According to the British Coffee Association,  Britons drink 98 million cups of coffee every day. And although 80% of UK households buy instant coffee for in-home consumption (particularly those aged 65 and older), ground coffee and single-serve coffee pods are becoming increasingly popular, particularly among Gen Zers and millennials (aged 16 – 34), who account for 16% of all buyers. Furthermore, the consumption of cold brew coffee is also rapidly expanding. Similar to ground coffee and single serve, cold brew is preferred by younger consumers and has untapped potential throughout the UK. (For more information see T&CTJ’s feature: Cold brew experiences growth in the UK market).

In terms of out-of-home consumption, the café culture is booming. The BCA reports that 80% of those who visit coffee shops do so once a week and 16% of the population visit once a day.

Given that that the café culture is surging, Germany-based coffee blog Coffeeness researched the best UK cities for coffee lovers, taking a variety of factors into account, including the number of coffee shops and coffee roasters as well as coffee pricing, search trends and annual coffee festivals and events. Interestingly, the top 25 cities are in England. Coffeeness found that the top ten best cities in the UK for coffee enthusiasts, in order are:

1. Salford
2. London
3. Preston
4. Bath
5. Brighton & Hove
6. Liverpool
7. Durham
8. Peterborough
9. Wells
10. Leicester

According to Coffeeness, which used Yelp as its main source for calculating the number of cafés, cake shops and coffee roasters in any given city, Salford is by far, the best UK city for coffee lovers in terms of accessibility to good quality coffee. It’s also one of the most affordable cities for coffee. Conversely, London is one of the cities in which the average cost for a cup of coffee is highest (topped by only Ely in Cambridgeshire).

Other ‘most affordable coffee cities’ include the cathedral city of Durham – where a cup of coffee is £2.81 on average – followed by Peterborough, Chelmsford, and Salford.

The research finds that London’s café culture is really thriving. The city – which now boasts more than 4,100 coffee shops – ranks highest overall when it comes to coffee festivals and events.

Per Coffeeness, Sunderland, located in North East England, ranks as the least favourable UK city for coffee lovers. And while Bristol ranks fairly low in terms of coffee accessibility and quality, it comes in second for coffee culture and interest.

For the full report on the best cities in the UK for coffee lovers, click here.

Vanessa L Facenda, editor, Tea & Coffee Trade Journal.
Keep in touch via email: vanessa@bellpublishing.com Twitter: @TCTradeJournal or LinkedIn: Tea & Coffee Trade Journal

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In the UK, it is estimated that consumers use between 2.5 to 5 billion disposable paper cups per year, with few of those reported as being recycled. With 76% of people who purchase hot beverages to go relying on single-use equivalents, the research reveals that more work needs to be done in order to shift consumers away from their reliance on disposable hot beverage cups.

There is a huge opportunity for takeaway hot drinks outlets to adopt simple practices to reduce the significant single-use waste produced. In the US, for example, many cafés and coffee shops offer reusable cups for sale, a discount to customers that use one, or have a cost-effective returnable cup program. Furthermore, many outlets offer seasonal reusable cups to entice consumers to buy and use them, particularly in the fourth-quarter (e.g., Starbucks signature red reusable annual holiday cup) and Earth Day (bright green cups are ubiquitous).

In 2023, to help reduce single-use waste and alter attitudes towards disposable items, more than a dozen cafés in Stirling, Scotland offer customers the option of reusable cup for to-go drinks in return for a £1 deposit. The deposit could be reclaimed at any café participating in the Ditching Disposables Stirling scheme. (Click here for the full story.)

The flexibility of returnable and reusables allow outlets to establish a concept that best suits its operations. By purchasing a given number of returnable cups, organisations can either collect a small deposit from customers, which is then refunded on return of the cup, or implement a borrow charge if the cup is not returned within a set period. According to the survey, some programs are even simpler, by trusting customers to return the cups and ensure a circular economy of reusables within the outlet.

“This survey clearly shows the opportunity on offer to forward-thinking catering outlets as they look to reduce their reliance on single-use packaging,” said Dan Dicker, CEO and founder at Circular&Co. “There’s a clear appetite for more returnable cup schemes and reusables among those buying takeaway hot drinks regularly, which gives businesses the opportunity to make significant commercial and environmental savings, all while improving their appeal to the growing number of environmentally conscious customers.”

• Vanessa L Facenda, editor, Tea & Coffee Trade Journal.
  Keep in touch via email: vanessa@bellpublishing.com Twitter: @TCTradeJournal or LinkedIn: Tea & Coffee Trade Journal

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Consumers have been awakened to the potential of beverages and are seeking spaces that can deliver a memorable experience. In a time of global inflation, customisable drinks provide individuals with an opportunity for affordable indulgences. For the cafés and quick service restaurants, it is a delicate balance of meeting consumers’ need for speed while ensuring they receive the customisable experience they desire.

