We are a nation of coffee lovers with 3 in 4 drinking an average of two cups of coffee every day and a third drinking three cups or more daily. That’s according to a new report by Bewley’s, Ireland’s leading coffee and tea company.

The report into Ireland’s coffee habits was carried out to mark International Coffee Day and examines coffee consumption, purchasing habits and consumer attitudes on the environmental impact of coffee culture in Ireland.

Conscious coffee

While as a nation we love our daily cups of coffee and 33 percent say they buy coffee on the go, we’re also conscious of our carbon footprint.  This is more prominent among the younger generation with nearly 50 percent of 18-34- years olds compared to 31 percent of over 55-year.

Three quarters (76 percent) of coffee drinkers also claim they are more likely to purchase coffee from a café that provide compostable cups.

In fact, such is our commitment to sustainability that nearly two thirds (65 percent) of Irish coffee drinkers own a reusable cup and nearly a quarter (23 percent) claim they do not buy a coffee in a single use cup if they have forgotten their reusable cup.

Proving that sustainability is very much top of mind 9 in 10 say they value a business and brand on their ethical behaviour and 68 percent of respondents claim they are likely to avoid cafés not selling Fairtrade.

Home Brewing

According to the Bewley’s research, while a third enjoy a coffee on the go, over half (53 percent) prefer to prepare their coffee at home. 52 percent have a coffee machine in their home, with the most popular type being coffee pod machines (50 percent), followed by Espresso machine (19 percent) and a Ground coffee machine (13 percent). With coffee machines in the home proving popular, instant coffee is still up there among coffee drinkers with 44 percent consuming a convenient instant cup of coffee at home and at work on a regularly basis.

Those between 18-34 years (39 percent) are less likely to consume coffee at home compared to those in the 55 years and over age group (67 percent). 

Ireland’s favourite coffee

The Americano leads the way as Ireland’s favourite coffee with 34% preferring it over milkier blends, with cappuccinos and lattes following in popularity, 25% and 23% respectively.

Commenting on the research findings Col Campbell, Managing Director, Bewley’s Grafton Street said, “Our customers are at the heart of everything we do, and we have been loyally serving them for over 175 years. It’s no surprise to see the importance of sustainability to the Irish coffee drinker. This has been a focus for us for a long time and we take it very seriously. Bewley’s coffee is served in 100 percent compostable coffee cups and we recently launched a range of compostable coffee pods for those drinking coffee at home.

We are at the forefront of Irish coffee culture and were the first to import Fairtrade coffee into Ireland, the first to introduce latte art, the first to roast coffee in-store and the first Carbon Neutral coffee roastery in Ireland. Over 175 years on from our beginnings we still love tea and coffee. It’s our passion and producing reports like this ensures we have our finger on the pulse when it comes to providing for our customers”.