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.

Mar- 2019 -

1 March

McDonald’s and Starbucks partner to develop sustainable cups

The NextGen Consortium founded by McDonalds and Starbucks, has announced the winners of its NextGen Cup Challenge, a competition to redesign the fiber to-go cup and create a widely recyclable or compostable cup. After a four-month review process by a group of industry judges including NextGen Consortium business leaders, as…
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Feb- 2019 -

19 February

Suffolk coffee start-up expands to the Middle East

A Bury St Edmunds coffee start-up is tapping into growing demand for British artisanal coffee in the Middle East by opening its first distribution hub in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with support from the Department for International Trade (DIT). Launched in 2007 from managing director Scott Russell’s car boot,…
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15 February

Patisserie Holdings sells Baker & Spice for £2.5m

Patisserie Holdings, trading as Patisserie Valerie, has sold its subsidiary company Baker and Spice to the Department of Coffee & Social Affairs for a total consideration of £2.5m. This follows the announcement of Patisserie Valerie being rescued from administration after it was sold to Irish equity firm Causeway Capital Partners.…
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14 February

Patisserie Valerie rescued from administration

Bakery chain Patisserie Valerie has been bought out of administration by Irish equity firm Causeway Capital Partners (CCP) for an undisclosed sum. The transaction was funded with investment from Causeway Capital and the new management of the business. Steve Francis will remain as the chain’s chief executive officer. Some 96…
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8 February

Pret opens homeless shelter

The Pret Foundation, which was set up by Pret A Manger’s founders in 1995, has announced the opening of a new home for homeless people, in partnership with West London Mission (WLM). For over 30 years, Pret has been supporting homeless people by giving away unsold food to shelters across…
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Jan- 2019 -

31 January

Caffe Nero acquires majority stake in Coffee#1

The Caffè Nero Group has announced it has become the majority owner of Coffee#1, after acquiring shares from its owner SA Brain for an undisclosed sum. SA Brain has owner the Wales, Midlands and south England based Coffee chain since 2011 and the first Coffee#1 site opened in 2001. The…
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30 January

Historic Pasticceria Marchesi bakery to open in Mayfair

Milan’s historic Pasticceria Marchesi bakery is set to open on 117 Mount Street, in London’s Mayfair area. The bakery, which opened its first outlet in 1824, will offer a wide range of traditional Italian products such as panetone, sugared almonds and dragées. The outlet will feature both a pastry counter…
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29 January

Mike Ashley ‘eyeing up’ Patisserie Valerie

Retail tycoon Mike Ashley is reportedly considering buying collapsed cafe chain Patisserie Valerie, just a week after the company fell into administration. The chain confirmed some 71 businesses would close immediately while its remaining 122 stores would continue trading as normal as administrators KPMG looked for a buyer. According to…
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23 January

Corbin and King to open ninth restaurant in London’s Soho Square

Jeremy King and Chris Corbin’s restaurant group is set to open its ninth restaurant in 2019 at London’s Soho Square. The group recently announced it was to open its eighth restaurant in St John’s Wood, the group currently operates seven restaurants, with all of them located in London. The tenancy…
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23 January

Patisserie Valerie goes into administration

Embattled cafe chain Patisserie Valerie has fallen into administration, four months after “fraudulent” activities were discovered in its accounts. The company was in talks to extend the standstill of its bank facilities beyond 18 January, but discussions failed and it was unable to renew its bank facilities. The company said…
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