RESIDENTS of Brighton are among the biggest coffee-drinkers in the UK, a new survey has revealed.

Research by the British Sandwich and Food to Go Association and the Kantar Group found that 56 percent of people in the city opted for a caffeine fix over the traditional tea.

However, the city placed third for coffee lovers, with Belfast and Glasgow having 61 per cent and 57 per cent of people respectively turning to coffee as their go-to drink.

Despite tea being a quintessential part of British identity, coffee has reigned supreme over the country, with 360 million cups of takeaway coffee purchased over the last year - roughly 11 per second. By contrast, only 65 million cups of takeaway tea were sold over the same period.

Top 10 UK cities of coffee drinkers

  1. Belfast - 61 per cent
  2. Glasgow - 57 per cent
  3. Brighton - 56 per cent
  4. Cardiff - 56 per cent
  5. Bristol - 54 per cent
  6. London - 54 per cent
  7. Nottingham - 53 per cent
  8. Newcastle - 52 per cent
  9. Leeds - 51 per cent
  10. Manchester - 51 per cent

Director of the British Sandwich and Food to Go Association Jim Winship said: “It’s not surprising that us Brits turned to coffee in lockdown. There is so much comfort in a hot cup of coffee alongside its abilities to wake us up, sharpen the mind and even boost metabolism.

“The pandemic has shifted our purchasing power away from tea and has now seen coffee become the hot drink of choice. But regardless of your own preference, in our opinion either is a ‘brew-tiful’ way to start the day.”

Recent studies have found that drinking coffee or tea regularly could reduce cognitive decline by as much as 37 per cent as you age, with other benefits including a reduced risk of diabetes and some cancers.

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