I personally can’t function in the morning without my first cup of tea. I’m not much of a coffee drinker, but a good brew sets me up for the day and makes me feel a little more human.
Those commuting to or from Manchester Piccadilly Station have a wealth of options when it comes to where to buy their caffeine fix, from Costa and Starbucks, to Burger King and Pret.
But, could you save a few quid a year by switching where you pick up your brew? I headed to the train station to seek out the cheapest takeaway cup of tea or coffee, comparing the prices of every single spot you can get a hot drink to-go.
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I compared the prices of everywhere selling a cappuccino - likely the most popular coffee choice and universally sold in all of the retailers - and your average English Breakfast Tea.
I found that there was a whopping £1.60 price difference between the cheapest and most expensive cup of tea, which, over the course of a year of daily weekday brews, could save more than £400.
When it came to coffee, the most expensive came in at £3.85, while the cheapest was less than £2.
Here are all of the prices for tea and coffee at Manchester Piccadilly Train Station, correct at the time of writing on September 8.
Costa Coffee
At Costa, shoppers can pick up a small, medium or large cappuccino, prices at £3.15, £3.45 or £3.80 respectively. Meanwhile, tea is a flat £2.35, seeing as you’re essentially paying for the bag. There are also a number of dairy alternative milks, but these are charged at an additional 45p, unless you go for soya, which is free.
Caffe Nero
Hot drinks at Caffe Nero are competitively priced in comparison to Costa, costing 5p more for their smallest coffee at £3.20, and £3.45 for the larger size. Meanwhile, English Breakfast Tea is £2.40 - also five pence more expensive than Costa. Soya milk is also a free swap here, whole customers will pay an extra 45p for oat or coconut milk.
Pret a Manger
Coffee comes in just one size at Pret, costing £3.25 for an ‘organic’ cappuccino. Also only available in one standard size is the English Breakfast Tea, coming in at £2.60 - more expensive than bothe Costa and Caffe Nero. However, all milk alternatives are free to switch here.
Burger King
Fast food giant Burger King offers a cheap and cheerful cuppa, coming in at £3.09 for a cappuccino - the cheapest of the list so far. Tea is also nice and affordable, costing £2.30 - five pence less than Costa.
The Pasty Shop
The Pasty Shop was the first store I came across selling any coffee for under £3, with their small cappuccino coming in at £2.99. A medium will set you back £3.29, and a large an additional 20p. Tea also comes in small, medium and large, starting at £2.69 and going up in 10p increments. Here, soy milk costs an extra 50p, and oat 55p.
James Martin Kitchen
Cheaper still for coffee was James Martin Kitchen, costing £2.95 for a small or £2.99 for a large. Tea, of the Yorkshire variety, started at £2.35 - matching Costa’s price - and went up to £2.45 for a larger size. Soya and oat milk alternatives are both 50p add-ons.
Upper Crust
Next door, Upper Crust are offering rival tea PG Tips, costing £2.69, £2.79 and £2.89 for a small, medium or large. Soya and oat milk, from Alpro, are 50p extra. Coffee also comes in three sizes, priced at £2.99, on par with The Pasty Shop, as well as £3.29 and £3.49 for medium and large.
Starbucks
Starbucks was the most expensive place to get a caffeine fix, with their smallest cappuccino costing £3.30. Medium will set you back £3.65, while their large cappuccino comes in at £3.85 - the most expensive on the list.
Their tea is full leaf, rather than a bag, and costs £2.60 for a small, which is the same price as Pret, but cheaper than The Pasty Shop, going up to £2.90 for medium and £3.10 for large - the priciest tea on the list, too.
Carluccio’s
Located upstairs in the station Carluccio’s is typically a dine-in spot, however, staff confirmed that they do sell hot drinks to take away. There’s a flat rate for both, costing £3.35 for a cappuccino, and £2.50 for a tea - coming in pretty average compared to the rest of the chains in the station.
M&S Simply Food
Many may not have noticed, but there’s actually a coffee machine inside the M&S Simply Food upstairs at the station. It’s home to the station’s cheapest tea and coffee, costing a flat £1.75 for a cappuccino, and just £1.50 for a tea. On the touch screen, you can even personalise your cuppa, choosing to add a little, or a lot of milk.
Heading for this little machine could save you around £416 over the course of a year for your cup of tea. When it comes to coffee, there’s a £2.10 difference between M&S and Starbucks’ most expensive cup, so if you bought one every weekday, there could be a saving of £546 to be had over the year.
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