The Death of the Cuppa? Gen Z Ditches Builder's Tea as Almost Half Deem It Old Fashioned

The death of the great British cuppa! Gen Z ditches builder's tea, as almost HALF (47%) of young Brits deem it old fashioned.

The great British cuppa could be heading for the history books - as Gen Z turns its back on traditional tea and coffee in favour of matcha and green tea.

Forget a builder's brew with milk and two sugars. Young Brits are declaring everything from English Breakfast tea to cappuccinos and flat whites old-fashioned.

And it's not just what's in the cup that's falling out of favour - teapots, tea cosies, sugar lumps and even the sacred British tradition of dunking a biscuit are being consigned to the past.

A poll of 2,000 Brits found English Breakfast tea tops the list of drinks deemed old-fashioned (47%), followed by Earl Grey (43%), tea with cow's milk and two sugars (42%), cappuccinos (27%) and flat whites (25%).

And your coffee shop order could be giving away your age - with almost two thirds (65%) believing they can tell how old someone is simply by what they drink.

The research, commissioned by Oatly to mark its Future of Taste report, found a resounding 81% of under-30s now order something other than tea or coffee when visiting a café.

Matcha (38%) is the most popular alternative, followed by chai (25%) and herbal or botanical drinks (19%).

Meanwhile, younger Brits are embracing everything from plain water (58%) and warm milk (29%) to matcha (27%), green tea (27%) and decaf coffee (21%).

And the traditional rituals surrounding a brew are also losing their appeal.

Almost a third reckon tea cosies (32%) and teapots (32%) belong in the past, while 22% dismiss sugar lumps and loose-leaf tea.

Even dunking a biscuit is considered outdated by one in five (20%), while 16% turn their noses up at having a biscuit with their brew altogether.

But while the drinks are changing, our love of a catch-up over a cuppa remains.

More than four in five (82%) regularly meet friends or family over a hot drink, while 72% would rather meet for coffee than head to the pub.

And younger drinkers are becoming increasingly adventurous, with a third (33%) saying their tastes have changed over the past five years.

Texture is now almost as important as taste, with 93% of under-30s saying it matters when choosing a drink.

Flavoured coffees are booming too, with chocolate (57%), vanilla (55%) and caramel (53%) the favourites, while cinnamon, coconut and ginger are tipped as rising stars.

Even the weather is no longer dictating our drinks, with 46% happy to order an iced coffee in the depths of winter.

Rowena Roos, Global Head of Food and Drinks Experience at Oatly, said: "The experts we spoke to around the world told us café menus are about to look very different, and it turns out that Brits are already ordering from that menu. People are experimenting with new flavours, looking for new textures and expecting more from what's in their cup. At the same time, cafés are becoming increasingly important places to meet and connect. The beloved cuppa isn't going anywhere just yet, but it's definitely got some competition."

The Future of Taste report draws on more than 200 interviews with drinks experts across 21 countries, exploring the changing tastes transforming café culture.

TOP TEN OLD-FASHIONED DRINKS AND TEA TRADITIONS FALLING OUT OF FAVOUR

1. English Breakfast tea - 47%
2. Earl Grey tea - 43%
3. Tea with cow's milk and two sugars - 42%
4. Tea cosies - 32%
5. Teapots - 32%
6. Cappuccinos - 27%
7. Flat whites - 25%
8. Sugar lumps - 22%
9. Loose-leaf tea - 22%
10. Dunking biscuits in tea - 20%

Source: Poll of 2,000 British adults commissioned by Oatly, October 2026. The top ten combines responses about drinks and traditional tea-drinking habits.

ENDS