The Buzz

$344 for a coffee? Scottish farm is selling UK’s most expensive cup

It’s an enormous price to pay for a little cup of coffee, but the man behind the pitch promises it won’t leave a bitter taste behind as it comes with the sweetner of a share of a dairy farm.

A Scottish dairy is offering what it bills as the U.K.’s most expensive cup o’ joe: 272 British pounds ($344) for a flat white — a double shot of espresso topped with a layer of steamed milk and a fleeting work of foam art.

The costly cup is actually a perk for purchasing shares in Mossgiel Organic Dairy’s crowdfunding campaign to enlarge its sustainable operation and produce more milk. Investors who buy 34 shares in the farm get a certificate for a flat white that can be redeemed starting this weekend at one of 13 coffee shops in Scotland that use the dairy’s milk.

“This coffee costs nearly 80 times the price of an average flat white in the U.K. — but it’s much more than just a lovely drink,” said owner Bryce Cunningham. “We know it sounds crazy, but when you break it down, it’s a pretty good deal. How much is the future of farming worth?”

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