In this highly competitive market, one of challenges for chain restaurants and cafés will be maintaining that consistent experience across the various platforms. The pot with ready-made coffee is becoming a thing of the past with increased awareness of the flavour of freshly brewed coffee. Bean-to-Cup machines, automatic coffee stations, and even robot cafés are expanding into various spaces, from convenience stores to cafés.

The Clover Vertica, an on-demand, single-cup brewer, has been installed in nearly 10 percent of Starbucks Coffee’s company-operated locations throughout the United States, with the goal of having it installed in almost 60 percent of Starbucks-operated US stores in fiscal year 2024. “This will continue to elevate our coffee offering while also making partners more productive by reducing waste and creating efficiencies in-store, allowing them to spend more time doing what they do best: connecting with our customers,” said Laxman Narasimhan, CEO, Starbucks Corp.

According to Research and Markets, the global market for fully automated coffee machines is projected to reach USD $6.2 billion with a projected growth annual growth rate of 4.4 percent from 2022 to 2030. The quick service restaurant (QSR) segment is projected to increase their rate of adoption by 4.3 percent annually, while the full-service restaurant segment is estimated to have an annual growth rate of 4.8 percent.

“There are so many ways to enjoy coffee; personalisation, customisation, and variety are more important than ever,” said Elizabeth Lang, senior director of product marketing and consumer insights at Peet’s Coffee. It is about providing consumers with the ability to customise the entire experience, from the ordering to where the beverage is consumed. One feature Peet’s has introduced into its mobile application is the ability for consumers to select from a plant-based menu, making it easier to find what they are looking for. The demand for plant-based options has remained consistent, evolving from a trend to a permanent fixture on menus to respond to the needs of consumers that are seeking vegan alternatives.

The continued demand for interesting and unique beverages continues to provide an opportunity for restaurants to connect with their consumers. As a direct result the players in the specialty beverage space are expanding beyond the cafés to full-service restaurants and several QSR locations. A&W serves Organic Fairtrade coffee and an entire page of its website tells the story behind the beans that A&W sources, and the beverages created using these beans. Its brew bar, which is available at select locations, provides consumers with several beverage options including espresso-based beverages and cold brew.

Several other chain restaurants are also expanding their coffee menu, including Wendy’s, Burger King, and iHop. Taco Bell is exploring how coffee can become a part of its consumers’ experience. In December 2023, Taco Bell piloted a line of seven frozen coffees and shakes in select California locations. The beverages, which included Mexican chocolate, caramel churro, and spiced vanilla, were inspired by authentic Mexican flavours. The chain has also partnered with Beekeeper Coffee to offer a limited edition Horchata cold brew at select Taco Bell locations.

McDonald’s continues to expand into the coffee space, including a recent McCafé makeover that focused on packaging and product offerings. On 26 March 2024, McDonald’s Canada offered five varieties of cold brew at its Canadian locations.

“Good things take time. Just as the cold-brew process enhances the smooth, delicious flavour of cold brew, we invested time in perfecting our recipe and are confident our guests will love it,” said chef, Jeff Anderson, culinary innovation lead at McDonald’s Canada. “Whether you’re a long-time cold brew lover or trying it for the first time, we’re excited to give our guests a new way to enjoy McCafé coffee.”

Catering to younger consumers

In the US, McDonald’s is testing its new concept restaurant, CosMc’s. The first location opened in Bolingbrook, Illinois, in December 2023; the second location opened in Dallas, Texas, this March, which was quickly followed by two additional locations in North Texas (Watauga and Arlington) in April. A Gen Z-focused format, these beverage-led spaces, which are drive-thru only, are centred on providing consumers with a menu to explore bold and innovative beverage experiences paired with café inspired treats. Consumers can customise their beverage experiences with flavour syrups, wellness shots, and even popping boba.

Customisation remains at the heart of the Starbucks experience. “We share with customers ways to make their beverages uniquely theirs so they find a beverage they cannot get anywhere else,” said Brady Brewer, CEO, Starbucks International. “Whether it’s adding a shot of espresso, a flavour, oat milk or increasingly a cold foam. And we use analytics to discover what’s trending, and then we amplify those ideas with customers.”

The multinational coffee chain is innovating its platform to include lower-calorie, plant-based, wholesome products to respond to consumers’ shifting needs. “With the cold beverages, there are infinite customisations possible on the cold beverage platform,” said Brewer. “And that means it’s increasingly a beverage you can’t get anywhere else.”

