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?

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.

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?

Starbucks stores have always looked rather generic, with similar layouts and furniture. But the coffee giant is steering away from homogenisation with its next generation of stores, focusing on intense design customisation that often speaks to local tastes.