New study reveals Victorians are in the highest state of coffee bliss

KAREN COLLIER
JUNE 28, 2014
HERALD SUN
VICTORIANS have cemented their status as the nation’s biggest coffee addicts in a study of our drinking habits.
The state’s obsessed caffeine lovers down an average 808 cups a year, the report found.
And we love to splurge away from home, forking out $1674 annually at cafes and on takeaway compared with a national average $1498.
Some are even willing to skip breakfast or morning showers to get their buzz, the research suggests.
Victorians are Australia’s leading latte sippers, while NSW and Queensland are cappuccino capitals.
The report calculated 10.8 billion coffees are gulped annually nationwide.
It was commissioned by McDonald’s, which has steamed up the takeaway market by offering McCafe coffee at 150 Victorian metro drive-throughs ahead of a planned statewide then national rollout.
The online poll of 1043 Aussie coffee fans found:
MEN drink an average 117 cups a year more than women.
FEMALES prefer barista-made brews.
SEVEN in 10 drinkers like a coffee to kickstart their morning.
ONE in 10 can’t survive without a caffeine hit every day.
FOUR in 10 claim they would be more likely to buy a car if it had cup holders.
IBISWorld senior industry analyst Ryan Lin said Melbourne was perceived as “one of the world’s leading coffee connoisseurs”, with sophisticated tastes and a strong culture dating back to early European migration.
“Coffee to most people falls in the category of an affordable luxury,” Mr Lin said.
“Given Australian per capita consumption is behind other countries such as Norway and Finland, there is the potential for a lot more growth.”
Competition is also expected to froth amid a recent deal for Melbourne-based Withers Group to buy US giant Starbucks’ Australian stores.
FAVOURITE COFFEE
Latte 30%
Cappuccino 30%
Flat white 15%
Espresso 7%
Iced coffee 5%
Mocha 3%
Macchiato 2%
Frappé 1%
Affogato less than 1%
Other 4%
None of these/no favourite 2%
*Victorian results