte, is that by the time it's completed a five-minute journey, it's gone as cold as the Scary Movie franchise. Good luck tasting any coffee in here, too.

Greggs - £2.25 (£2.55 with a pastry) ★★★★☆

All this could be yours for just £2.55

Getting a PSL at Greggs is a bit like ordering the 'secret burger' from Joe Allen. No sign of it on the menu — but it pays off to lean over the counter and request it. Kudos to Greggs for remembering that the PSL should be treated as an event, not a beverage. As if the whipped creamed top, sprinkled with gingerbread crumbs, isn't enough, you can get a pastry thrown in (option including a chocolate bat biscuit) for just 30p more! The drink itself is spicy but not too sickly — and what's that taste we're getting...? Nope, not pumpkin... it's COFFEE! Who'da thunk it.

Starbucks - £3.15 for a small (£3.40 with whipped cream) ★★★★★

Not much to look at. But a world of spicy goodness in your gob

The bigs boys. The ones who kicked off the UK's whole PSL obsession (we assume). Starbucks. This should be good. But things don't get off to a good start. The whipped cream costs 35p extra — and is not flagged to us when offered — which has us raring to rip into this festive coffee. Alas, the first sip of this spooky silken elixir confirms that Starbucks is (Pump)king of the spiced latte. The unctuous blend of artificial spice tastes like the outcome of sticking a cinnamon Glade air freshener into a cauldron of bubbling cream, and leaving it to boil overnight — IN A GOOD WAY. It's bloody expensive though — £3.40. For a SMALL one. Still, festive coffee is a rare treat. We won't be buying another one, until the Christmas gingerbread lattes turn up in... they're already here? Shit.

Last Updated 15 October 2018