A coffee shop in Bristol has topped a list of the UK’s most popular by a landslide, according to a new study. And, the funny thing is, it’s known to specialise not in coffee but in hot chocolate.
While coffee is on the menu, alongside a range of milkshakes and iced drinks at certain times of the year, Mrs Potts Chocolate House has a delicious selection of hot chocolates, and chocolate cakes, cookies, brownies and more. It’s also known to host annual festivals celebrating quirky and unusual hot chocolate creations, as well as exclusive pudding clubs after hours, and other events for occasions such as Valentine’s Day, Christmas, and more.
According to a new study conducted by Solopress Mrs Potts, which began life on Bristol’s Park Street before going on to open more coffee shop sites in Bath and Cardiff, came top of the list of the most popular/viral coffee shops in the country. The research analysed key metrics such as TikTok and Instagram posts with relevant shop hashtags, along with Google search volumes from 2023 and 2024.
It also compared year-on-year trends to highlight the businesses coming out on top. On the famed and much loved Bristol business, the study said: “Mrs Potts Chocolate House in Bristol ranks as the most popular coffee shop in the UK with an impressive annual search volume of 97,200. The coffee shop also has strong social media support, with 2,893 Instagram posts and 257 on TikTok.
“Enjoy a wide range of coffee, from flat whites to mochas, alongside a selection of their famous chocolate treats including the popular S’mores Hot Chocolate and cookie sandwiches.”
The only other nearby coffee shop to make the list was Bath’s Society Cafe, of which there are venues in Bristol (at the Harbourside and on Baldwin Street). Society Cafe ranked in seventh place and had the highest annual search volume in 2024 of 217,200, but no TikTok posts, and just 695 Instagram posts – the lowest in the top 10.
The full top 10 list is as follows:
- Mrs Potts Chocolate House, Bristol
- Homeground Coffee + Kitchen, Windermere
- 92 Degrees, Liverpool
- Foundation Coffee House, Manchester
- Climpson & Sons, London
- Bold Street Coffee, Liverpool
- Society Cafe, Bath
- Saint Espresso, London
- Lovecrumbs, Edinburgh
- Steampunk Coffee, North Berwick