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.

Oct- 2021 -

5 October

EG Group acquires Cooplands

EG Group has announced it has acquired bakery business CS Food Group Holdings Limited (Cooplands). According to the retailer, the acquisition will accelerate EG Group’s “growing” and “successful” diversification into foodservice and adds “complementary” assets that will develop opportunities in other parts of the business. It revealed Cooplands is the…
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5 October

Deliveroo expands offering with new Starbucks partnership

Deliveroo has announced a new delivery partnership with Starbucks and 400 of its stores which will now be available live on the app across the UK. The partnership will allow Deliveroo customers the chance to order the coffee chain’s beverages, plus menu options including a range of sandwiches, wraps, juices…
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5 October

Greggs lifts guidance despite supply chain disruptions

Greggs has welcomed a resilient performance in its third quarter of trading, with like-for-like sales up by 3.5% against 2019, despite ongoing supply chain issues and staff shortages. Growth was particularly strong in August when the ‘staycation’ effect was evident, and remained in positive territory in September, with two-year like-for-like…
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Sep- 2021 -

29 September

Costa trials new reusable cup scheme

Costa Coffee has announced the launch of a reusable cup scheme called BURT (borrow, use, re-use, take back), with the trial set to last six months. The firm has said it builds on Costa’s work to “improve” the sustainability of its cups and packaging by using innovative digital technology, seeking…
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23 September

White Pine to open flagship Earlham Street site

The Scandinavian-inspired café chain, White Pine, has selected Seven Dials’ Earlham Street to launch its next flagship London café. Seven Dials has formed part of the brand’s expansion and joins its existing presence in Fitzrovia, London, which opened in 2018. The restaurant said sustainability is “central” to the brand’s ethos…
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22 September

Pret unveils £100m expansion plan despite losses

Pret A Manger has unveiled plans to double the size of its business within the next five years, as it looks to expand into five new markets by the end of 2023. In addition, the group plans to open around 200 new UK stores over the next two years alone,…
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16 September

Bain Capital acquires Bread Holdings

Gail’s Bakery parent company Bread Holdings, which also owns The Bread Factory, has been sold to Bain Capital Credit in partnership with EBITDA Investments for an undisclosed sum. The move is backed by entrepreneurs Henry McGovern and Steven K. Winegar, to support the group as it moves into its 4th…
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Aug- 2021 -

12 August

Pret a Manger staff to consider strike action over pay cuts

Pret a Manger staff are reportedly considering strike action after the temporary reduction in pay they suffered during the lockdown period was going to be made permanent. According to The Guardian, staff were told the reductions that were first installed last year, including not being paid for breaks and service…
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9 August

Fhior Garden Café to close

Fhior Garden Café at the Secret Herb Garden in Scotland has announced that it will close on 30 August due to the impact of Covid-19. Owners of the venue, Scott and Laura Smith, took to instagram to confirm the closure describing it as “devastating”. The pair overtook the cafe in…
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Jun- 2021 -

23 June

New matcha cafe opens in Marylebone

A new matcha-based coffee shop and dessert bar will open in Marylebone, London on 28 June. Named How Matcha!, it aims to celebrate the “many health benefits of matcha”, whilst showcasing the “versatility” of the green superfood. Matcha is a finely ground powder of specially grown and processed green tea…
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