Boost for coffee as tea takes nose dive in U.K.

A new report suggesting tea is declining in popularity should come as no surprise to pubs cashing in on the UK’s growing coffee culture.

A report from market analyst Mintel shows that tea sales have declined from a total of £707m in 1999 to £623m in 2004. Katy Hilditch, beverages category lead at Nestlé, believes that expanding coffee sales can take the credit – or blame, depending on your perspective.

“Coffee is one of the most popular beverages in the UK today,” she said. “Last year in the UK, we spent £738m on coffee and drank approximately 70 million cups a day.”

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