According to data from Lumina Intelligence’s Menu Tracker, the average price of a hot coffee across the UK eating and drinking out market in May was £2.88, versus £2.78 in February. An increase of +3.5%.
QSR sees the biggest price increase
The price of a hot coffee within quick service restaurants increased by +5.0% between February and May, from £2.26 to £2.37. Despite the steepest increase, the QSR channel is still the cheapest for hot coffee.
| Channel | Average Price of Coffee in May 2022 | % Change Versus February 2022 |
| Pubs & Bars | £3.24p | +44% |
| Coffee & Sandwich Sops | £2.94p | +3.1% |
| Restaurants | £2.77p | +4.7% |
| QSR | £2.37p | +5.0% |
Pubs and bars are the most expensive channel for hot coffee, charging on average £3.24 – an increase of +4.4% versus February 2022.
Greggs the cheapest for coffee in the coffee/sandwich operator segment
The average price of a hot coffee at Greggs in May 2022 was £1.90, an increase of +5.0% versus February 2022. In contrast, Creams Café had the highest average price for a hot coffee – £3.34. This is an increase of +29% versus February 2022. Notably, the average price of a hot coffee at Starbucks decreased over the same period – -0.8% to £3.13.
Lattes decrease in price, as Mochas drive highest price
The average price of a Latte in coffee and sandwich shops in May 2022 was £3.05, which is a -3.0% decrease versus February 2022. In contrast, the most expensive type of coffee is a Mocha, which costs, on average, £3.32 – an increase of +3.5% versus February 2022.
| Coffee Type | Average Price of Coffee in May 2022 | % Change Versus February 2022 |
| Mocha | £3.32p | +3.5% |
| Cappuccino | £3.29p | +4.6% |
| Latte | £3.05p | -3.0% |
| Flat White | £2.96p | +3.2% |
| Macchiato | £2.84p | +4.5% |
| Cortado | £2.65p | +3.1% |
| Americano | £2.55p | +2.8% |
| White Coffee | £2.40p | +2.6% |
| Expresso | £2.21p | +1.5% |
Commenting on the findings, Senior Insight Manager at Lumina Intelligence, Katherine Prowse, said:
“Amid decade high inflation, operators, manufacturers and consumers are facing significant challenges. To mitigate rising costs, operators are going to need to increase prices across the board and this is likely to be just the start, as inflation is forecast to increase. Operators still need to be mindful of consumer behaviour and strike the right balance between cost increases and offering good value.”
Find out more about Lumina Intelligence’s Menu Tracker here.
