The OnePoll survey also found that 64% of consumers rated the coffee served in independent and fine dining establishments as excellent or good, compared to only 22% in fast food outlets and just 10% in pubs.
When ordering coffee taste outweighs price – 68% of respondents rated quality as a very important or important factor.
Figures also found that the quality of the coffee on a menu also impacts significantly on customer retention, with consumers citing poor quality coffee as a very likely or likely reason not to return to an establishment: fine dining restaurants (40%), pubs (33%), independent restaurants (36%) and fast food outlets (30%). Consumers aged 45+ are more likely to not return to a restaurant, pub or fast food outlet if the coffee is of poor quality.
The results also highlight an emerging consumer trend – ‘coffee as the new dessert’. Increasingly, diners are opting for a cup of coffee to end a meal instead of dessert. 8 out of 10 consumers now consider ordering a coffee rather than dessert when eating out, with more than a quarter (27%) regularly choosing coffee over the dessert option on the menu.
Elaine Higginson, managing director at United Coffee UK & Ireland, said: “We’re not just passionate about coffee but insight and trends too. By investing in this in-depth research, we’re able to share its invaluable findings about the nation’s coffee drinking behaviour with our customers, to help them reap the benefits and profitability of serving up high quality high quality, great tasting coffee in their establishment."