Food - 3 min read
A very short history of the flat white
By Sam O'Connell - 26 April 2026 - 1 views
Photo: Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash
Australia and New Zealand have been arguing for forty years about who invented the flat white. Spoiler: it doesn't really matter.
The flat white was probably invented twice. Once in Sydney, once in Wellington, depending on who you ask and how much patriotism is in the question.
What is not in dispute is that it is a particular drink. Espresso, textured milk, no foam to speak of, served in a smallish cup. Whoever you credit with the recipe, the genius is in the restraint.
The drink reached London in the early 2000s and broke the British coffee scene wide open. New York followed a few years later, and then half the world after that. These days you can order a flat white in airports that do not otherwise know what coffee is.
For my money the original argument is not worth having. I do, however, have strong opinions on cup size, and I would like to share them with anyone who will listen.
What is not in dispute is that it is a particular drink. Espresso, textured milk, no foam to speak of, served in a smallish cup. Whoever you credit with the recipe, the genius is in the restraint.
The drink reached London in the early 2000s and broke the British coffee scene wide open. New York followed a few years later, and then half the world after that. These days you can order a flat white in airports that do not otherwise know what coffee is.
For my money the original argument is not worth having. I do, however, have strong opinions on cup size, and I would like to share them with anyone who will listen.
