Tea dethroned as Britain's favourite beverage as bombshell survey reveals new king of the kettle

A new poll has found that 56% of people now prefer coffee to tea, with younger Britons in particular behind the trend and the nation's coffee capital also revealed

Coffee has overtaken traditional tea as Britain's favourite hot drink.

A new survey has found 56% of people prefer the black stuff to a cuppa.

The research also revealed that the nation's favourite coffee is a milky latte, with 46% of people saying this was their go-to.

The Latte, meaning “milk” in Italian, is a shot of espresso into which hot, steamed milk is added, before it is followed by a light layer of foam. It began to be popularised in 1950s Italy - but really took off when it became more standardised in Seattle during the 1980s and then spread throughout the western world during the 1990s.

In second place was the Cappuccino, followed by the Flat White and the classic Espresso, according to the research by Italian home appliances brand, De’Longhi.

Younger Gen-Z adults, those aged 18 to 27, are keener on coffee than older generations with the research revealing they spend £64.50 a month on it, more than twice that of the £28 spent by over 60s. Meanwhile 87% of younger Britons describe themselves as a “coffee connoisseur” compared to 66% of over 60s.

Regionally, the coffee capital of the UK is Newcastle where people drink 17 cups of coffee a week, compared to the least caffeinated city in the UK, Coventry, where residents only drink 11.

De’Longhi Marketing Director Helen Cutmore said, "It’s evident from this research that consumer tastes really differ.”

Last year data from the Statista Global Consumer review found 4% more people in the UK drink coffee more regularly than tea.

The UK's top 10 favourite coffees

1. Latte

2. Cappuccino

3. Flat White

4. Espresso

5. Iced coffee

6. Mocha

7. White Americano

8. Flavoured coffees, e.g. caramel latte

9. Black Americano

10. Oat milk latte