Union Hand-Roasted Coffee launches Half Caff blend

As more UK consumers look to moderate their caffeine intake without compromising on quality or flavour, Union Hand-Roasted Coffee has launched Half Caff, a new specialty blend designed for today’s more mindful coffee drinker.

Available now in Waitrose and Sainsbury’s, and online at unionroasted.com, with Ocado launching in March, Half Caff reflects a clear shift in UK coffee habits. Recent industry insight shows that over a quarter of UK consumers have increased their consumption of decaffeinated coffee in the past year, while wider research highlights growing interest in flexible caffeine options such as low-caffeine and half-caff alternatives.

At the same time, coffee drinkers are becoming increasingly selective, prioritising flavour, quality and provenance alongside health and wellbeing. Consumer insight indicates that people cutting back on caffeine are not turning away from coffee altogether. Instead, they are looking for ways to enjoy it more often and at more moments throughout the day, without the unwanted side effects associated with full-strength caffeine.

Union’s Half Caff Blend has been developed specifically in response to this behaviour.

Inspired by Union’s bestselling House Roast, Half Caff combines carefully selected caffeinated and decaffeinated specialty coffee beans to deliver a balanced cup with significantly less caffeine. The result is a coffee that allows consumers to enjoy specialty coffee in the afternoon or evening, or to moderate their intake without sacrificing taste.

“We’re seeing more people think differently about when and how they drink coffee – not less coffee, but more considered coffee,” says Violeta Stevens, managing director at Union. “Half Caff is crafted for this moment. It’s about balance without compromise: the flavour and quality you expect from Union, with a caffeine level that works across the day.” 

The caffeinated beans of the blend come from Asprotimana, Huila, Colombia, while the decaffeinated beans are sourced from Cajamarca, Peru. The decaffeinated coffee is processed using the Carbonic Natural method, a gentle, chemical-free technique that uses naturally sourced carbon dioxide to remove caffeine while preserving the coffee’s natural flavour characteristics.

Each coffee is roasted separately before blending, allowing Union’s roasting team to optimise flavour development in both components before bringing them together in the final cup.

With a recommended retail price of £7.50 for 200g, Half Caff sits firmly within the premium mainstream coffee category, aligning with evidence that consumers remain willing to invest in higher-quality options, even as they reduce overall caffeine consumption.

Products are now available at unionroasted.com, Waitrose, Sainsbury’s and Ocado.