THE number of coffee shops and cafes in Oxford is growing steadily, new figures have shown.

The total number of businesses has risen from 55 in 2010 to 80 this year, according to the latest Office for National Statistics data.

The ONS figures for unlicensed restaurants include both coffee shops and fast-food outlets.

These two types of businesses are driving the sector boom across the country, market analysts say.

But investment bank Citybank said in a report released last year that the number of coffee shops cannot keep growing at the same high pace and forecast that the boom in the sector will not last beyond 2022.

Earlier this year Ratio Cafe opened in George Street and has been busy ever since.

Owner Arthur Vissing runs the cafe with wife Ezgi Vissing after co-owning Brew in North Parade for the past four years.

He said earlier trade picked up in the summer, with customers enjoying the coffee sourced from Bath-based Round Hill Roastery.

Ruta Mikucionyte, a manager at the cycle-themed Handle Bar cafe in St Michael’s Street, said part of the premises had been converted to make space for more cafe tables.

She added: “I’m not surprised the number of cafes in Oxford is growing - coffee culture is very strong in the city and we actually have our own roastery.”

In Cowley Road competition to sell coffee proved too hot for the Bear and the Bean cafe which closed earlier this year.

But the owner then opened the Cowleyfornia Coffee Club opened at The Library pub.

As well as independents launching cafes new chains are muscling in on the coffee market dominated by Costa and Starbucks.

Danish bakery chain Ole and Steen opened a new outlet at the Westgate Centre in September.

Customers need a coffee to wash down the cafe’s large slices of its most popular cake Cinnamon Social.

People in the UK drink 95 million cups of coffee each day, up from 70 million 10 years ago, according to a study by the Centre for Economics and Business Research.

One in 10 are sold in coffee shops, and more than half of those are served by Costa Cafe, Starbucks and Cafe Nero.

A spokesman from The Project Cafe UK, a network of coffee professionals who analyse the industry, warned that despite coffee shops doing well, but Brexit could hamper the growth.

He said: “The industry mood remained confident over the last years, with 71 per cent of coffee sector executives, interviewed by us, positive about the trading environment. However, deep concerns over key Brexit issues, such as trade and jobs, remain.”

The ONS data showed the number of coffee shops in the city has remained steady since 2016 but expansion was slower than average.