Wine and Chocolate Can Go... But Coffee is a Must!

We would give up wine and go without television, but most Australians could never forgo their daily caffeine fix, according to a new survey.

More than 500 people across the country were quizzed by survey company PureProfile to determine their caffeine consumption practices and preferences.

When asked what they could not give up for a day, one-third (36 per cent) of Australians nominated coffee, followed by 28 per cent who said their mobile phone was their most prized daily possession.

The survey found people were far more prepared to give up watching television, reading the news, drinking wine and exercising than forsaking coffee or their mobile phones for a day.

Chocolate was the item that people were most prepared to forego.

Conducted on behalf of Merlo Coffee, the survey of coffee-lovers found women were the biggest coffee fans with 19 per cent unable to do without their daily dose of caffeine, compared with 17 per cent of men.

As a generation, Baby Boomers (aged 55 – 64) were the least likely generation to forego coffee for a day while Millennials (aged 25- 34) were least likely to give up their mobile phones.

If forced to make a choice between her daily dose of caffeine and her mobile phone, teacher Claudia Cochrane, 25, of West End, said she would choose coffee.

“Coffee helps with the structure of my day. I’ll wake up, get dressed, head out the door and always stop for a coffee before I get to work,” she said.

“If I had to go a day without my phone, I could probably do it, but I don’t think I could survive without at least one coffee, especially in the morning.”

The survey also found 36 per cent of respondents were most likely to catch up with friends over a cup of coffee, compared with 22 per cent who would meet for a beer and 21 per cent for a wine.

Merlo Coffee owner Dean Merlo said coffee had become an integral part of our daily lives.

“Demand for coffee just keeps increasing in Queensland and Australia,” Mr Merlo said.

“Online sales jumped by more than 30 per cent in the past financial year. Growth in this sector is the reason Merlo opened its $5 million purpose-built warehouse and distribution facility at Eagle Farm earlier this year.”