Does Manchester prefer coffee or cocktails?

Written by I Love MCR
Last updated 7 years ago
Food & Drink, Videos

Coffee culture is on the rise. There has been a huge increase in the number of coffee shops across the country in the last few years and Manchester is no exception.

Coffee machine supplier Honest Coffees researched data from the 20 most populated cities in the UK to find which are more coffee-friendly and which have more of a pub culture.

The study found growing trend for coffee over alcohol in many parts of the UK. Cardiff has the highest ratio of coffee shops to pubs in the UK (46% of drinking establishments are coffee shops), followed by London and Belfast.

Cities with more of a pub culture include Sunderland (where 80% of all drinking establishments are pubs), Hull and Nottingham.

According to the survey, 39% of drinking establishments in Manchester are coffee shops – the 6th highest in the survey.

Coffee shops are nothing new to the UK. Coffee culture dates back to 17th- and 18th-century London, where coffee shops, rather than pubs, were the meeting places of artists, poets, socialites, and politicians.

Honest Coffees founder Wyatt Cavalier says: “Pubs by their very name are public meeting places and have always been a great venue to meet in a social setting.

“The coffee shop offers a new place for socialising that fills a hole in British society. Coffee shops tend to be more female-orientated, family-friendly and are open all day. And while alcohol is classified as a downer, coffee is an upper, which is why it makes sense that the growth of coffee culture also perpetuates a healthier, more active society.

“Thousands of pubs up and down the country have started to embrace the coffee shop culture, becoming more and more inclusive and a more attractive proposition for families and a wider market generally.”

And despite Britain’s love for a pint, another nationwide survey of 2,000 people by Honest Coffees found that 74% of Brits would quit alcohol over caffeine if they had to choose.

What about you? Do you prefer coffee to cocktails? Latte to lager?

Did we miss something? Let us know: [email protected]

Want to be the first to receive all the latest news stories, what’s on and events from the heart of Manchester? Sign up here.

For the love of Manchester...

Manchester is a successful city, but there are many people that suffer. The I Love MCR Foundation helps raise vital funds to help improve the lives and prospects of people and communities across Greater Manchester – and we can’t do it without your help. So please donate or fundraise what you can because investing in your local community to help it thrive can be a massively rewarding experience. Thank you in advance!