Despite 15 years of rapid expansion, analysts says Britain's coffee shop sector remains one of the most successful in the UK economy and will continue to expand. So why has a nation of tea drinkers become so obsessed with milky lattes?
According to analysts at Barclays, the way Britons are drinking coffee has changed. They point out that, although the coffee shop market, has continued to grow, coffee consumption per head hasn't. In fact, consumption levels are now lower than they were in 2006. Britons consume 2.8kg per head, just a fraction of the 7kg consumed in Germany, 7.1kg in Sweden and 5.5kg in France.