The UK coffee market in 2016 reached a turnover value of circa £9 billion with branded coffee chains accounting for nearly half of the sector’s revenue. So, no surprise that leading caterers look to develop their presence in such a high growth and high profit margin market.
We were invited to attend Compass Group UK & Ireland’s launch of two new coffee brands earlier this week, so attend we did to learn what Peak St. and Crackle & Hum bring to the value and premium segments within the ever-growing hot beverage market.
Research
Compass Group UK & Ireland, the UK’s largest food and support services firm had clearly done their homework, extensive customer and consumer research had been undertaken and presented on the day. The research revealed what customers and consumers currently buy and what they want from a branded coffee outlet.
- Consumers want more choice
- Consumers are more knowledgeable
- Consumers want a coffee brand experience
- Consumers expect premium quality coffee
- Consumers want speciality coffee and they want it when they want it, any time of day
The lucrative UK branded coffee shop sector is forecast to reach over £6 billion annual turnover by 2021. Compass Group UK & Ireland’s research seems well prepared to ensure they enjoy their slice of the sector through Peak St. and Crackle & Hum.
Quality
Once the business rational of the Peak St. and Crackle & Hum coffee proposition was covered we then had insight of their focus on coffee quality.
Baristas Gayan Munaweera and Marianne Matthews explained the bean selection and roasting processes in detail with passion and understanding. The knowledge both exuded was enlightening, my taste buds now have a grid to apply to why the next cup of coffee tastes great or not as the case may be.
My pre-conceived ideas of what I thought were my coffee preferences were challenged. How taste is achieved and then complemented were explained by Marianne and Gayan with clarity. Next the fun part of the morning.
Brand Experience
We were then treated to a guided coffee tasting and latte art masterclass, Marianne and Gayan demonstrated and of course made it look so easy, it wasn’t.
Barista Gayan MunaweeraThe precision applied was easily watched but took some concentration to replicate. I worked alongside Gayan who not only explained everything but made me hold his hands to get a sense of the pour. Every aspect of the process has a place and effect on the outcome, I must have listened and felt the latte vibe as the outcome was respectable.
Barista Marianne MatthewsMarianne and Gayan executed the coffee tasting and latte art demonstrating to me at least that the people behind the brand are the most important element of the consumer experience.
Training – Compass Group UK & Ireland became corporate members of the Speciality Coffee Association in 2016.
- Speciality Coffee Association training is mandatory for all at Peak St. and Crackle & Hum.
- Speciality Coffee Association training is a globally recognised qualification, with strong industry credentials in quality and delivery excellence.
- The Speciality Coffee Association training foundation courses provide Baristas with technical knowledge to produce drinks to the correct specification and maintain equipment to ensure quality and consistency.
Andrew Finn, Account Director at Compass Group UK & Ireland customer, Bentley – VW – Porsche after his training said:
“The coffee training course was the best course I have been on for some years. Rob was fantastic; the knowledge was unbelievable, the understanding the team have now will drive standards up. They all thought they knew how to make coffee until last week.”
So, in our humble opinion…Research, Quality and Brand Experience unveiled a taste of the future for branded coffee from Peak St. and Crackle & Hum that will impact the market significantly. Thanks Compass Group UK & Ireland for the coffee insights.