10 British coffee facts celebrating International Coffee Day

In celebration of International Coffee Day (October 1st, 2018), Mintel has compiled 10 tantalising coffee facts guaranteed to quench the thirst of the nation’s coffee lovers. From a cup of instant to the finest cup of freshly ground brews, Mintel’s research will get your heart racing.

• Coffee drinking is ingrained among Brits as, today, a coffee-loving four in five (79%) adults drink coffee at home.
• Drunk by 62% of adults, instant coffee is the nation’s number one in-home coffee brew, followed by ground coffee (24%) and coffee pods (15%).
• Keeping up appearances, as many as one in five (20%) coffee-drinking Brits say they would be embarrassed to serve instant coffee to their guests. But it is the nation’s young (aged 16-34) who are Britain’s top coffee snobs, 31% of whom would be embarrassed to serve a cup of instant coffee.
• Jumping on the cold brew craze, a cool 32% of coffee drinkers say they are interested in making cold brew coffee at home, rising to 53% of 16-34-year-olds.
• An essential part of Brits’ drinking repertoire, 46% of coffee drinkers admit they find it difficult to get going in the morning without a ‘cup of the brown stuff’.
• While it’s been touted as a food villain, a third (32%) of British coffee drinkers add sugar to their coffee. Meanwhile, seven in ten (68%) users add milk or cream to their cuppa and a decadent 5% add flavour syrup.
• The high streets may be lined with coffee shops, but a concerned 71% of coffee drinkers believe takeaway coffee cups are bad for the environment. Opting for a more environmentally-friendly approach to their brew, three in ten (30%) coffee drinkers take a thermos/flask to drink on the go.
• Highlighting the greener side of British coffee lovers, 83% of coffee drinkers would like coffee packaging to be fully recyclable. But, according to Mintel Global New Products Database (GNPD), just 41% of coffee launches in 2017 carried an environmentally-friendly packaging claim. A further 45% of coffee drinkers are interested in reusable coffee pods that they can fill with their own coffee.
• While caffeinated coffee remains the norm, a sizeable 20% of coffee drinkers have decaffeinated coffee in their diet. Overall, 18% of Brits worry about being too reliant on caffeine, while a confused 46% say it’s difficult to know how much caffeine is safe to drink.
• Keeping the nation full of beans, a quarter (26%) of coffee drinkers say they drink coffee before a workout to boost their exercise performance. And, ending on a high, 46% believe drinking coffee has its health benefits.

Anita Winter, Mintel Research Analyst, said:

“Brits have become a country of coffee drinkers. While instant coffee is the nation’s most favoured variety, the popularity of artisan coffee shops has helped some coffee drinkers, especially younger ones, to regard themselves as coffee connoisseurs. Many consumers are even ashamed to give their guests the instant version, perhaps because they believe that some instant coffee is cheaper and therefore inferior.

“Cold brew has enjoyed an increasing profile in coffee shops, so much so that many Brits are considering making it at home. Brands can make the most of this by highlighting specific coffee variants that are particularly suitable for making cold brew and increase new usage opportunities.”