Britain is facing a shortage of baristas as the rapidly-growing coffee market outpaces the rate of new hires, says research by the London Coffee Festival and Allegra World Coffee Portal.
With the industry’s value rising 7.9% in the last year to hit £10.1 billion in the UK, another 6,517 coffee shops are predicted to open in the next four years, according to the study.
This means the nation will need an additional 40,000 coffee professionals by 2023, on top of the 160,000 baristas currently working in the UK.
If enough new recruits can be found to match the growing industry, the UK will employ 10 times more baristas than it does barristers.
