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Britain’s new favourite drink has been revealed (and no, it’s not tea)

According to a new study, the UK’s battle of the brews has an unexpected winner

Charmaine Wong
Written by
Charmaine Wong
Contributor, Time Out Travel
Union jack mug
Photograph: Shutterstock
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When it comes to quintessentially British things, you’d think there’s nothing more entwined with our national identity than a good ol’ fashioned cup of traditional breakfast tea. A cuppa (and a biscuit or scone) practically runs in our blood: it’s cemented in Brit culture and something we’re known for all over the world. 

If you’d assumed that tea was our nation’s favourite drink, however, you’d be wrong. Well, that’s according to new data from Statistica Global Consumer, anyway. 

Statista’s review revealed that four per cent more Brits now drink coffee more regularly than tea. That’s right: coffee is now the country’s drink of choice. 

Coffee apparently flew off supermarket shelves in the UK at almost twice the rate of tea in the year between March 2022 and March 2023. Ninety-five million cups of the gloopy, dark brown stuff were consumed in Britain alone, which is, whichever way you look at it, a lot of coffee.

And it’s not difficult to see why this is happening. The sheer number of coffee-related businesses in the UK these days, from independent artisans and franchise outlets to coffee subscription services, mean it’s practically everywhere. It’s never been easier or cheaper to get a cup of coffee, whatever your preference.  

If you’re interested in finding out more, you can check out the Statista data for yourself here. And if this article has got you fancying a cuppa, check out our top picks for the best coffee in London

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