3 new coffee shops a day

IF your local high street seems to be nothing but branches of Starbucks, Costa Coffee and Caffe Nero, you’re not alone.

Three new coffee shops opened in Britain every day in the past year, a report found.

Experts predict the number of coffee shops – both chains and independents – could overtake pubs by 2030.

The study commissioned by UK Coffee Week found 1,222 coffee shops opened in the past year, bringing the UK total to 23,000. The industry contributes £8.9billion to the economy, the report said, adding that Britons now drink 2.3billion cups a year in coffee shops.

Jeffrey Young, founder of UK Coffee Week, told Retail Times: ‘The UK has embraced coffee culture in a phenomenal way.’