Consumer research commissioned by Square found that more than half of UK adults (54%) say going for a coffee is a social occasion. This is echoed by Square's transaction data, which shows Saturday and Sunday are the two busiest days of the week for coffee purchases, with Friday completing the top three.
When consumers find their ideal drink, they tend to stick with it as nearly three in five (59%) say they always order the same coffee. Nearly a third (30%) describe themselves as loyal to a single coffee shop or chain, rising to 43% in London.
Nearly a quarter (24%) of UK adults drink more coffee than they did two years ago. The flat white is currently the nation's most ordered coffee, followed by the latte and cappuccino, but Square's transaction data indicates the menu is starting to shift.
The matcha latte has broken into the UK's top ten most ordered coffees, with matcha items seeing 30% unit growth between Q1 2025 and Q1 2026 according to the latest transaction data. Ube, the Filipino purple yam flavour, is growing faster at 49% unit growth over the same period.
Social media is a ‘significant driver’ of that shift, with more than a quarter of UK adults (27%) saying they have tried a new coffee drink or café after seeing it on social media, rising to 56% among Millennials and 50% among Gen Z.
Nearly three in ten (29%) UK adults would pay a premium for a coffee made with a specialist ingredient such as matcha or ube, rising to over half of Gen Z (52%).
John O'Beirne, chief executive of Square International, said: "The UK's coffee culture is evolving quickly, and cafés and hospitality businesses are at the heart of that shift.
“They are responding to younger consumers who are arriving at the counter with new expectations, shaped by what they have seen online. Stocking emerging ingredients like matcha and ube is no longer a niche decision, it is a requirement for business owners who want to capture spend from Gen Z and Millennials."