At Liquidline Ireland we’re passionate about coffee. We supply the very best commercial coffee machines to businesses throughout Ireland, and our very own Café Bonté range of coffees was designed to provide exceptional everyday coffee experiences. Great coffee is at the core of our business, and we’ve learnt a few things along the way, so we thought we’d share a few of our favourite facts and stats about Irish coffee culture.
The coffee market has grown substantially over the past few years, with many tea drinkers replacing their caffeine hit with coffee. Over half of Irish adults now consume coffee every day, with one third consuming several cups per day.
Irish coffee drinkers prefer a stronger cup of coffee than their British neighbours. An iReach Consumer Omnibus Survey conducted in 2020 found that the Americano was Ireland’s favourite speciality coffee with a whopping 32% of votes. This was followed closely by the cappuccino with 24% and latte with 21%.
Whilst only one-third of coffee drinkers have experimented with plant-based alternatives to milk, those that have most prefer almond milk (36%), followed by soya milk (24%) and oat milk (21%). Dairy alternatives are most popular amongst the younger generations, with two-thirds of Gen Z and half of Millenials trying plant-based milk.
Despite the pandemic, the Irish coffee shop market actually grew in 2020 by 1.9% with 7% market growth predicted over the next 5 years.
Over three-quarters of coffee drinkers in Ireland say that taste is the most important factor when choosing coffee over other beverages. Nearly half (42%) of coffee drinkers use it to wake them up in the morning, whilst 37% say it fuels their concentration.
Three-quarters of Irish coffee consumers want their coffee to be sustainable. 65% own a reusable cup, with 23% saying they will sacrifice a caffeine hit if they have forgotten their reusable cup.
Enjoyed widely across the world, this classic mix of coffee and Irish whiskey wasn’t invented until the early 1940s. The story goes that Joe Sheridan, chef at Foynes Port near Limerick, an airbase for transatlantic flights, added Irish whiskey to coffee to warm cold and weary passengers who had their flight delayed due to poor weather conditions. Irish coffee became a popular speciality at the airport and in the 1950s it became a huge hit in the United States.
Costa Coffee operate 122 coffee outlets in Ireland. Former market leaders Insomnia have 95 outlets, whilst the third-largest chain is Starbucks with 79 outlets.
Over 70% of Irish consumers surveyed by World Coffee Portal have used a self-service coffee vending machine. This comes as no surprise with quality and convenience cited as the two biggest motivations for purchasing coffee.
People in Ireland spend more money per person on Fairtrade goods than any other country on the planet, with coffee making up 60% of Fairtrade sales.
If you’re looking to WOW your team and customers with fantastic coffee, produced using the very latest in coffee machine technology, please speak to our friendly team today. We’ll provide a unique quote based on your exact needs, providing a coffee solution that’s custom-made for your business and ensuring you get the most bang for your buck.
