Coffee is set to become more expensive than a pint of beer by 2030, according to an industry expert. Last month, the cost of a pound of Arabica beans hit £2.85 – a 50-year high – and now a coffee specialist is forecasting the price of a morning brew will soon outstrip a pint in the pub.
“The cost of coffee has been rising steadily, but with bean shortages, supply chain disruptions, and inflation, we’re on track to see café coffee outprice a pint within the next five to ten years – potentially by 2030”, Heidi Philip-Smith, Philips’ in-house barista, warned. She added: “Switching to a bean-to-cup coffee machine is a smart move. You get barista-quality coffee at home for a fraction of the cost – potentially saving hundreds of pounds a year. Instead of paying nearly £4 a day, home-brewed coffee can cost as little as 25p per cup.”
The warning that coffee will soon be pricier than a pint of beer comes despite news the average price of a pint in the UK topped £5 for the time last month.
The latest data marks another uptick in beer prices, after the Office of National Statistics reported an average national pint price of £4.82 in December 2024.
According to data from the Morning Advertiser, British pub-goers are paying on average £5.08 a pint – £1 more than they were forking out three years ago.
The average cost of a flat white coffee is £3.25, according to the Global Flat White Index 2024. That means the daverage ifference between the cost of the two everyday drinks is now just £1.83.
In London, a post-work beer is even costlier, with pints averaging £6.16 – the only area where prices exceed £6.
Even the cheapest region for beer drinkers has an average price of nearly £4.50. The Midlands has an average cost of £4.47, despite an average 6p price drop since August 2024.
From August 2024 to January 2025, Scotland and Wales recorded 7.19% and 3.64% price increases, respectively. In Scotland, a pint on average is now £5.07, while in Wales it’s £4.84.