Redcar and Cleveland crowned ‘North East coffee capital’

Almost nine in ten coffee shops in the area – more specifically 87.5% – are run and owned by local firms, data from Manchester-based digital marketing agency Dark Horse has revealed.

Middlesbrough comes a close second in the region with 87.1% being independently run, followed by Northumberland’s 87.0%.

The analysis, based on food hygiene rating data, looked at how many coffee shops in each authority are independents and chains, and how densely they feature in the wider food scene.

In Redcar and Cleveland, 56 of 761 food-service premises are coffee shops – 7.4% of the total – with only a handful run by major brands. 

Across the North East, more than three-quarters of coffee shops, or 78.1%, are independently owned, exceeding the UK average of 77.1%.

Even in areas with the highest concentration of chains, such as Newcastle and Stockton, independent cafés still dominate the local coffee landscape.

Libby Mayfield, head of marketing at Dark Horse, said: “There’s something incredibly comforting about these findings; it feels like a real celebration of the UK’s love of a local café.

“The numbers prove we’re choosing cosy corners, familiar faces and a flat white from a barista who agrees that syrups are for wimps. 

“It really goes to show that while convenience has its place, nothing quite beats the warmth of a passionately run local spot.”