Norwich has been named the UK's "surprise artisan coffee hub".

A study by the hot chocolate brand Before Chocolate has found Norwich to be one of the UK's best cities for coffee enthusiasts.

The research team made a list of the UK's 400 largest towns and cities and analysed the ratio of independent coffee shops compared to large chains in each.

Co-owner Dale Gedge inside Flock Coffee House with his dog WilfredCo-owner Dale Gedge inside Flock Coffee House with his dog Wilfred (Image: Newsquest) Each location was then given a grade of A, B or C - with A meaning customers are more likely to have access to good-quality independent coffee spots.

According to the findings, Norwich has 60 independent coffee shops which equates to one for every 2,400 people living there.

This earns it an A grade, ranking it higher than several metropolitan cities such as Bristol, Manchester and Liverpool.

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A spokesman for Before Chocolate said: "According to a recent study carried out by Holidu, people in Norwich search for coffee shops more than any other place in the UK, including London.

"So we were not surprised to learn that the city is home to 60 independents.

Coffee at grounded in Unthank RoadCoffee at Grounded in Unthank Road (Image: Newsquest) "With so much competition, standards are high - for example, Strangers Coffee House has won seven awards including the best coffee experience in the UK."

Strangers Coffee, which has shops in Pottergate, Dove Street and Jarrolds, was launched by Alex Sargeant and William and Samuel Maddox in 2009.

This year, names including Flock Coffee House and Grounded have joined the city's line-up.