On 16 April, Starbucks launched a range of spice-infused beverages, including three spicy lemonade refreshers and a spicy cream cold foam, providing consumers the option of customising a variety of beverages with a bit of spice. “Over the next few months, we will be introducing three new beverage platforms, each of which is squarely aimed at our Gen Z and millennial customers across the range of coffee and cold beverages and compelling for the afternoon,” said Narasimhan.

Historically, coffee shop afternoons were tranquil, allowing staff to rest up after the morning rush. However, this is no longer the case, as there continues to be a shift of consumers seeking out cafés for a moment of afternoon indulgence. “Patterns have changed; Tuesdays through Thursdays are much bigger days for our downtown locations, and our neighbourhood locations are no longer empty during the afternoons,” said Lang. “The coffee shop is now often the person’s second coffee in the day, with consumers continuing to brew their first cup at home, and so that second cup is often a bit more indulgent.”

The influence of healthier lifestyles

Wellness continues to be a priority for consumers actively seeking beverages that can respond to these needs. This includes seeking functional ingredients: turmeric, matcha, Vitamin C shots, and natural ingredients, like fruit inclusions. “Today, our tea business is growing at nearly twice the rate of the global tea market, and we are one of the largest purchases of the world’s ceremonial grade matcha. In Japan for instance, we’ve seen terrific success in tea with our matcha-based products, including through our nascent Starbucks tea stores in that market,” said Narasimhan, adding, “we also see strong momentum for tea in Korea, China, and increasingly in the US.”

There is also an increased awareness of caffeine consumption, with more consumers looking for low caffeine and decaffeinated options. “We are seeing a rise in decaf and half caffeinated, particularly amongst younger consumers who seem increasingly wary about their relationship with caffeine,” said Lang. Decaffeinated is losing its stigma as more consumers become aware of the process involved with removing caffeine.

“There’s an expectation that you come in and you’re going to be able to try something new that drives that credibility and excitement with the brand and the café experience,” said Lang. One of the strategies that Peet’s Coffee utilises is pairing a familiar flavour with something unfamiliar, for example, vanilla lavender, to provide consumers with a familiar path to experience these new flavour experiences. When determining new flavours, Peet’s Coffee focuses on the experiences that will complement the coffee, bringing out the nuances within the roast.

The expansion of players in the specialty beverage market has resulted in a dynamic environment with each company finding innovative ways to differentiate their consumer experience. Although cold is currently driving demand, especially, during those afternoon occasions, there is room to grow in every category. Consumers are thirsty for their next beverage adventure, the challenges for the industry will be responding to their curiosity while ensuring that the offerings in store deliver the positive brand experience so that consumers return for more.

• Anne-Marie Hardie is a freelance writer, professor and speaker based in Barrie, Ontario. She may be reached at: annemariehardie1@gmail.com.

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• Recorded a 48% increase in sales in the first 3 months of the year compared to the same period in 2023;
• Has surpassed 550 locations across the country after opening 40 new locations this year, plus 9 fully renovated and 2 relocated locations;
• Has started the process of opening two new 5 to go coffee shops in Budapest, in addition to the four already present in Hungary, and is preparing to enter the Bulgarian market, where it has signed the papers for two locations.

“The current evolution of the number of locations is in line with the target set for the first part of the year: this is the pace needed to reach, or even exceed, 650 open coffee shops by December. Both locally and in neighbouring countries, we are testing the market, analysing trends and adapting our brand strategy and price positioning, where necessary, in order to respond to the specific needs of shoppers and offer them an experience that is as pleasant and close to their expectations. I am happy to see the opening of the first 5 to go locations in Bulgaria, which we have been pursuing for some time, and in Hungary the plan is to be present with ten cafes by the end of the year, if everything goes according to expectations,” said Radu Savopol, co-founder of 5 to go.

At the moment, the 5 to go network covers 120 cities in Romania, with another 35 to be added to the development map this year, and includes 280 entrepreneurs who carry forward the values of the brand and contribute significantly to massive local development by successfully managing one or more locations.

By December 2024, the company has planned to open around 120 new 5 to go coffee shops, as well as to strengthen its presence in foreign markets, where business expansion will be subject to a rigorous analysis of previous results and the specifics of each country. Moreover, realistic forecasting, adapting strategy to market developments and effective management of external factors are among the key factors behind the spectacular results achieved so far by 5 to go.

At the same time, the development of the retail division is on track, with new products being launched in the snacking area, adapted to the nutrition and lifestyle requirements of the moment, with competitive prices, attractive design and high quality ingredients, complementing the current portfolio.

