Students Prefer Craft Coffee to Bargain-Basement Beer
Students in Britain are instigating something of a lifestyle revolution, a new report suggests.
According to the survey, conducted by the National Union of Students (NUS) and the market research firm YouthSight, university goers are leaving union-run bars comparatively empty.
Instead of having a pint of Snakebite (or Diesel, depending where you are in the country) or a mother’s ruin and lemonade, students are opting to have a flat white instead.
The survey of 1,000 undergraduates found that half of students described campus coffee shops as being ‘beneficial’. Even more interesting to note was that 87% of people polled classed themselves as a coffee shop regular. Compare that to a figure of 74% for bars and pubs.
So, what is the reason behind this shift? Why is the classic depiction of a student becoming outdated?
“Ten or fifteen years ago, people went to university, obviously to learn something, but also to make friends and have a good time,” says the NUS’ Richard Brooks.
“But since the introduction of the £9,000-a-year fees regime in 2012, students have become much more focused on employment prospects.”
“Today’s students are now much more likely to set up an academic society [or a] social enterprise.”
Basically, students are not the two-for-one swilling, Monday, Thursday, Saturday night-clubbing group that we were. Instead, today’s generation are now more likely to settle down to study and form societies over a flat white.
The NUS added that sales of hot drinks rose by an impressive 11% across all affiliated unions in the past twelve months, a rise that reflects Britain’s wide obsession with all things to with coffee.
Impressively, the student sector is one of the fastest growing areas of the UK-coffee shop industry – an industry that saw revenue top £8 billion last year.
And it isn’t just about quantity. The majority of people – students included – are interested in quality coffee.
“Britain is becoming a nation of coffee connoisseurs,” said Jeffrey Young, the managing director of the research and insight group Allegra.
“Coffee is becoming like wine – people want to learn how to taste it, where it’s from, how it’s made.
“The thirst and desire to have better quality coffee is growing.”
Photo: freeimages.com/Holger Dieterich