Coffee trends in the UK to look out for in 2020

As another years starts, here’s our round up of some of the trends that we think you’ll be seeing in the coffee world in 2020.

An increase in speciality coffee shops

There is an expected increase in the number of speciality shops in the UK, with almost two-thirds speciality coffee retailers saying that they plan to open new stores in the next year or two.

New non-dairy & plant based milk alternatives for coffee

More non-dairy milk variations are coming on stream, so as well as the well-established soy, oat and almond milks, new options such as coconut, cashew, macadamia and rice milks are likely to make more of an appearance in 2020.

Ethical and sustainably sourced coffee

Sustainable and ethical supply continues to be an issue in the coffee market, and it will only become more important to coffee drinkers that as well as demanding that their favourite brew is being produced in an environmentally friendly way, but that the coffee producers are getting properly rewarded for their hard work. (Update December 2022 – you can read more about Social Espresso’s ethical and sustainable coffee in our article here ‘Our event coffee is ‘ethically sourced, sustainable coffee’ – but what does this actually mean?‘)

And it’s not just the coffee that will need to be sustainable, as people become increasingly aware of the need to have sustainable produced takeaway coffee cups, lids, stirrers, straws and the like.

Coffee cocktails and beers

Coffee cocktails are making more of an appearance, such as coffee negroni, coffee gin & tonic and the espresso martini. Coffee beer is also being developed, for example Square Mile Coffee Roaster joined with Cloudwater Co to release Imperial Brown Ale, which uses a Burundian coffee, infused with fresh vanilla pods, and Ozone Coffee Roasters and Hackney Brewery collaborated to develop a sour coffee beer.

Brexit uncertainty

There is still considerable confusion in the UK as to its future relationship with the European Union, which could significantly affect the coffee sector. However, the general view is that the coffee industry is fairly resilient, with many believing that the coffee industry will continue to perform well due to increasing demand for the ‘coffee experience’.