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Total sales are above pre-pandemic levels, however, weakened consumer confidence, high inflation and lower foot traffic at traditional prime locations have contributed to slowed growth and increased uncertainty, and yet the appeal of the coffee shop culture endures. Allegra World Coffee Portal’s Project Café UK 2024 shows the UK branded coffee shop market achieved 9.2% sales growth to reach £5.3 billion over the last 12 months. The total market grew 3.6% by outlets to reach 10,199 stores.

Project Café UK also revealed that outlet growth has slowed as operators exercise caution, noting that operators are increasingly assessing underperforming sites — 25% of branded coffee businesses saw net reductions in their outlet portfolios over the last 12 months, with 29% not opening any net new outlets amid heightened industry caution. Costa Coffee remains the UK’s largest branded coffee chain, holding a 26% share of the market with 2,677 stores, after closing a net 17 sites over the last 12 months. Overall outlet growth was led by Greggs and Starbucks, which opened 73% of the 353 net new stores added to the market during the period.

Coffee shops may be weathering the difficulties but challenges remain as the cost-of-living crisis (which is affecting economies globally) continues to squeeze UK consumer disposable incomes. Project Café UK identified a negative impact on regular coffee shop visitation over the last 12 months. Amid sustained high product, labour, energy and property costs, branded coffee chains have increased coffee prices by an average of around 9% over the last 12 months (the average price of a 12oz latte rose 8.7% to reach £3.51), resulting in average spend falling 4% year-on-year, with consumers either more likely to only purchase a beverage or spend less overall on food items.

The research finds that many operators are diversifying retail and product strategies to broaden their market appeal. For example, in a bid to attract the ever-important Gen Z consumer, Costa Coffee became the first major UK branded coffee chain in the UK to offer bubble tea in 2023 and has also launched a new hot milkshake range.

Project Café UK further reported that Costa, Starbucks and Tim Hortons all grew their drive-thru presence over the last 12 months to collectively hold a 93% share of the 801-site UK drive-thru coffee market. In the food-focused segment, Greggs met its target to open circa 150 stores per year with a significant coffee offering and the chain is now trialling iced coffee at selected locations. Pret A Manger has doubled down on its in-store subscription with a 20% food discount to subscribers and has sought to cater to families by introducing a new children’s menu.

Although an improving economic outlook for 2024 is predicted, subdued growth is expected. UK inflation has more than halved over the last 12 months and high street trading conditions are likely to improve further following the Bank of England’s anticipated base rate decrease — its first since March 2020. However, World Coffee Portal reports that fierce competition in an increasingly crowded market is likely to constrain operator growth, forecasts the UK total branded coffee shop market will exceed 10,500 outlets by January 2025.

Commenting on the report, Allegra World Coffee Portal founder and CEO, Jeffrey Young said, “Despite some very strong economic headwinds, squeezed consumer spend and trading uncertainty, the UK coffee shop market – and especially branded coffee chain segment – has remained very resilient. Having achieved two decades of consistent growth only interrupted by the Covid era, we’re now looking at trading patterns well above pre-pandemic levels.” He added that “a very bright future awaits for the UK coffee shop market as operators invest in innovation through technology, capture the hearts and minds of the next generation with new product categories, including iced beverages, and focus on delivering high-quality, value-for-money experiences.”

Meanwhile, a new report from SumUp, the leading global fintech company, revealed the best cities in the UK for independent coffee shop businesses to thrive. It’s no surprise that in recent years, there has been a bigger spotlight placed on independent businesses, as consumers become more conscious of supporting their local communities.

SumUp’s research explains that the cities on its list have “buzzing independent shopping scenes, and each one boasts a range of unique boutiques, bookshops, and homeware stores. These cities are among some of the best to establish yourself as an independent business owner, and they provide the perfect environment in which you can thrive and grow.”

The research named Bristol as the top city in the UK for independent coffee shop businesses, followed by Sheffield and London. The study ranked 80 cities across the UK, taking into consideration the number of independent coffee shops in each location and their average review score.

According to SumUp, “it’s no surprise that Bristol tops the list as the best city for fostering and thriving as an independent coffee shop business. The city boasts an impressively high score of 1.26 for the number of independent coffee shop businesses the city hosts, home to 79 independent coffee shops.” Additionally, Bristol records the highest rated coffee shops on average within the coffee sector, with an average coffee shop rating of 4.64 stars.

While having less coffee shops than London, likely due to scale and population, SumUp stated that Bristol’s coffee shops perform better than those in the capital, on average, as London’s independent cafés hold an average review score of 4.43.

Sheffield, is another strong contender for independent coffee shops, per SumUp, ranking it as the second best UK city for independent coffee spots. The northern city has slightly more independent roasters than Bristol, and just ranks by just 0.01 points when it comes to average reviews.

