Young coffee drinkers are not satisfied with a cup of instant, says YouGov

9th August 2010, 8:37am

Young coffee drinkers are more likely to choose alternatives such as a cappuccino (43%), a latte (39%) and an americano (22%) rather than drink a cup of instant coffee, according to new research from YouGov SixthSense.

Research director for YouGov SixthSense, James McCoy, said there is definitely a generational divide in the coffee market: "What we are seeing here are two very different coffee drinking cultures informed by two different consumer experiences. The younger generation has grown up with Starbucks, Costa, Café Nero etc. offering a more varied and comprehensive coffee menu.

"Also, young people are used to meeting with their friends at places like coffee shops where conversation can be carried out over a freshly brewed coffee, Friends-style. The previous generation hosted more and, therefore, was more inclined to resort to whatever was in the kitchen cupboard if and when a guest requested coffee."

The report also found that 12% of Londoners say that they regularly drink 'freshly brewed coffee' for breakfast during the week, compared to Wales (6%), the Midlands (5%) and Northern Ireland (1%). 

Meanwhile a smaller proportion of Londoners (69%) has drunk a cup of instant coffee in the past month than anywhere else in the UK, while the North (84%) is the region with the most drinkers of instant brands such as Nescafe, Kenco etc.

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Helen Strong

09 August 2010 at 11:50am

The report is true. My thirteen and fifteen year old girls would much prefer a cappacino than instant coffee!!!

Martin W

10 August 2010 at 10:31am

Interesting figures on a North-South divide. Our experience, based on multi-site FE service provision is that the 16-19's prefer a great Hot Chocolate offer to any coffee variant, but really value the coffee chain environment.

Jamie M

10 August 2010 at 1:06pm

I myself grew up drinking instant coffee (not that I'm fully grown up yet, at the age of 20), but after a short while using a cafetiere, I now struggle to drink instant coffee, as I find it incredibly bitter. I often encounter the same problem when ordering an americano in a coffee shop, and as such I tend to take a liking to a place far quicker if they offer filter coffee as well.

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