Gen Z is killing cups of tea and opting for cold drinks instead
Are Gen Z killing the cuppa? Youngsters are forgoing hot concoctions for trendy iced drinks like kombucha
A humble cup of tea is an integral part of British culture, loved by generations of people who enjoy it while catching up with friends or relaxing at home.
But the dominance of a good cup of coffee may soon be over, as Generation Z prefers cold drinks to a hot brew, a new study finds.
Those aged 18 to 24 prefer lemonade, kombucha or juice over a cup of tea when catching up with friends and family.
Nearly half said carbonated iced drinks or juices were preferred to coffee, tea and hot chocolate, according to research from The Ice Co, Europe’s largest ice cream maker.
The survey also looked at the conversational habits of Britons in general, which showed that the younger generation are also the most likely to ignore calls from family and friends – instead relying more on instant messaging to catch up with loved ones.
A humble cup of tea is an integral part of British culture, loved by generations of people who enjoy it while catching up with friends or relaxing at home. But the dominance of a nice cup of tea may soon no longer exist, as Generation Z prefers cold drinks to a hot brew, a new study finds (stock image)
Lucy Redman, head of marketing at The Ice Co, said: ‘Taking up with friends and family is so important to our well-being, but so many of us – especially Gen Z – rely on text messages to have important conversations rather than picking up the phone – or even better, meet face-to-face while enjoying a drink!
“Disturbingly, our research also showed that the cost of living crisis is having a real impact on how often we see our friends and family, as pockets tighten and we go out to bars and cafes less.
And Generation Z is the hardest hit age group, with 42 percent going out less with friends and family since the cost-of-living crisis began.
Elsewhere, data from home and garden store Wilko shows that glass coffee mugs, made popular by chains like Starbucks, outsell conventional tea mugs by 20 percent.
The numbers show that Wilko’s most popular latte cup is significantly more popular than its best-selling tea mug.
Tea first landed on Britain’s shores in the 17th century and boomed to become part of people’s everyday lives, but records indicate the country’s love of tea is beginning to wane in favor of coffee .
The ultra-caffeinated hot drink has also been around for hundreds of years, but has exploded in popularity this century thanks to the success of chains such as Costa and Starbucks.
A 2021 survey by Statista found that coffee and tea are equally the drink of choice in the UK, with both drinks being consumed regularly by 63 per cent of respondents.
However, new research from wilko shows that coffee could have overtaken tea in popularity – with a large number of households stocking up on new style coffee glassware to cater to the UK’s new obsession with café culture.
Eleanor Davey, Senior Buyer at wilko, said: ‘There’s no denying that Britain loves a classic cup of tea.
However, our most recent data shows a significant increase in latte glasses compared to tea mugs, demonstrating a shift in the country’s preferences for hot drinks.
‘That’s not to say the UK will be turning its back on tea any time soon! wilko still has a large number of tea mugs online and in store, and we’re sure there are still plenty of people who regularly opt for a brew over coffee to get through the day’.