We're tea sick! Survey shows Britain turning to coffee

The cup of English tea is out. Britain is becoming a coffee nation - and children as young as six are getting hooked.

A new survey reveals that Brits think coffee is trendier than than its traditional cousin.

Nearly half of adults surveyed - 45 per cent - believe coffee has a higher social status than tea, while only 12 per cent believe the reverse is true.

The poll of 2000 people also confirmed the stereotype of the City worker rushing to the office with a takeout latte in hand, with 70 per cent of high earners preferring coffee over tea.

And the nation’s love affair with coffee extends to children, with three quarters of those questioned saying they had their first cup by the age of 15 and nearly one third getting their caffeine fix between six and ten.

Three fifths said they choose coffee over tea as the preferred drink to be seen with when out with friends.

Over three quarters of senior managers (77 per cent) choose coffee over tea when meeting important business colleagues or clients, with those who deem themselves “ambitious” drinking 1.5 times more coffee than other people.

Meanwhile, four fifths of high earners say they need coffee to feel on the ball and be productive.

Britain also seems to be developing more refined coffee tastes.

One third of 18-24-year-olds are able to pair coffee with a meal course and a quarter say they know more about coffee than wine.

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.”

The survey was carried out by Nespresso, which opens the doors of its new flagship boutique on Regent Street this week.