Britain's reputation as a nation of tea drinkers is in danger from the coffee shops that have sprung up all across the nation. However, the increasing numbers of coffee shops have not led to a huge increase in the quantity of coffee being consumed. In fact, the per-capita level of coffee consumption in the UK is just 2.8 kg annually—just over half of what Americans get through each year. Brazil, which has been the largest exporter of coffee around the world since the nineteenth century, consumes over 6 kg per capita of the beverage each year. Finland leads the band of coffee drinkers by a large margin, consuming 12 kg per capita annually.
So why are there so many coffee shops in the UK when the amount of coffee being drunk is so low?
According to studies, Brits prefer to use the coffee shop as a place to relax or work, and they will linger around long after the coffee has been drunk. This behaviour accounts for the comparatively higher cost of a cup of the beverage in the UK. At around £2.50 for a cup of coffee, that price includes rent for the time the customer spends using the wi-fl and the space. Italians, on the other hand—though equally strongly linked to coffee, consuming just over 3 kg per capita annually—see their coffee shops very differently. Italians choose their coffee shops by locality and how friendly the place feels. They drink their espressos quickly at the bar and are unlikely to stay for long. That's why a cup of coffee in Italy costs as little as £1.