Are we swapping vodka for espresso shots? A dive into Sheffield’s student coffee culture

Gen Z  is often dubbed “the sober generation” or the “sober curious generation.” With Sheffield’s booming coffee industry and new coffee raves, it begs the question: Are we swapping shots of vodka for shots of espresso?  

Does Gen Z even drink less? 

We all have our horror stories from nights out so it might be surprising to think that Gen Z are drinking less than other generations. Dr Laura Fenton, a research fellow in the Sheffield Centre for Health and Related Research said that there has been a significant decline in youth drinking since the early 2000s. 

She said: “We think one of the most important aspects is that these current youth cohorts have a different orientation to risk,” a higher proportion of young people want to avoid risk altogether rather than manage it. This can look like planning to stay at your friend’s house on a night out, not drinking to the point of intoxication or avoiding drinking altogether.  

An NHS survey for 2022 found that 25 per cent of people aged 16-25 report abstaining from alcohol in the past year, the highest rate among all adult groups. So Gen Z are more alcohol conscious than other age groups, the question is why?  

Dr Fenton believes social media plays a huge role but also the fact that Gen Z are more accepting of diversity. She said: “It is less acceptable than it used to be to make someone feel guilty [for being sober].”

But, attitudes towards sobriety within universities are fickle. Dr Fenton noted how universities often make it harder to be sober, especially during Freshers’ Week,  because there is an implicit pressure to drink. She said: “There is a culture of drinking together socially and if you’re not a part of that it can be really tricky to make friends.”

Being sober, or preferring not to drink, can be quite isolating. Are cafes providing the perfect solution?

Coffee, coffee, coffee 

credit: Sophie Stanley

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Sheffield is widely renowned for the strength of its coffee scene, with over 72 per cent of the cities coffee shops being independently run. The Coffee Finder’s Club attributed some of the success of the industry to students using cafes as study spaces.

Frazer Habershon, CEO of Frazer’s Coffee Roasters told The Sheffield Tab: “Cafes used to be for the working person but now people are using cafes more like the pub industry.” He believes that coffee shops are now the go to place to catch up with friends and socialise, rather than a pub or a bar. 

Evidence for this belief is clear due to the emergence of events such as SIP Festival. SIP, held in Trafalgar Warehouse here in Sheffield, hosted numerous independent cafes and coffee roasters from across the city. 

SIP Festival

Frazer’s Coffee Roasters was one of the businesses featured in the event, other cafes include Cats, Nam Song, Bon, Marmadukes, The Steam Yard and more. Frazer said: “This is exactly what this city needs.” 

Jim Rose, co- founder of Nam Song, told The Sheffield Tab that they receive a high number of student customers. He believes that students are choosing visiting a café over going out drinking: “It’s not necessarily about the coffee they’re drinking or the alcohol they’re drinking, it’s about having a space in which you can either relax by yourself or with friends.” 

Coffee culture does not just apply to cafes, coffee raves are also being held across the city- providing a direct alternative to clubbing. During Freshers’ Week, WaterBear hosted a 9am coffee rave with a DJ and live music. PAD12 are hosting a similar rave on October 23 with the tagline “no alcohol, no pressure.” 

Addiction Resource, in it’s article “Is Gen Z the most sober generation?”, detailed the negative effects of alcohol. This includes a detrimental effect on mental health symptoms, an increased risk of cancer, heart attacks, strokes and liver disease. Abstinence is thought to boost brain cognition, focus, memory and lead to better sleep. 

Is it any wonder that some students are hitting Division Street over West Street?  Rather than going to the club the night before a big exam, maybe we should all be heading to a coffee rave.