While we baulk at the plethora of ridiculous names coffee has been rebranded with in recent years (grande skinny mochachino anyone?), there is no doubting we’re a nation addicted to the stuff.

Since the Millennium, coffee shops have been springing up faster than it takes Robbie Williams to down a double espresso and that trend doesn’t seem to be on the wane.

So what better way to celebrate our obsession than to get involved in a week dedicated to the coffee bean in its liquid form?

The East End has been chosen as the London hub for UK Coffee Week and three days of caffeine fun kick off on Friday April 8 at the Old Truman’s Brewery in Brick Lane.

It all starts off with a good old record attempt.

On Saturday April 9 at the brewery, a team of London’s finest baristas will have a crack at making as many espressos in an hour as is humanly possible.

The current record is held by a Polish group who had 86 baristas churn out 3,386 shots in 60 minutes last year.

For the rest of the festival an entry fee – 100 per cent of which goes to a charity supporting development in coffee-growing countries – will get you tastings from all over the world.

Bands are also on the bill and international cuisine will be available.

But is all this coffee slurping simply a fad or are we well and truly converted?

The way the figures have been panning out it looks like the latter.

Jeffrey Young, managing director at consultancy firm Allegra, said: “With increasing quality of coffee, better environments from both chains and independents and greater consumer appreciation, the market is poised for significant further growth over the next three to five years.”

Go on then, make mine a vente.

Readers can use a special promotion code to pay the lower festival entry price of �6.

Key in code ESTLDN at londoncoffeefestival.com/buytickets.aspx.

All proceeds go towards Project Waterfall which runs clean water projects in African coffee-producing countries.