Costa Coffee takes top spot as the UK’s favourite coffee chain
Credit: Costa Coffee
Costa Coffee secured the majority of votes for the 15th year in a row, based on the votes of over 50,000 UK coffee consumers in the annual World Coffee Portal survey.
Founded by brothers Sergio and Bruno Costa in 1971, Costa Coffee has been a pioneer of coffee and café culture in the UK. Today, it continues to provide innovation and quality through more than 2,700 coffee shops and over 15,000 Costa Express machines across the country.
Costa Coffee has always been at the forefront of new trends and innovations. In 2010, it became the first UK coffee chain to introduce the flat white to its menu nationwide, a now-iconic drink that has since become a staple of UK coffee culture.
The year after, the brand launched Costa Express, a state-of-the-art coffee machine that not only features Costa Coffee’s iconic Mocha Italia Signature beans but also uses fresh milk to create high-quality coffee (repetition of on the go), revolutionising the on-the-go coffee sector. Fast forward to 2022, and Costa Coffee made history again by introducing the world’s first integrated self-serve hot and iced Costa Express machines, offering customers a selection of hot coffee, iced drinks, and a wide variety of cold beverages.
In 2016, Costa Coffee introduced coffee cup recycling points across in its UK stores, and in 2018 was one of the founders of the National Cup Recycling Scheme, in partnership with Valpak. The scheme enabled customers to deposit disposable cups from any brand, which then go to specialist recycling facilities.
In 2017, Costa Coffee opened its state-of-the-art roastery in Basildon, one of Europe’s largest facilities, with an annual production capacity of 45,000 tonnes of coffee. This roastery has enabled Costa Coffee to expand its reach both across the UK and internationally.
In 2014, Costa Coffee launched its nationwide Community Programme, aimed at empowering team members to support local causes significant to them and their communities. This program enables customers to engage with their local stores through activities tailored to the specific needs of their areas.
The Costa Foundation, Costa Coffee’s global charity partner, has always played a central role in in-store activities, involving team members, customers, and the wider community in fundraising efforts. In 2019, the Costa Foundation celebrated the opening of its 100th school, which is part of its mission to enhance the life opportunities of children in coffee-growing communities by providing access to safe and quality education. To date, the Costa Foundation has funded over 100 school projects, positively impacting the lives of more than 120,000 children in 10 different countries.
“We are incredibly proud to be named the nation’s favourite coffee shop for the 15th consecutive year. This achievement reflects our valued consumers and our talented baristas, as well as the continued support from our partners, suppliers, and franchisees.” expressed Nick Orrin, managing director of UK&I at Costa Coffee. “Over the last twelve months we have continued to invest in our UK business across our store estate, Costa Express machines and business-to-business propositions. We also introduced rewards and initiatives for Costa Club members, launching innovative new food and drink products and opened the doors to our four-legged friends, making most of our stores dog-friendly. It’s an honour to continue serving the UK with warmth, quality, and innovation. Here’s to many more years of bringing people together, one coffee at a time!”.
