Hot drinks provider Barista Bar has announced it will be the exclusive convenience, retail and forecourt partner for Melitta Professional’s next-generation coffee system in the UK, investing £12m into its next generation of self-serve machines.
Rolling out from 21 September and developed collaboratively, the machine has been customised specifically for Barista Bar’s third operational model, providing “a premium coffee solution that is designed to meet evolving consumer expectations,” it said.
Barista Bar’s new machine combines Melitta Professional’s bean-to-cup technology with a refreshed visual design and an expanded menu featuring more than 30 new drinks, with more than 80 drinks on the full menu.
The upgraded offer still delivers on the consistency and quality of coffee that shoppers expect, and includes hot and iced beverages, oat milk as a standard dairy alternative, decaffeinated options across all espresso-based drinks and trend-led additions to cater to younger consumers - such as Matcha, Chai and Iced Chocolate, alongside a range of flavoured syrups.
The huge investment in its next generation of coffee-to-go forms part of a wider £21m investment in Barista Bar over the next five years, supporting “the continued growth of the brand across new channels and markets in the UK and Europe,” it said.
Café quality
The coffee-to-go investment comes as demand for premium coffee-to-go continues to grow in volume share across forecourt and convenience retail, with shoppers increasingly seeking café quality drinks and greater choice when on-the-go.
For retailers, there’s a great opportunity within coffee and on-the-go as a key destination category capable of driving repeat visits and increasing incremental basket spend.
Mark Stewart-Maunder, commercial and development director at Barista Bar owners Henderson Foodservice Ltd, said: “Barista Bar has always been focused on delivering a market-leading coffee experience for both consumers and retailers, which has allowed us to build brand loyalty with shoppers.
“Our partnership with Melitta Professional represents a major milestone in that journey, allowing us to introduce technology that has been developed specifically for our business and the needs of our retail partners whilst remaining true to our commitment to always deliver on quality for shoppers.
“Our newest machine is a complete evolution of our coffee-to-go proposition, combining greater consumer choice and operational excellence to help retailers grow sales, drive repeat visits and future-proof their coffee offering.”
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