No sugar, no milk, no laptop, no babies – The Barn in Berlin is a coffee shop only for connoisseurs. As terms like ‘artisan’ become diluted, discerning foodies are flocking to specialist producers whose pride and expertise borders on arrogance.

Technology is increasingly integrating into the world around us. But with people placing more and more emphasis on 'true' artisanal creations, can automated coffee-maker Briggo Coffee Haus win over its target market of connoisseurs?

From Assam to Darjeeling, India has long been associated with tea drinking. But while the tea category has stopped growing, green tea is bucking the trend. Fuelled by health-conscious Indians, demand for green tea is growing at 60% year-on-year.

Over-connected consumers are looking to chill out – and achieve more in the process. Brands are capitalising on our collective exhaustion and building big brownie points as they do so. But how did space and silence – very simplistic commodities – become the ultimate luxury?

While other service-based industries in Sweden are struggling, cafés are doing better than ever - the industry increases 10% every year, and in 2013 it took in 5.4 billion SEK. But why are Sweden’s cafés so successful? The answer might be cultural.

The snacks market is booming, and discerning consumers want to be inspired and surprised as they seek more than the usual nutritional sustenance or standard tastes. What they really want to consume is an emotional connection.

Whether coffee or chocolate, pizza or pencils, connoisseurship has become a pastime for the masses. But if anyone can become a connoisseur of anything, will the concept lose its mystique?

At a time when food origins can be easily traced and disputed, brands are increasingly eager to open up and build trust. Honest Tea has a strong commitment to transparency, from their unconventional marketing to their organic products.