Are Gen Z killing off the cuppa? Young people are ditching hot tea

Are Gen Z killing off the cuppa? Young people are ditching hot brews for trendy iced drinks like kombucha instead

• Gen Z say they prefer a nice cold drink over a cup of tea, new data shows
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A humble cup of tea is an integral part of British culture, beloved by generations of people who enjoy it while having a catch-up with friends or relaxing at home.

But the dominance of a nice cuppa might soon be no more, with Generation Z preferring cold drinks over a warm brew, a new survey has revealed. 

Those aged 18 to 24 would prefer a lemonade, kombucha or juice over a cup of tea when catching up with friends and family.

Almost half said fizzy iced drinks or juices were preferred to coffee, tea and hot chocolate, the research conducted by The Ice Co, Europe’s leading ice manufacturer shows. 

The survey also looked into Brits’ conversational habits more generally, uncovering that the younger generation is also ignoring calls from family and friends the most – instead relying more on instant messaging to catch-up with loved ones.

A humble cup of tea is an integral part of British culture, beloved by generations of people who enjoy it while having a catch-up with friends or relaxing at home. But the dominance of a nice cuppa might soon be no more, with Generation Z preferring cold drinks over a warm brew, a new survey has revealed (stock image)

Lucy Redman, head of marketing at The Ice Co, said: ‘Catching up with friends and family is so important for our well-being, but so many of us – Gen Z especially – are relying on text messages to have important conversations rather than picking up the phone – or even better, meeting face to face over a drink!

‘Worryingly, our research also showed that the cost-of-living crisis is having a real impact on how often we’re seeing our friends and family too, as the purse strings tighten and we go out to bars and cafés less. 

Gen Z prefer cold drinks over tea 

The new research shows that 45 per cent of Gen Zs (18-24-year-olds) would choose a cold drink, such as lemonade or juice, to catch-up with friends or family, compared with just 41% who would choose a cup of tea, coffee or hot chocolate. 

In fact, 74 per cent of 18-24-year-olds admit to ignoring calls from family and friends, compared with only 21 per cent of over-65s. 

Meanwhile, almost a quarter of Gen Zs haven’t called a friend in at least three months or longer.

Gen Z is also the most likely generation to deliver personal news (such as an engagement) via text, as opposed to a phone call or in-person.

Despite this, Gen Zs are the Brits who benefit most from catching up with their friends and family, with 58 per cent saying they feel happier after meeting for a chat and 35 per cent saying it makes them feel less stressed.

With this in mind, The Ice Co is encouraging Brits to come together to have more meaningful conversations over an icy, refreshing drink – which ranked top for our preferred way to meet family and friends.

According to the research, our favourite setting to catch-up with friends and family is over a drink – either in a bar/café (45 per cent) or at one of our homes (44 per cent).

 

‘And Gen Z is the worst-affected age group, with 42 per cent going out with friends and family less now since the cost-of-living crisis started.

Elsewhere,  data from household and garden retailer wilko shows glass coffee-style mugs, made popular by chains such as Starbucks, are outselling conventional tea mugs by 20 per cent.

The figures show wilko’s most popular latte cup is considerably more popular than its top-selling tea mug.

Tea first landed on British shores in the 17th century and boomed to become part of people’s everyday life, however, the data indicates the nation’s love of tea is beginning to wane in favour of coffee.

The ultra-caffeinated hot drink has also been around for hundreds of years, but it’s rocketed in popularity this century due to the success of chains such as Costa and Starbucks.

A survey in 2021 from Statista found coffee and tea to be the UK’s favourite drink in equal measure, with both beverages consumed by 63 per cent of the survey respondents regularly.

However, new research from wilko shows coffee could actually have overtaken tea in popularity – with a large number of households stocking up on new-style coffee glassware to cater to the UK’s new obsession with café culture.

Eleanor Davey, Senior Buyer at wilko, said: ‘There is no denying Britain’s love for a classic cup of tea. 

‘However, our latest data shows a significant increase in latte glasses in comparison to tea mugs, demonstrating a shift in the nation’s hot drink preferences.

‘That’s not to say the UK is turning its back on tea anytime soon! wilko still has a large number of tea mugs online and in-store, and we’re certain there’s still plenty of people out there who regularly opt for a brew instead of coffee to help them through the day’.

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