Is it RIP for the traditional builder's brew?

Could it be the end for the iconic builder’s brew, as new sales figures reveal modern glass latte mugs are now a more popular purchase than the traditional tea mug.

New 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 a third.

The figures, published ahead of National Tea Day on Friday (April 21st), show wilko’s most popular latte cup is a considerable 33% 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 has 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% of the survey respondents regularly1. 

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”.