2026 Coffee Trends: Syrups, Personalisation and the Coffee Drink Evolution
Coffee is so much more than just that first sip. It’s a moment to treat yourself, a mindful pause in your day, or even an opportunity to make more sustainable choices. Now that 2026 is in full swing, we wanted to share the latest trends in the industry and show you how coffee has become a multi-layered experience that consumers love.
The Biggest Current Coffee Trends
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at these key coffee trends and share ways your business can embrace them to shape the future of your coffee offering.
For Gen-Z, syrups and toppings have become a must-have, with 75% of UK consumers aged 18–34 adding flavoured syrups o their OOH coffee¹
The iced coffee market continues to grow and is now worth over £390m in the UK.²
Consumers are developing a more refined palate for coffee, with premiumisation among the six core trends shaping the future of coffee consumption.³
Sustainability and knowing where their coffee comes from are key factors for consumers, especially when it comes to brand loyalty.⁴
Coffee Personalisation and the Rise of the Treat Occasion
Syrups That Hit the Sweet Spot
Coffee today is more than just about taste or caffeine. It’s about indulging, with customisation a fun, personalised part of the experience. These personalised creations, often called ‘treat missions,’ have become the second most popular reason why people love enjoying coffee.⁵
So, it’s not a surprise that 75% of UK consumers aged 18–34 customise their out-of-home coffee orders with flavoured syrups such as vanilla, caramel, hazelnut and even toasted marshmallow.¹
In a recent consumer survey, respondents were asked to select their favourite coffee syrup flavours. 36% of those surveyed listed caramel as their favourite flavour, closely followed by vanilla and salted caramel. However, spiced syrups have gained popularity, with gingerbread, cinnamon and pumpkin all appearing in the top 10 favourites.⁶
So, it’s clear coffee consumers love fun flavours, but how can businesses address this in their coffee partnerships? Enter the We Proudly Serve Starbucks® Coffee Programme. Serve iconic Starbucks® with a selection of syrups so customer can customise to their heart’s content and offer exciting seasonal drinks like Pumpkin Spice and Toffee Nut.
Hot Chocolate Is Now a Year-Round Treat
Hot chocolate is no longer just for winter. It has shifted from a seasonal treat to an all-year-round beverage enjoyed by all ages.⁷ In 2024, approximately around 500,000 cups switched from coffee to hot chocolate in the UK, reflecting changing consumer preferences.⁸
Consumers especially favoured branded hot chocolate.
In a recent taste test, 76% said a branded hot chocolate tasted better and 64% said it gave them a nostalgic feeling.⁹
If you’re looking for a simple way to offer branded hot chocolate options, then Seattle’s Best Coffee® is a great choice! Their convenient served and self-served solutions include high-quality branded hot chocolates made with Rolo® Caramel and Hazelnut Aero®.
For those looking for an even simpler solution, the instant KitKat Hot Chocolate sachets are ideal. It has the iconic taste of KitKat you love, and now available in convenient instant sachets.
Trendy Toppings
Want to add toppings to your site’s coffee offering?
Look no further than We Proudly Served Starbucks® Coffee Programme Barista Served! You’ll have access to topped drinks, seasonal lattes with whipped cream and blended Frappuccinos®.
The Evolution of Coffee Innovations
Coffee innovations have expanded far beyond just new flavours. They now include exciting trends like functional ingredients, refreshing iced drinks, and a focus on premium options. There's still a continued demand for decaf and sustainable choices too.
How Coffee Is Becoming More Functional
Consumers are looking for functional coffee options that enhance their daily routine without compromising flavour.
Functional ingredients such as collagen and vitamins are positioned as supporting everyday wellbeing, offering a more premium choice for consumers.
Coffee shops and foodservice venues are increasingly offering more of these options, with 15% of coffee occasions now influenced by functional choices.¹¹ Specifically, Millennials and Gen Z are exploring collagen, protein and adaptogens as key ingredients. We have also seen this trend in the coffee industry on social media, with more consumers trying drinks such as collagen coffee and #proffee (protein and coffee).¹²
Looking to jump on these new trends, but not sure where to start? Partnering with brands like Seattle’s Best Coffee® could be the solution! They’re launching their Vital Proteins collagen coffee very soon and have plans to add more functional ingredients, such as protein, to future drinks. For customers looking for lighter choices, Seattle's Best Coffee features a range of drinks all under 400 calories.
