Pandemic fuelled bonanza for baristas
A surprising side effect of the pandemic induced collapse in office commuters has been the growth in independent neighbourhood coffee shops.
While city centre sandwich shops and transport hub food chains have seen a collapse in trade, World Coffee Portal reports a 40% decline in sales in branded coffee shops, demand has been simply displaced.
It would seem it will take more than a pandemic to end Britain’s love affair with the latte.
An estimated 30 billion cups of coffee are enjoyed in the UK each year worth more than ￡10 billion to the economy.
A quick glance around my local area tells me my neighbours are doing their bit to boost the nation’s caffeine intake. As more people are forced to work from home clearly they are not quite ready to make their own brew just yet.
In less than a three-minute walk from my front door I’m taken to the counter of no less than 15 outlets serving everything from a Hot Belgian Chocolate Mocha to a Caramel Machiatto.
At least one third of them have appeared over the past 12 months and apart from a well-known northeast baker, every one an independent.
Up until the Covid 19 emergency coffee sales in the UK were growing year on year by more than 7% and experienced 20 years of continuous growth according to food and drink market researchers Allegra.
But while coffee chains report declining sales the same researchers found that 80% of independent coffee owners reported sales growth over the past 12 months.
Anecdotal evidence of the number of people wandering around local parks clutching a reusable mug full of ground Arabica would seem to support this.
Even my local cricket club is tapping into the demand serving take-outs to walkers looking for a quick caffeine fix.
