Coffee Breaks Replacing Tea Time In UK

LONDON: Coffee is closing the gap with tea as the most popular hot drink outside the home in the UK, The Financial Times reported Jan. 18. Of more than 11 billion cups of tea and coffee served outside the home per year, tea consumption has stagnated for the last five to 10 years, the report said. In contrast, "the coffee market has grown and looks like it will eventually overtake tea," James Murray, a researcher at Foodservice Intelligence told the paper. A report by Foodservice Intelligence said specialist coffee shops such as Starbucks and Coffee Republic sell 5% of the roast and ground coffee consumed outside the home in the UK, although they account for only 1% of the food service outlets. Workplace vending areas or cafeterias account for 21% of the tea and coffee drunk every year, it said. The report also found roast and ground are the most popular forms of coffee, accounting for 55% of the 5 billion cups served every year.