BEER lovers are steaming mad over coffee drinkers invading their local pubs and making them wait longer to get served.
One in ten latte and cappuccino fans prefer to get their hot drinks from bars rather than chains such as Pret, Costa and Starbucks, a survey found.
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Some beer drinkers fear the rise of coffee sales in boozers is slowing down service and creating a different atmosphere inside.
Charlie Buddery, 30, told The Sun: “It takes ages for bar staff to make coffees in a pub and it just means you have to wait longer for a pint.”
Charlie, of Clapham, South West London, added: “If people want hot drinks, they should go to a coffee shop.”
The number of coffee drinkers in pubs would be even higher if more opened earlier.
Nearly half would swap chains for a nearby watering hole to get their morning caffeine hit if they could, the study by analysts Allegra Strategies found.
Brits buy 95million cups of coffee a day, according to the British Coffee Association.
‘COFFEE DESTINATION’
More and more pubs are muscling in on the boom, with customers happy to pay about £2.40 for a cup — £1.40 cheaper than the average pint of beer.
Phil Smith, of supplier UCC Coffee which commissioned the research, said: “We’re starting to see consumer habits shift.
“Pubs are now considered a coffee destination.”
Specialist coffee shops are more likely to get younger customers and morning drinkers. Pubs are more likely to attract those aged 30 to 44 and lunchtime sales, the survey says.
Around one in four pub coffee customers buy food to go with it. And pubs would sell more if they offered a “meal deal”, according to trade magazine Morning Advertiser.
Other ways to boost sales are loyalty schemes, cheaper prices and better trained staff.
But Mr Smith added: “High quality coffee is key.”
