The Best U.K. Cities for Coffee Lovers: An In-Depth Analysis

Disclaimer: We used Yelp as our main source for calculating the number of cafes, cake shops and coffee roasters in any given city. We understand this might not have provided definitive information.

Great Britain was once famous for being a nation of tea drinkers. However, that’s most definitely changed in recent times. In fact, according to the Statista Global Consumer Survey coffee has become the country’s favourite hot beverage.

Check out the British Coffee Association website and you’ll learn that Britons drink a staggering 98 million cups of coffee every day. What’s more, 80 percent of those who visit coffee shops do so once a week, with 16 percent of the population visiting once a day.

Needless to say, cafe culture in the U.K. is booming, and the country is now a true haven for coffee lovers. With that in mind, we decided to research the best U.K. cities for coffee lovers, taking a variety of factors into account. These included the number of coffee shops and coffee roasters as well as coffee pricing, search trends and annual coffee festivals and events.

Map of the Best U.K. Cities for Coffee Lovers

Key Takeaways

List of the Best U.K. Cities for Coffee Lovers

The Best U.K. Cities for Coffee Lovers

Let’s take a closer look at the British cities that topped our list, to find out why they’re the best cities for coffee in the country.

Salford

Located in Greater Manchester, Salford is a thriving city with its own distinct identity. Once an industrial centre, Salford is now a bustling cultural hub, with many media companies headquartered in the city’s Salford Quays development.

As it turns out, Salford is also far and away the best U.K. city for coffee lovers. While London boasts a vast coffee culture with 4,100 shops serving over 8.7 million residents, Salford stands out with 575 coffee shops for just 108,409 locals. That translates to one coffee shop for every 189 residents.

Although there’s only one coffee roaster in the city, Salford ranks in the top 10 for perceived coffee quality. In other words, it’s not difficult to find a really good cup of coffee in Salford!

With over 90 coffee-related events this year, there’s a strong coffee culture in this north-west city. Perhaps best of all, the price of coffee in Salford is among the lowest in Britain. In fact, on average, Durham is the only city with a cheaper cup of coffee.

London

Without a doubt, London is now one of the best coffee cities in the world. Britain’s capital city is a caffeine-lover’s dream come true. What’s more, numerous coffee events and festivals indicate that coffee is deeply embedded in the city’s cultural fabric.

Londoners share their city with 4,100 coffee shops – that’s one for every 2,141 residents. Although there are fewer cafes per capita here than in top-ranking Salford, London offers a staggering variety of places to choose from. And thanks to its cultural diversity, you’re able to find coffee specialties from every corner of the globe. So, whether it’s a Portuguese galão or a Vietnamese egg coffee You’re after, London has you covered!

While coffee is certainly expensive in London, the city is home to some world-class coffee roasters, including Square Mile Coffee Roasters. Founded in 2008 by Anette Moldvaer and James Hoffmann, Square Mile is still one of the most highly regarded roasters in the land.

Preston

Hot on the heels of London comes Preston, which ranks third overall on our list of the best U.K. cities for coffee lovers. Located in the county of Lancashire in North West England, Preston is relatively small. However, a vibrant arts and culture scene, a rich history and a beautiful setting combine to make this friendly city stand out. 

Still, with a combined total of 496 coffee shops, cake shops and patisseries, there’s approximately one coffee joint for every 203 Preston residents. What’s more, Preston ranks fifth overall for top-rated coffee, meaning folks in this city can easily access a fantastic cappuccino or flat white.

For those who enjoy something sweet with their coffee, Lancashire’s famous Eccles cake is a must-try delicacy. Made from flaky, buttery pastry and filled with currants, this small pie can be found in many of Preston’s bakeries.

Bath

The ancient city of Bath is one of Britain’s top tourist destinations, and for good reason. Apart from its stunning Georgian architecture and relaxing thermal spas, Bath is a buzzing cultural gem, replete with world-class shopping, dining and cultural activities.

Coming in fourth on our list of the best cities for coffee in the U.K., Bath is home to four coffee roasters. That’s pretty impressive for this compact old city!

Furthermore, there’s some seriously great speciality coffee to be had in Bath. Located at 6 Chapel Row, Colonna & Small’s is just one example of a stylish cafe offering truly excellent espresso drinks.

You won’t pay an exorbitant sum for a cup of coffee in Bath – the average price is around £3.04. Plus, in terms of coffee culture and interest, Bath ranks very highly, taking the number six spot on our list.

Brighton & Hove

Lying on the south coast of England in the county of Sussex, Brighton & Hove has been a popular seaside retreat since the 1700s. In more recent times, the city has become famous for its creative, free-thinking and inclusive spirit. Folks in Brighton & Hove celebrate diversity, making this city a vibrant and welcoming destination.

Interestingly, people drink more coffee here than almost anywhere else in the U.K., so it’s little surprise that Brighton ranked highly on our list for coffee accessibility and quality. Plus, search volumes for ‘coffee’ and ‘cafe’ are through the roof here. In other words, Brighton’s population is very engaged with the city’s coffee culture.

All this is exemplified by the annual Brighton Coffee Festival, which always sells out fast. In fact, the 2024 festival has been expanded to a full weekend. Featuring a latte art competition, live entertainment and loads of coffee-related activities, this popular festival shows just how important coffee is to the residents of Brighton & Hove.

The Least Favourable Cities for Coffee Lovers

As we’ve seen, Britain is home to some of the best coffee cities you’ll find anywhere. That said, our research did also reveal the least favourable U.K. cities for coffee lovers. These include Aberdeen, Lisburn, Plymouth, Dundee and Sunderland.

Sitting on the bottom of our list of the best U.K. cities for coffee lovers, Sunderland performed poorly in all categories. Although this northeastern city has a significantly larger population than Salford, it’s home to only 65 coffee shops, meaning there’s just one coffee shop for every 2,590 residents.

Dundee didn’t fare much better, coming in at 70th on our list. Not only is coffee rather expensive in this Scottish city, its residents don’t seem to show a lot of interest in coffee culture. With that said, Dundee ranked highly in terms of perceived quality of the coffee on offer.

Another city that ranked highly for coffee quality was Plymouth. However, this South Coast city ended up towards the bottom of our list, seeing as it has very few cafes per capita. Plus, the price of coffee here is most certainly on the high side compared to other British cities.

Elsewhere, both Lisburn and Aberdeen proved less than favourable for coffee lovers. Neither city seems to have a particularly well-developed coffee culture, and you’ll end up paying more for a specialty drink than in top-rated cities like Salford and Preston.

Methodology and Sources

For this study, we looked at a range of factors that influence how appealing different cities are for coffee enthusiasts. Each factor was given a weighted score based on its importance to coffee availability, culture and affordability, with a total possible score of 100 points.

Coffee Accessibility & Quality (50 points total)

Coffee Culture & Interest (30 points total)

Price of Coffee (20 points total)

Each city was scored and ranked based on these criteria, providing an overall view of which locations are less favourable for coffee enthusiasts due to limited accessibility, fewer cultural activities or high prices.

Sources: 

Yelp, Tripadvisor, Numbeo, coffeefestivals.uk, Eventbrite, British Coffee Association, Statista

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