Coffee revealed as the UK’s ‘hottest’ drink
Nespresso has bucked the high street trend with regards to expansion and growth, by opening a brand new flagship Boutique retail experience in the heart of London's West End, as the UK's love affair with coffee breaks new ground.
To mark the opening, Nespresso commissioned independent research into coffee trends. With nearly half (45%) of adults believing coffee has a higher status than tea, (only one in ten respondents chose tea), coffee is fast becoming an indication of sophistication. As a result it seems that coffee, rather than tea, is now the beverage we like to savour when socialising, with two thirds of Brits (60%) admitting they would order a cup of coffee over tea when meeting with friends. Of those that drink coffee nearly one third (31%) admitted that they could not live without it in their life.
With coffee now a much more important part of the daily ritual, coffee lovers are trying to create a quality coffee experience at home. The in-home coffee moment is therefore growing in significance, with over half of respondents (52%) revealing that they put a lot more effort into creating coffee compared to tea making (35%) as they try to ensure they deliver a consistently high quality coffee experience for friends, family and themselves. This is complemented by the fact that Brits admit that when purchasing, the right choice of coffee is a more important choice than tea.
Professor Charles Spence, lecturer and professor of Experimental Psychology at the University of Oxford said: ‘The explosion of coffee culture both at home and on the high-street, mirrors the change in our wine drinking habits from Lambrusco and Chablis through to today’s very sophisticated wine market. As a result, shown through the research, the coffee drinker now expects more from their cup of coffee. Like with wine, consumers are starting to use their choice and knowledge of coffee to send a signal of their sophistication. With good coffees having around twice as many volatile compounds and aromas as even the finest of wines, there is lots for the coffee drinker to seek out and appreciate in order to utilise this information to elevate themselves amongst their peers .’
As the UK’s thirst for coffee knowledge grows, nearly two thirds of the UK (60%) agree that they would welcome a better understanding of coffee with regards to taste, preparation and serving. Surprisingly, 18-24 year olds are the age group with a markedly richer understanding of coffee, with one third (33%) able to pair coffee with a course and a quarter (25%) acknowledging knowing more about coffee than wine.
As a result of the nation’s love affair with coffee, not only are the UK broadening their knowledge of coffee at a younger age, like our cousins in Italy and France we are starting to be introduced to coffee earlier in our lives. Three quarters (78%) of those questioned had first started drinking coffee by the age of 15.
In the workplace high earners in top management roles are also driving this shift of coffee’s place in the UK as coffee is fast becoming the hot drink to be seen with and an indication of success.
Over three quarters of senior managers (77%) will choose coffee over tea when meeting important business colleagues or clients, with those who deem themselves as ambitious drinking 1.5 times more coffee than other people. Four fifths (78%) of high earners acknowledge coffee as a necessity for them to feel on the ball and be productive, demonstrating coffee’s integral role in the lives of those higher up the career ladder.
Strong coffees (espresso and macchiato) are the coffees of choice amongst this high achieving group, with two thirds of those in top management roles (66%) and more than three quarters of ambitious workers (77%) choosing these compared to milky lattes (43%), though the cappuccino tops the list as the nation’s favourite coffee. Over half (55%) of those in top management roles resort to bringing in their own coffee from home because the office coffee isn’t up to scratch, showing how important quality coffee is to this group of high achieving decision-makers.
Brema Drohan, UK Managing Director for Nespresso says, “Nespresso is experiencing continued and impressive growth, showing how there is increasing desire for quality coffee in the UK; a truth which is echoed in the research. There is a marked evolution in the way coffee is now fitting into our lives and an ever growing desire for quality coffee in the UK. As a response to this we are opening the Boutique in the heart of the capital. We’re confident that London’s new flagship will be welcomed by the UK’s increasingly discerning coffee drinkers.”
The research comes as Nespresso opens the doors of its new flagship Boutique on Regent Street, London. The unique retail experience on one of London’s most popular shopping streets offers customers a multi-sensorial space where they can discover the entire Nespresso product range whilst enhancing their own coffee expertise.