Cafes and Coffee Shops

The Cafes and Coffee Shops section on Catering Today explores the trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the UK’s vibrant café and coffee sector. Covering independent operators, branded chains, and suppliers, it reports on store openings, menu innovation, sustainability initiatives, and shifts in consumer behaviour. With insights into operations, staffing, and technology, Catering Today provides hospitality professionals with up-to-date intelligence on the business strategies and market forces driving success in coffee-led hospitality.

Sep- 2025 -

26 September

Investor pushes for private equity takeover of SSP Group

An activist investor is reportedly encouraging private equity firms to enter takeover bids for Upper Crust operator SSP Group, after raising its stake in the company. According to The Financial Times, Irenic Capital Management is pushing the move having raised its stake in the food-to-go operator to 3%, up from…
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24 September

Butterwick to shutter 12 of its 14 branches as costs rise

Butterwick, a chain of 14 bakeries, has announced that it will close all but two of its stores, amid rising costs and a slowdown in customer spending. In a post on Facebook, the bakery’s owners, Fiona and Ryan Scarborough, confirmed with “deep regret” that only its Rushden Lakes and Northampton…
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19 September

Caffè Nero reports record sales of £626m amid year of expansion

Caffè Nero has reported record sales of £626.4m for the year to 31 May 2025, marking a 12% rise against the previous year. The coffee chain, which runs 1,150 stores in 11 countries, said like-for-like sales grew 7% over the year. It added 94 outlets during the year, including 62…
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16 September

Starbucks UK appoints new marketing director

Starbucks has announced the appointment of Vic Robertson as its new marketing director in the UK, as the cafe chain pursues its “Back to Starbucks” strategy under chief executive Brian. Two of the company’s stated priorities are reestablishing its role as a community coffeehouse and reigniting consumer passion for the…
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12 September

Double Puc secures funding to expand café and catering business

Independent café operator Double Puc has received six-figure backing from the South West Investment Fund to support the expansion of its catering arm. The Bristol-based business, founded in 2021 by Ed Brown and Griff Holland, said the funding would allow it to increase capacity and meet rising demand from corporate…
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9 September

Cornish Bakery sales jump 24% in record summer

Cornish Bakery has reported record trading over the summer, with total sales up 24% year-on-year and like-for-like sales rising 8% in August. The independent chain said it had its biggest ever week of sales during the August bank holiday, with several branches also setting new individual records. The figures contrast…
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9 September

Pret to trial new meal deal format amid strong FY24 sales

Pret A Manger has announced its plans to trial new meal deal formats later this year to capture demand for value-led food-to-go, as the company set out a new medium-term strategy to accelerate growth in its home market and internationally. The news comes after Pret reported sales of £1.2bn for…
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8 September

Chocoberry to open Milton Keynes café as part of UK expansion

Chocoberry will open a new dessert café in Milton Keynes as part of its latest wave of UK expansion. The chain, which currently operates 18 cafés across the country, said the site will be among three new openings scheduled in the next three months, with locations also planned in Walsall…
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3 September

Asda owner TDR Capital mulls bid for Costa Coffee

Asda owner TDR Capital is among the investment groups considering an acquisition of Costa Coffee as owner Coca-Cola explores a potential sale, according to the Financial Times. Coca-Cola has hired Lazard to advise on options for the UK’s largest coffee chain, which it bought from Whitbread in 2019 for £3.9bn. …
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Aug- 2025 -

28 August

Apollo holds talks with advisors over Costa sale

Investment group Apollo Global Management has reportedly held early-stage talks with advisers to Coca-Cola as it explores a sale of Costa, according to Sky News. The private equity vehicle, which owns Wagamama’s parent company, The Restaurant Group, is said to be part of a small number of suitors that have…
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