Rounding out the top ten cities in the UK for independent coffee shop businesses, according to SumUp are: York, Glasglow, Dublin, Edinburgh, Salford, Gloucester and Newry.

For the full Project Café UK, click here. For more information on The best UK cities for independent businesses study, click here.

• Vanessa L Facenda, editor, Tea & Coffee Trade Journal.
  Keep in touch via email: vanessa@bellpublishing.com Twitter: @TCTradeJournal or LinkedIn: Tea & Coffee Trade Journal

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The company has Greener Stores in 44 markets with new markets including India, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, Vietnam, Bahrain, Italy, France, Spain, and Costa Rica, including the Hacienda Alsacia Visitor Center café at Starbucks first and only coffee farm.

“Our big vision for the future is for every Starbucks store around the world to be more sustainable. That’s why I’m excited to see the continued growth of Greener Stores globally, driven by the passion of our partners,” said Michael Kobori, Starbucks chief sustainability officer. “Starbucks environmental promise comes to life through our baristas’ daily actions which help define a Greener Store, our innovative shift toward reusable cups, and our partnership with coffee farmers on sustainable growing practices — it’s all part of our commitment to give more than we take from the planet.”

Since October 2022, all new Starbucks stores in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) are being built under the Greener Stores framework.

What’s a Greener Store?

Being certified as a Greener Store, means meeting standards across eight environmental impact areas developed in partnership with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and SCS Global Services: water stewardship, energy efficiency, waste diversion, renewable energy, responsible materials, engagement, sites, communities, health, and wellbeing.

Each Greener Store has a combination of sustainable features that help it receive its third-party verification. Some stores have obvious elements like solar panels or water recycling tanks. While others have more subtle features behind the counter like high efficiency appliances, low-emitting paint and sealants, and energy management systems as well as store practices like composting and food donation.

For example, in the United States, Starbucks Greener Stores practices have saved the company almost USD $60 million in annual operating costs, including 30% water savings and 30% energy reduction when compared to historic store practices.

Greener Stores of the year 

This year, the company announced its inaugural global Greener Stores of the Year programme awarding one store in each of six regions to celebrate stores exceeding in innovation and environmental impact.

Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) – Lima, Peru  

All store partners at the Starbucks Frutales location, in the Camacho neighborhood of Lima, have completed the Greener Apron programme, a course about sustainability and practices partners can take to help reduce waste and improve their impact on the environment. “The certification on sustainable practices works on promoting getting orders in For-Here Cups, composting and also the use of reusables,” said store manager, Andrea G.

All store finishes are provided by local suppliers, including a beautiful mural by a local Peruvian artist Selva, whose art represents our “harmonious relationship with our surroundings.”

Tsushima, Japan

Built as part of a project to revitalise Tennogawa Park, the store was designed to feel at one with the outdoors with large windows allowing ample natural daylight and deep eaves to prevent glare and heat. Store partners help run an annual festival held in the park and host “community connect” events, such as park clean-ups where partners volunteer alongside residents and customers.

Since December 2023, the first Greener Store in Japan, the Imperial Palace Gaien Wadakura Fountain Park store, has been a Reuse Ambassador workshop inviting nearby store partners to learn about reusables and practices that can help their store become verified as a Greener Store.

Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) – Cesme, Türkiye

The store’s natural stone exterior helps control indoor temperature and its high-efficiency HVAC system and on-site solar provide a 15% energy savings. A rainwater harvesting system provides landscape irrigation, and landscaping consists of local plants endemic to the area.

“Winning the EMEA Greener Store of the Year title is a truly remarkable achievement, especially for someone who values environmental sustainability like myself,” said store manager Gökçe C. “The recognition of our store’s sustainable design fills me with pride and motivates me to continue contributing towards a greener future.”

North America – Williamsburg, Virginia

“I’ve always loved that Starbucks cares about the environment and reducing waste, but now that I’ve been given the opportunity to be a part of a Greener Store, I feel a greater sense of responsibility. I see even more of the meaningful change we are making as a company each day,” said store manager Madi M. who added that “for the history buffs and William and Mary Alumni that visit us to see how an old house could become a Starbucks, we love to offer For-Here cups, share about personal cups, and tell curious customers about composting or Grounds for Your Garden.”

Located in historic Williamsburg, a 100-year-old house was turned into a new Starbucks café operating on 100% local renewable electricity provided by the Fern Solar project located just under 200 miles away. In addition, the store has a rainwater collection system in place for landscape irrigation and banquettes made from recycled wood.

