UK | One in four coffee drinkers have ‘no idea’ where their morning brew comes from - found a poll of 2,000 people commissioned by Nestlé UK earlier this month.
The poll revealed that 48 percent of those surveyed didn’t know how long it takes to go from a humble coffee bean to a piping hot cup, and one in five (19 percent) said they were unsure how the drink is produced full stop.
Nearly one in 20 (four percent) even believe coffee is farmed here in the UK, with 45 percent admitting it can be easy to forget that coffee is a natural product from a tropical plant.
Jasmine Bilham, Nescafé Brand Manager at Nestlé UK and Ireland, which commissioned the research, said that coffee was so entrenched in daily routines that it could be easy to forget about the incredible journey it takes from countries like Brazil, Vietnam and Mexico to coffee factories in the UK.
“Understanding the coffee process helps us make better choices that positively impact the world around us,” said Bilham.
“264 cups of our coffee are drunk in the UK every second. That’s a lot of coffee drinkers who support responsible coffee farming and investments in recyclable packaging and renewable energy.”
The OnePoll research explored what influences shoppers when buying coffee – and found that price, coffee type and flavour preference are the most important factors, followed by roast level and aroma.
As for sustainability, eight in ten (81 percent) coffee drinkers agree coffee companies have a responsibility to be environmentally friendly and socially responsible.
And while two-thirds (67 percent) like to stick with the brands they know, of the 26 percent who say they like to try out different brands of coffee, 30 percent would choose a new brand based on how eco-friendly it is.
Bilham continued that as a leading food and drink company, Nestlé is responsible for delivering what shoppers want, using its scale, and focusing on sustainability as a force for good in the UK and worldwide.
“Eight decades of expertise go into sourcing our coffee beans responsibly. They’re tested seven times before reaching our Derbyshire factory, where our highly trained coffee testers work hard to ensure the end product consistently delivers the great taste and quality shoppers expect.”
The research also revealed that the average coffee drinker enjoys 657 cups every year – 48 percent valuing the warmth and comfort they get from the drink and 27 percent welcoming the energy boost it gives them.
Half of the coffee drinkers (50 percent) enjoy their coffee with just a dash of milk, a third (32 percent) like it very milky, and 16 percent have it black. And the majority (58 percent) don’t add sugar.
Seven in 10 (71 percent) said they have at least one mug every day, and 59 percent said it was essential their coffee was ‘spot on’ to ensure the day gets off to a good start.
