The price of a takeaway coffee has passed £5 in London as retailers grapple with spiralling costs and heat waves spoil harvests overseas. A large flat white in the coffee shop chain Black Sheep now costs £5.19, while a Mocha costs £4.99. Many larger drinks at Starbucks now also pass the £5 threshold. The takeaway coffee industry has been affected by rising energy and labour costs, while extreme weather has caused the wholesale price of coffee beans to increase by a fifth since last year. While most standard lattes and flat white cost between £3.50 and £4, adding an extra shot of espresso or asking for non-dairy milk can leave coffee-drinkers paying £4.50 or more. Jeffrey Young, CEO of the Allegra Group, an analyst, said the price of a typical takeaway coffee would hit £5 “within three to five years”, based on current wage growth and inflation predictions. He said: “You don’t get much for a fiver anywhere these days. You can already get close to £5 with add-ons like oat milk or flavouring – then you have iced beverages which are already well over £5. It will depend on inflation and wage growth, but I would say the £5 regular...