Coffee is one of those things every office needs, and everyone has an opinion about. However, not a lot of businesses take into account the UK workplace coffee statistics.
These stats include how much coffee people in the UK are really drinking, how much of that happens during the working day, and whether any of it actually makes a difference to productivity, retention or how employees feel about coming into the office.
We’ve pulled together the most recent UK workplace coffee statistics and explained what each one actually means for employers
How much coffee does the UK drink?
The UK drinks approximately 98 million cups of coffee a day, according to the British Coffee Association. And coffee consumption has grown by more than a third in under two decades, with workplaces having absorbed a meaningful share of that growth.
Coffee isn’t a niche perk anymore. It’s a daily habit for the large majority of the workforce, and having some form of coffee in the office is now close to a baseline expectation rather than a bonus.
How much coffee do employees drink during the working day?
This is one of the most telling UK workplace coffee statistics for employers, because it points straight at demand.
A 2025 survey of 20,000 UK workers by Pressat found consumption varies hugely by profession:
- Journalists and media professionals: 3.62 cups a day
- Healthcare workers: 3.60 cups a day
- Police officers: 2.52 cups a day
- Electricians, marketers and advertising professionals: around 1.3 cups a day or fewer
If you’re stocking coffee for a specific team rather than an office-wide average, it’s worth factoring in what that team actually does all day.
A 2017 YouGov survey of over 8,000 workers across six European countries, including the UK, is still the most detailed of its kind, despite being nearly 10 years old. It shows that around 68% of workers always or often drink coffee during the working day. The top reasons for that being: taste (56%), the chance to pause and rest (40%), and feeling more alert (29%).
How much do people spend on coffee?
At home, coffee spend is modest. Defra data puts the average weekly household spend on coffee at just 49p per person.
Out of the house, it’s a different story. The average spend per visit to a UK coffee shop is £6.23, according to Project Café UK 2025 — up 5% on the year before. With 60% of consumers now visiting a coffee shop multiple times a week, that adds up fast for anyone buying their coffee out rather than drinking it at their desk.
That gap between a 49p cup at home and a £6.23 coffee shop visit is exactly why in-office coffee has become such an easy cost to justify. For the full breakdown of what running an in-office coffee setup actually costs, see our guide to how much workplace coffee really costs.
Coffee, hybrid working and “coffee badging”
Hybrid working has visibly changed office coffee culture.
Owl Labs’ 2025 report found 44% of hybrid employees admit to “coffee badging” — showing up to the office for just a few hours, largely to be seen, before leaving again. A further 10% are planning to try it. Free or subsidised food and drink ranked among the top incentives (31%) that would bring employees in more often.
Hybrid working is also now the default rather than the exception. CIPD research found 41% of employers run formalised hybrid policies, with a further 19% operating informal arrangements.
A well-stocked, genuinely good coffee setup gives hybrid employees a reason to stay for the full day rather than badge in and leave. It’s a far lower-cost lever than compensation or commuting subsidies. We go into this in more depth in why quality office coffee matters more in hybrid workplaces.
Coffee, concentration and productivity
Does coffee actually help people focus? The evidence says yes, within reason.
A more recent 2024 review published in Progress in Brain Research goes further, finding that moderate coffee consumption can meaningfully improve attention, processing speed, decision-making and executive function, all of which matter for getting through a busy workday. We’ve covered this in more depth in coffee and cognitive performance.
The European Food Safety Authority backs this up: a dose of 75–150mg of caffeine, roughly one cup of coffee, is enough to increase alertness and attention.
The productivity case for workplace coffee isn’t just marketing. It has a genuine, if modest, evidence base, particularly for roles that need sustained concentration or safety-critical focus. For the fuller picture of what’s happening in the brain, see our article on how coffee can boost your brain.
Coffee as a workplace benefit
Some of the most striking UK workplace coffee statistics concern retention, not consumption.
A Perkbox and TalentPool survey of 2,315 UK workers found:
- 84% of employees appreciate free tea and coffee as a workplace perk
- It was the most commonly advertised perk in UK job descriptions (mentioned in 47% of those studied)
- But among employees’ own top 10 desired perks, free coffee and hot drinks ranked 9th, behind more experiential perks like social clubs, games and discounts
Coffee is clearly appreciated, but it’s not what tips the scales on its own. Treat it as part of the wellbeing and retention conversation rather than a facilities afterthought. See our roundup of eco-friendly employee perks that support wellbeing for more ideas in the same vein.
What employees expect from their workplace
Coffee is just one piece of a bigger picture. According to Owl Labs’ 2025 data, these are the top things employees prioritise most:
- Compensation: 92%
- A supportive manager: 90%
- Good technology: 89%
- Benefits: 87%
- Free or subsidised food and drink: 31%
While Coffee provision won’t replace the fundamentals, it’s one of the more visible, easily delivered items on a list.
Sustainability and ethically sourced coffee
Sustainability isn’t just a nice-to-have anymore. It’s gaining commercial traction, and research is backing it up.
The Fairtrade Foundation found that Fairtrade coffee sales rose 15% during Fairtrade Fortnight in 2025, outperforming the wider hot drinks market. Research carried out by Kantar for Fairtrade also found that 95% of UK shoppers believe businesses should take responsibility for human rights throughout their supply chains.
For businesses, ethically sourced coffee says something about who you are, not just what’s in the cup. It matters in client-facing spaces, and it matters to staff who care where their coffee, and everything else in the office, comes from. It’s why our own coffee is built around Fairtrade, organic Puro sourcing and sustainability.
Ready to upgrade your workplace coffee?
These UK workplace coffee statistics make the business case. The next step is putting it into practice.
Explore our range of office coffee machines, built to suit teams of any size, and see why businesses like Abbey Road Studios, DHL and UCL already trust us to keep their offices running on great coffee.
Find your office coffee machine →
Frequently asked questions
How much coffee does the average UK employee drink at work?
It varies a lot by profession, from around 3.6 cups a day for journalists and healthcare workers down to 1.3 cups or fewer for electricians and marketers, according to a 2025 Pressat survey of 20,000 UK workers.
Does coffee actually improve productivity at work?
A peer-reviewed Cardiff University study found that higher caffeine consumption is linked to greater alertness, faster reaction times, and roughly half the risk of cognitive failures and workplace accidents, compared with lower consumption.
How much does a day in the office cost UK employees?
Hybrid and in-office workers spend an average of £47 a day when working from the office, including around £10 on breakfast and coffee, versus £13 a day working from home, according to Owl Labs’ 2025 State of Hybrid Work report.
What is “coffee badging”?
Coffee badging is when hybrid employees come into the office for just a few hours, often just to be seen, before leaving again. Owl Labs found 44% of UK hybrid employees admit to doing this.
Do UK employees care about ethically sourced coffee?
Yes. Fairtrade coffee sales rose 15% during Fairtrade Fortnight 2025, outperforming the wider market, and 95% of UK shoppers believe businesses should take responsibility for supply chain ethics, according to Fairtrade Foundation and Kantar research.
Ready to find the right workplace coffee solution?
Whether you’re replacing an ageing machine or introducing premium coffee to your workplace for the first time, our team can help you choose the right setup for your business.
Arrange a workplace coffee tasting, compare different machines and discover which coffee your team enjoys most, all before making a decision.
