By Jerome Smail2021-05-05T13:38:00+01:00 It’s not exactly a revelation that hot beverages and bakery items are a good match. After all, a cuppa and a slice of cake has been a favourite combination for generations. However, there’s no doubt that the relationship has been cemented by one of the retail phenomena of the last quarter century: the coffee shop. It’s no exaggeration to say there has been a cultural shift in the way UK consumers have embraced all kinds of coffee over the last few decades. “We have all explored the diverse range of coffee available, thanks to the extensive and high-quality variety in high street cafés,” says Mark Stevens, group relationship director at equipment solutions provider Scobie McIntosh. “The nation embraced this, and now in the UK coffee consumption has reached over 95 million cups per day – a staggering figure.”