MILAN – A new research, looking at the coffee-drinking habits of New Zealanders, has revealed just how much Kiwis crave their coffee. More than 70% of New Zealanders are drinking at least one coffee a day with 24% consuming three or more cups daily.
The Wild Bean Cafe Kiwi Coffee Consensus* was commissioned by Wild Bean Cafe, the country’s largest café retailer of Fairtrade certified coffee and coincides with a national competition that seeks out Wild Bean Cafe’s most skilled baristas and includes the coveted title of Champion Barista of the Year.
The survey specifically looked at the frequency of coffee consumption, number of coffees purchased outside the home, factors influencing purchasing decisions, popular coffee orders, and reusable cup use.
BP Managing Director Debi Boffa says, “Our Wild Bean Cafe baristas know New Zealanders love their coffee, serving 11 million Fairtrade certified cups of coffee a year nationwide.
“This research shows the big part coffee plays in most Kiwis’ daily routine and how important it is for our Wild Bean Cafe baristas to be at the top of their game and meet our customers’ quality coffee expectations.”
Key findings of the Wild Bean Cafe Kiwi Coffee Consensus reveal:
- 30% of New Zealand men drink three or more coffees a day (compared with 19% of women)
- 34% of Baby Boomers (55-73yrs old) drink three or more coffees a day compared with 14% of Millennials (23-38yrs old)
- 70% of coffee-drinking New Zealanders who purchase their coffee while on the go say that location/convenience is the most important factor when choosing where to buy from**
- 31% of coffee-loving New Zealanders order a flat white**
- The second most popular coffee order in New Zealand is a mocha (18%) tied with a cappuccino**
- Wellington is the latte capital with more Wellingtonians’ go-to coffee order being a latte (23%) compared with other NZ cities**
- Twice as many women order a mocha as men (24% vs. 12%) and twice as many men order a long black as women (16% vs. 8%)**
- 72% of New Zealanders who drink and buy coffee while they’re out and about use a reusable cup**
- Reusable cup usage is higher among Millennials, with 77% of Millennials using a reusable cup vs. 63% of boomers**
The findings come at the same time as the crowning of the new Wild Bean Cafe Champion Barista of the Year. Alix Chapman is from Auckland and beat 26 other finalists yesterday at the competition in Auckland, coming out on top with the highest point score overall in the categories of process, taste, look, and interaction with the judges.
The competition has been bringing the most outstanding baristas from throughout New Zealand for more than 10 years to showcase the best of their coffee-making skills on a national scale and demonstrate how they exceed the high coffee expectations of Kiwis.
In 2019, the winners of the Wild Bean Cafe Barista of the Year Competition are:
- Alix Chapman as 2019 Champion Barista of the Year (for highest point score overall)
- James Ginders as 2019 Rookie Barista of the Year (those competing for the first time)
- Alix Chapman as 2019 Supreme Barista of the Year (for returning contestants)
- Dale Bolton as 2019 Store Manager of the Year (for Wild Bean Cafe store managers)
“We’re so proud of the quality of our coffee and the dedicated baristas who are passionate about improving their skills. Some of our baristas serve up to 500 cups of coffee a day, often making a customer’s favourite coffee as soon as they sight them. All our finalists and winners should be proud of their achievements,” says Boffa.
BP has around 1,700 trained baristas making Wild Bean Cafe coffee across the country and has been running the Barista of the Year competition since 2008 as part of an ongoing training and recognition programme, and to recognise the consistently high quality coffee offer delivered to customers on a day-to-day basis.
*The Wild Bean Cafe Kiwi Coffee Consensus took place between 5-8 December, with a nationally representative sample of 1063 New Zealanders across a broad range of age groups, ethnicities and regions.
**Asked of New Zealanders who drink and buy coffee out at least once a week.