Why Decaf Is Still a Menu Must-Have
Reducing caffeine intake is an established trend in the coffee industry, with 40% of adults actively trying to cut down on their caffeine intake.¹¹ As of last year, there was a 7% increase in decaf sales¹³, which now represents 14% of out-of-home coffee purchases.¹⁴ Despite new trends gaining popularity in the coffee industry, decaf coffee still remains an important staple that consumers have come to expect.
The easiest way for businesses to meet this demand is by offering decaffeinated coffee, such as NESCAFÉ® decaf. As the best-selling decaffeinated coffee brand in the UK¹⁶, the NESCAFÉ® decaf range can offer customers with iconic favourites like Original, Gold Blend, and Azera without the caffeine, in a range of different formats from tins to sticks.
Iced Coffee Is a Hot Trend
Over the last year, we’ve seen iced coffee become a beloved classic rather than just a passing seasonal trend. It's exciting to see that one in three coffee drinks sold in out of home are now cold, and the UK iced coffee market has grown to an impressive value of £390 million2. Plus, 37% of shoppers now buy both hot and cold coffee3, showing that consumers enjoy switching between the two depending on mood, moment, or season.
And if there’s any coffee brand that knows how to deliver iconic iced drinks, it’s the We Proudly Serve Starbucks® Coffee Programme. Both the Served and Self-Served options offer popular iced drinks that coffee consumers love, including iced lattes and iced mochas.
Looking for a simple and easy solution to make coffee in a matter of moments? Why not try NESCAFÉ Espresso Concentrate. Just add a shot of NESCAFÉ Espresso Concentrate to milk & ice, or water & ice to make a delicious, iced latte or, americano. Our Espresso Concentrated range is convenient, easy to use and best of all, always taste great.
No specialist equipment or intricate techniques are required to serve barista-style iced coffee to delight your customers.
Available in three delicious flavours – Iced Classic, Vanilla and Caramel, this latest beverage innovation can be a great way to introduce iced coffee into your offering and get consumers excited!
The Future of Coffee Is Barista-Quality
Coffee isn’t simply a drink anymore. It’s an experience. Coffee drinkers are turning to experiential coffee drinking, gravitating towards sites that offer premium drink options, whether in the end cup or in the preparation method.
UK consumers are seeking greater authenticity and quality in their coffee. Despite busy lives, 76% of consumers make time for small moments of joy, and 55% say the overall experience matters more than the food itself when choosing where to dine.¹⁷
From unique flavour profiles to speciality brews, premiumisation is now one of the six core trends shaping the future of coffee, alongside health, tech and sustainability.³
However, this doesn’t mean businesses need to pay premium prices to meet this demand. Instead, you can choose premium NESCAFÉ® products, such as Azera or even NESCAFÉ® Barista coffee beans, to elevate your coffee offerings. Sites can also offer Starbucks® beverages with our single-serve sachets, from our medium roast blend to cappuccino and even hot chocolate.
Looking for a more authentic coffee-shop experience? The We Proudly Serve Starbucks® and Seattle’s Best Coffee® self-serve and barista-served options can give you access to coffee-shop favourites that your guests and staff will love.
You can also treat hotel guests and workplace employees with the NESCAFÉ® Dolce Gusto machine. Our pods can serve classic long black coffee, popular favourites like lattes, and indulgent options such as caramel macchiato and hot chocolate at the touch of a button.
Coffee with a Purpose and Sustainability Trends in Coffee
Sustainability isn’t just a buzzword anymore. It’s a big part of why people choose one coffee brand over another. We’ve seen it remain an important trend year after year because consumers care not only about how their coffee tastes but also where it comes from. When brands prioritise sustainability, it helps build trust and strengthen brand loyalty, especially amongst younger consumers.¹⁸
Businesses can also put their trust in brands like We Proudly Serve Starbucks® Coffee Programme and Seattle’s Best Coffee®.