“Each individual person impacts the environment, and if Starbucks as a whole is taking a step towards being greener, hopefully, we can inspire others through our process,” said barista, Zach. “Every day I use a personal cup whether it’s for hot or cold drink, I make sure to always have one with me. I also encourage other partners or customers to bring in theirs to reduce the amount of waste we have with our plastic cups, paper cups, and lids. I like to remind customers about our discount with using a personal cup, and how they can benefit from using one as well.”

Asia Pacific – Ayali Kalan, Ludhiana, India

Located in Ayali Kalan, the first certified Greener Stores in India has EV chargers, a rainwater harvesting system, and distributes their used coffee grounds to be used as fertiliser in surrounding developments. The store has interactive displays raising awareness about climate change and inspiring others to embrace eco-friendly choices in their lives.  

“I’m looking forward to engaging customers to let them know we are raising awareness about climate change, and the thoughtfulness we have put behind this store to reduce its environmental footprint. This award helps us celebrate and bring this awareness to our customers,” said Pankaj, store manager from Starbucks Ayali Kalan.

Shanghai, China

The Zhao Hua Road store was renovated with 90% recycled or reusable materials used in store construction, and 75% of store operational materials are recyclable. Installing LED energy-efficient lighting, an air-cooled ice machine and heat-pump water heater has resulted in a 50% energy reduction compared to before the store renovation.

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Launched in 2017, Redemption Roasters has recorded a 78% rise in monthly sales growth since 2019 and is currently on target to generate £8.1m in sales in the last 12 months with annual revenues forecast to exceed £25m by 2026.

With the UK branded coffee shop market valued at nearly £5bn per year and research showing London’s market for independent coffee retailers has capacity for major growth compared to other international cities, Redemption Roasters is planning to open a further 17 shops in the capital and other parts of the UK by 2026. The company is also developing a new app to boost B2C revenues by an estimated 15% and is focused on further expanding its wholesale customer base.

Redemption Roasters’ business is built around a strong social commitment. The company’s partnership with the UK Ministry of Justice provides retraining programmes aimed at reducing reoffending rates amongst prison leavers. 20% of Redemption Roasters’ current retail staff are either prison leavers or individuals deemed to be at risk of offending.

The company also operates a roastery inside HMP The Mount where resident ‘trainees’ benefit from spending extended periods out of their cells working in a positive environment alongside Redemption Roasters’ team. The company also provides coffee training inside and outside of prison with direct pathways to long-term employment. Through 14 partnerships with UK prisons to date, over 1,500 individuals have taken part in these programmes, with participant reoffending rates sitting well below half the national average.

As well as paying an average of 120% more than the Fairtrade price to their bean suppliers, Redemption Roasters is also committed to social initiatives including supporting female farmers in Brazil and helping former civil war combatants in Colombia to retrain as coffee producers. It has also funded a new cupping lab to help an indigenous tribe in Burundi enhance the quality of its coffee.

The company was founded by Max Dubiel and Ted Rosner, who met while attending St Andrews University. Prior to launching Redemption Roasters, Max worked as a strategy consultant with large consumer brands and was also a founder of Black Sheep Coffee, the UK’s fastest growing independent coffee chain. Ted, who qualified as a solicitor, worked with Wall Street firm Debevoise & Plimpton as a corporate specialist handling M&A deals.

The company’s executive team includes chairman Jonathan Heilbron, an experienced and successful brand innovator who was former CEO at shirtmaker, Thomas Pink, and is now a partner at premium consumer fund, Redrice Ventures.

To help drive its growth strategy and support further development of its social aims, Redemption Roasters has now launched a £1.2m investment round, which includes a crowdfunding campaign on Crowdcube. Further details can be found here. 

The majority of the proceeds of the investment round will go towards financing the opening of new outlets.

Commenting on the investment round, Redemption Roasters founder, Max Dubiel, said: “As a purpose-driven business that has achieved phenomenal growth, we are very excited about this next chapter in our journey. This current investment round includes a crowdfund, enabling those who share our ethos to join us on our journey.

“The proceeds will drive further growth of our brand and help us achieve even greater profitability through scale. This will also enable the business to do more to help prison leavers and further deliver on our wider social ambitions to support coffee producers throughout the world.”

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As cliché as it is, humans are creatures of habit, and when our habits were so dramatically altered by the Covid-19 outbreak, we reached for the things we knew, the things we could control, to emulate a semblance of stability. There is a reason we re-watch our favourite films or TV shows, re-read books over and over: we are comforted by the familiarity and the predictability.

