UK consumers are spending more than ever on food and drink treats including Scotch because they have never had it so good, according to a latest DataMonitor report.

Britain has developed a serious taste for luxury food such as gourmet coffee, handmade chocolates and organic food, spending an average of £56 each a year.

It makes the UK Europe’s second-biggest spenders in specialty food and drinks, behind France. Britons spent a total of £3.6bn on fine foods last year, a figure that is expected to rise to £4.2bn by 2011. But it is the French, well known for their love of fine cuisine, that are the biggest spenders at £80 a person.

The Datamonitor report found that retail sales in France reached £5.2bn last year and are set to top £6.2bn in five years’ time.

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