- We Proudly Serve Starbucks® provide a supply of high-quality coffee that positively impacts the livelihoods of coffee farmers and their communities. Through Coffee and Farmer Equity (C.A.F.E.) Practices, Starbucks® is committed to ethically sourced coffee in partnership with Conservation International.
- Seattle’s Best Coffee are working to make every cup matter with their smooth Henry’s Blend being responsibly sourced coffee from Honduras and Peru. As part of Nestle, they’ve been involved in helping 12,000 young farmers in Honduras train in coffee farming and regenerative agriculture.
Overall, the Consumption of Coffee Is Changing
The modern coffee consumer is no longer a simple sipper. They’re a quality connoisseur, a flavour adventurer, a wellness seeker. They’re after a more personalised and experiential coffee moment, from nostalgic syrup flavours to sensory toppings. They have become more particular over the quality of their coffee, the specialised ingredients used, and the sustainable actions of the brands behind them.
All these trends are driven by a more sophisticated consumer who wants beverage innovation, a unique experience and brands that share their sustainable values. The coffee industry will continue to evolve, and we look forward to seeing what the future of coffee will bring!
FAQs
References
¹ Intelligence Coffee (January 29, 2025). How Gen Z is making customised coffee cool. https://intelligence.coffee/2025/01/gen-z-is-making-customised-coffee-cool/.
² Worldpanel by Numerator (15th June 2025). Out of home: Cold coffee (52 w/e.) Worldpanel by Numerator (dataset/report).
³ Worldpanel by Numerator Out of Home | Paid Coffee | 52 w/e 28 Dec 25
⁴ World Coffee Portal (21st of May 2025). The Future of Coffee Report: UK 2025. World Coffee Portal. https://www.worldcoffeeportal.com/industry-report/the-future-of-coffee-report-uk-2025/.
⁵ Mintel (2025). UK everyday sustainability market report. https://store.mintel.com/report/uk-everyday-sustainability-market-report.
⁶ Lumina Intelligence (January 2025). How consumer trends are shaping the future of coffee menus.
⁷ Allegra / World Coffee Portal (2025). Project Café UK 2025 (question: “What are your favourite hot coffee flavour ingredients?”). Allegra (via World Coffee Portal).
⁸ Mintel (2025). Data Essentials: Hot beverages drinking habits in Europe 2025 (retail/global data). Mintel (dataset/report).The Food People (2025). Trends 2025. The Food People (report).
⁹ Circana (2025). Market share (last 52 weeks / 233ks; data pulled 18 Jul 2025). Circana (dataset).
¹⁰ Human8 (2024). Why Brands project for Nestle Professional. Human8 (research project), May 2024.
¹¹ Edlong (2025). Food & beverage trends defining 2025: A look ahead to 2026. https://www.edlong.com/food-beverage-trends-defining-2025-a-look-ahead-to-2026/.
¹² Mintel Coffee – UK (2023)
¹³ Intelligence Coffee (2025). Why we keep adding things to coffee. Intelligence Coffee. https://intelligence.coffee/2025/07/why-we-keep-adding-things-to-coffee/.
¹⁴ Kantar (2025). UK coffee usage (52 w/e 15 Jun 2025). Kantar (dataset).
¹⁵ Ipsos (2024). UK Cuptracker (Sept 2024). Ipsos (dataset/report).
¹⁶ Café and coffee shop overview report: UK (2024). [Publisher missing — add organisation/author].
¹⁷ Kantar (2025). UK coffee purchase (52 w/e 15 Jun 2025). Kantar (dataset).
¹⁸ Experimental Dining is Reshaping Restaurant Culture, source: Datassential, HotShot: Experiential Dining YE FEB’24 (https://www.simplotfoods.com/blog/how-experiential-dining-is-reshaping-…)
¹⁹ Harvard Business Review (2023). Research: Consumers’ sustainability demands are rising. Harvard Business Review, Sept 2023. https://hbr.org/2023/09/research-consumers-sustainability-demands-are-rising.