As soon as cafés were allowed to offer takeaway coffee, a glimmer of normality returned, and we flocked to their doors in an attempt to capture that mimicry of routine once more. We all remember looking forward to the one trip outside that we were allowed each day. And for so many, this took the form of a walk to grab a coffee to-go from their local café or coffee shop. Not only did it hail back to normal times, but it was a chance for human interaction – seeing ‘real people’ aside from your dog or your long-suffering partner.

At the Specialty Coffee Association’s (SCA) Virtual Coffee Retail Summit in February, Jessica Warden, head of coffee at Gail’s, spoke of the newly essential role their baristas had to play during this time, that the exchange between customer and barista became even more important. For many, it may have been their only social interaction of the day and for most, it served as a chance to get out of the house and recalibrate with the outside world. Coffee, and more importantly, coffee shops, throughout the pandemic, remained an integral part of people’s lives, just in a rather different format.

It was during this time that Pret a Manger launched its subscription service: up to five barista-made beverages a day for £25 a month. This proved a popular scheme, encouraging its customers to make the effort to visit, if only to get the most out of their subscription. One of my closest friends and her housemates would walk to Pret daily – even though it was a forty-minute walk from their house – to feel like they had achieved something with their day, gone somewhere and done something at a time when this was a luxury.

Pret also opened to sit in before a lot of other places, socially distanced and one household to a table of course, where you could go and work or study. The return of indoor dining offered different walls to stare at, and a constant volley of people, which, despite not really being able to interact with, at least they were people and a reminder that life continued.

Instant coffee, was, and still is, widely consumed in the United Kingdom, but specialty coffee is on the uptake and has been for some time. Previously, most people were satisfied with their instant coffee at home and would enjoy a barista style coffee on their way to work or from their fancy office coffee machine, if they were lucky. But during lockdown, when a trip to the coffee shop became the focal point of the day, and time felt so endless that people picked up hobbies like sourdough cultivation and crocheting, the coffee-minded among us delved into the world of specialty coffee at home. They invested in coffee machines and experimented with more unusual and premium blends, no longer satisfied with anything but the high-quality coffee that was the spoils of their lockdown coffee-shop pilgrimages. This was expediated by social media such as the Dalgona coffee TikTok trend that saw people whipping instant coffee, sugar, and water together and adding it to hot or cold milk to create a cloud-like coffee concoction. People were using social media to learn how to do many things – like learning to knit a cardigan – and many were also using it to learn how to make specialty coffee.

Now that society has mostly re-opened, our evolved preference for specialty coffee has lingered and whilst many can achieve this at home, coffee shops have not lost their unshakeable attraction as a segment of our routine and a respite from what was a too empty life in lockdown, to a once more, busy life doing whatever it was we used to do in 2019.

• Kathryn Brand, Bell Publishing editorial assistant
  Keep in touch via email: kathryn@bellpublishing.com 
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In a recent study, home advice site Simple Ghar analysed the average closing times of cafés (as well as of restaurants and bars/clubs) for major cities around the globe. They then ranked them to reveal the cities with the latest closing hours.

The chart reveals the 50 cities where cafés stay open the latest, with Cairo, Egypt and Belgrade, Serbia topping the list. Quite intriguing, and surprising, are three cities in India that rank low for having late open hours overall but are in the top ten for late-night cafés – Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Chennai – which all have average closing times between 10 and 11pm (22:00 & 23:00). According to SimpleGhar, the café culture is booming in India with the rise of the youth and middle classes set against a backdrop of low alcohol consumption.

Cairo is the city with the latest ‘late-night action’, with an average closing time of 12:26am (00:26) — four hours later than the average global closing time. The café culture there, evidently, has existed since the 16^th century, and the tea is always served the same way: hot, very black, and very sweet.

SimpleGhar finds that the Egyptian capital has the world’s latest opening cafés and second-latest restaurants. On aggregate, that makes Cairo the latest-opening city in the world. Lonely Planet reports that the climate and culture of the city have made late-opening the norm, with shops often open until midnight and entertainment lasting until dawn.

While Zagreb, Croatia is the 42^nd latest-opening city per SimpleGhar’s overall list, it ranks thirteenth for cafés with an average closing time of 10 to 10 (22:00).

