We simply cannot (and refuse to) function without our daily cups of coffee - but what can we look forward to in 2023 when it comes to our elixir of life?
Well, it’s not just the types of coffee we’ll be necking that’ll be changing, as according to Robi Lambie, founder of Cairngorm Coffee Roasters, the culture of coffee is about to change too.
So, take a long sip on that flat white, because here’s what coffee pros like Robi are expecting to see hitting our cups in 2023.
Exclusively oat milk cafes
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll be well aware that oat milk has been the dairy alternative du jour for some time.
More and more of us are making the move away from dairy and Lambie predicts that this will transfer onto cafes themselves making the call to stop stocking cow’s milk altogether.
He tells HuffPost UK: “Sustainability is ever more important in the specialty coffee industry and it’s only set to get bigger.
“We’re seeing a decline in demand for cow milk, as well as soy, almond, rice and coconut milks. Our consumers are continuing to choose oat milk as their preference due to its taste and environmental benefits.
“As a result, I think we’ll see more cafes selling exclusively oat milk. It already makes up one third of our business, and we expect that trajectory to continue into 2023 and beyond.”
According to Robi, oat milk first had its big moment back in 2017 when plant milk alternatives weren’t as standard as they were now - with many cafes charging extra for it. Now, it’s rapidly becoming the default choice.
Late night cafe culture
Yup - at last we might be able to sit in a coffee shop past 5pm. We’ve long been jealous of other European cities where you can get a coffee late into the evening but soon this could be a norm for us, says Lambie.
Are cafes all wanting to stay open later because it’s the cool thing to do? Well, it might have more to do with the cost of living crisis than we realise.
Lambie explains: “As we all continue to navigate the cost of living crisis, we’ll see a big jump in the number of cafes extending opening times beyond ‘typical coffee drinking hours’ to maximise rent.
“Increasing rent costs coupled with people choosing coffee over alcohol, means late night cafe culture - which is the norm in many European cities - will become even more prevalent in the UK’s specialty scene.”
The return of ‘basic’ coffee
When you go to your local coffee shop, you might find that you have a million and one different choices when it comes to the actual type and roast of coffee going into your cup (with many of us just nodding and hoping we’ve picked the right one).
According to the coffee expert, the industry could be about to move away from ‘whacky processing methods and funky flavours’ in 2023, with a return to more simple washed coffees predicted.
Lambie said: “It’s just a feeling, but I think customers are becoming slightly jaded by the complexity of their cups, and might opt for something that better reflects the terroir and coffee as a natural product, and we’ll see a shift towards a really good, washed coffee, without the wacky processes and crazy ferments.
“After all, there’s nothing wrong with simple processes.”