The SimpleGhar study finds that the top twenty cities with the latest closing times for cafés are:

1. Cairo, Egypt (closing time: 00:26)
2. Belgrade, Serbia (closing time: 23:23)
3. Karachi, Pakistan (closing time: 23:22)
4. Athens, Greece (closing time: 22:58)
5. Hyderabad, India (closing time: 22:56)
6. Istanbul, Turkey (closing time: 22:46)
7. Mumbai, India (closing time: 22:37)
8. Dubai, United Arab Emirates (closing time: 22:36)
9. Chennai, India (closing time: 22:06)
10. Moscow, Russia (closing time: 21:59)
11. Seoul, South Korea (closing time: 21:53)
12. Jakarta, Indonesia (closing time: 21:49)
13. Zagreb, Croatia (closing time: 21:48)
14. Madrid, Spain (closing time: 21:41
15. Bengaluru/Bangalore, India (closing time: 21:36)
16. New Delhi, India (closing time: 21:33)
17. Minsk, Belarus (closing time: 21:33)
18. Havana, Cuba (closing time: 21:29
19. Kyiv, Ukraine (closing time: 21:27)
20. Montevideo, Uruguay (closing time: 21:20)

According to SimpleGhar, closing times for cafés (including coffee shops) and restaurants were gathered from OpenStreetMap (closing times for bars and clubs were taken from the first four pages of ‘Bars & Clubs’ and ‘Dance Clubs & Discos’ listings in each city’s TripAdvisor Nightlife section). In instances where the opening hours varied based on days of the week or months/seasons of the year, closing times were averaged across all the times available for each establishment. The city rankings were compiled based on the score assigned to each city based on how late, on average, bars & clubs, restaurants, and cafés close.

Now that international travel has resumed, I am trying to decide which city on the list to visit first, but there are so many great choices…

For the list of all 50 cities where cafés stay open the latest, as well as the full report on ‘sleepless cities’ and the study’s methodology, visit: simpleghar.com/which-city-in-the-world-truly-never-sleeps.

• Vanessa L Facenda, editor, Tea & Coffee Trade Journal.
  Keep in touch via email: vanessa@bellpublishing.com Twitter: @TCTradeJournal or LinkedIn: Tea & Coffee Trade Journal.

The post Closing Time: which cities have cafés that stay open the latest? appeared first on Tea & Coffee Trade Journal.

To determine the best local coffee scenes in America, WalletHub compared the 100 largest cities across 12 key indicators of a strong coffee culture. The data set ranges from coffee shops, coffeehouses and cafés per capita to the average price per pack of coffee (I have never heard the expression “price per pack of coffee” before). I admit I was surprised by some of the names on the list as well as by the rankings of others (it seems California is the state to be in if you are a coffee enthusiast). WalletHub did not say if it factored Covid-19 circumstances – that many coffeehouses and cafés could offer take-out service only due to pandemic – into its methodology.

Per WalletHub, the Top 10 Cities for Coffee Lovers in 2020 are:

1. Seattle, WA 11. Minneapolis, MN
2. San Francisco, CA 12. Orlando, FL
3. Portland, OR 13. Washington, DC
4. Miami, FL 14. Boston, MA
5. Tampa, FL 15. Long Beach, CA
6. Pittsburgh, PA 16. Los Angeles, CA
7. Honolulu, HI 17. Irvine, CA
8. Denver, CO 18. New Orleans, LA
9. Oakland, CA 19. Austin, TX
10. Atlanta, GA 20. Jersey City, NJ

In terms of pricing, WalletHub found that:

• Miami and Hialeah, Florida, have the lowest average price for a pack of coffee, USD $3.44, which is 2.4 times lower than in Honolulu, the city with the highest at $8.10.
• Fremont, California, has the highest average annual spending on coffee per household, USD $236.41, which is 3.7 times higher than in Detroit, the city with the lowest at $63.91.
• Gilbert, Arizona, has the highest share of households that own a single-cup/pod-brewing coffee maker, 25.68 percent, which is 2.9 times higher than in Newark, New Jersey, the city with the lowest at 9.01 percent.
• Orlando, Florida, has the most coffee shops, coffeehouses and cafés (per square root of population), 0.4571, which is 7.5 times more than in Laredo, Texas, the city with the fewest at 0.0611.
• Portland, Oregon, has the most coffee and tea manufacturers (per square root of population), 0.0219, which is 43.8 times more than in Riverside and San Bernardino, California, the cities with the fewest at 0.0005.

Portland, Oregon topping the list for having the most coffee and tea manufacturers (per square root of population) is not surprising, but Orlando, Florida having the most coffee shops, coffeehouses and cafés (per square root of population) is. Detailed findings (highest and lowest average spending on coffee per household, highest and lowest percentage of adult coffee drinkers, highest and lowest number of households that own coffeemakers, most coffeehouses and cafés per capita, etc) and WalletHub’s methodology for determining the best coffee cities in America can be viewed here.

A list of coffee deals, specials and “freebies” on National Coffee Day (29 Sept) can be found here.

Happy java day!

• Vanessa L Facenda, editor, Tea & Coffee Trade Journal.
  Keep in touch via email: vanessa@bellpublishing.com
  Twitter: @TCTradeJournal or LinkedIn: Tea & Coffee Trade Journal.

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