In recent years, the coffee shop market in the UK has grown into a significant segment of the economy, reaching an estimated value of £6.8 billion by the end of 2025. As this market expands at an annual growth rate of 5.5%, coffee shop operators are innovating to capture consumer interest and differentiate themselves in a competitive landscape.
To remain relevant, many cafés are diversifying their product offerings and staying informed on the latest trends. Below, you’ll find a selection of exciting new drinks and equipment designed to attract customers and enhance their café experience.
Trending flavoured syrups
Miko Coffee has introduced four new Shott Super Concentrate flavours, aimed at helping cafés create trendy beverages effortlessly. The flavours—Spiced Biscuit (Speculoos), Salted Pistachio, Cherry, and Elderflower—can enhance coffee, tea, matcha, chai, lemonade, spritzers, mocktails, milkshakes, and iced drinks, resulting in visually appealing and high-margin beverages.
Price: 1 litre bottle, from £11.21
Hot drinks made easy
Foodservice Equipment Marketing (FEM) has launched the Ugolini Delice hot drink dispensers, designed for efficient service of various hot beverages. Available in three- or five-litre capacities, these dispensers feature a shockproof polycarbonate bowl and operate on a standard 13A plug, drawing only 0.8kW. With precise temperature control up to 95°C and an easily disassembled tap for cleaning, these dispensers contribute to seamless café operations.
Price: 3 litre Ugolini Delice, £690
African coffee range
British coffee brand Cupper’s Journey has made its debut in the UK hospitality sector with a line of single-origin African coffees. Sourced from estates in Ethiopia, Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya, Zambia, and Uganda, the collection includes Bekele Kachara from Ethiopia, lightly roasted with almond and tropical fruit notes; Rwamatamu from Rwanda, featuring a medium-light body with berry acidity and a creamy mouthfeel; and Silverback from Uganda, known for its fruity sweetness with hints of strawberry, malt, nutmeg, and dark chocolate. Each coffee boasts a cupping score of 84 or above, indicating exceptional quality.
Price: 5kg case, £235
Bubble tea and boba
Sephra, in collaboration with its distribution division CFW, has introduced a bubble tea range imported from Taiwan. This extensive collection includes Sephra Base Jasmine Tea Syrup (2.5kg), which is available in dragonfruit, mango, passionfruit, and strawberry flavours and can be further enhanced with Monin’s selection of 120 syrups. Additionally, the 3.2kg tubs of popping boba come in blueberry, mango, passionfruit, pineapple, strawberry, and watermelon flavours.
Price: 3.2kg popping boba, £14.99
Speciality drinks maker
Melitta Professional has launched the Cafina CT8plus automatic coffee machine, capable of processing up to four types of beans and four milk or plant-based alternatives. Operators can store various recipes and prepare profiles, including different doses, grind settings, dispensing volumes, or milk foam variations. The machine features optional low-pressure brew technology for filter-coffee style beverages, ensuring a versatile offering.
Price: Base model, from £13,000
Fast frappes
Aimia Foods for Professionals has introduced a Galaxy Caramel Flavour Frappe mix to its out-of-home offerings. This user-friendly mix combines Galaxy chocolate with caramel and is free from artificial colours, flavours, and preservatives. To create a frappe, simply blend or shake 35g of the mix with 100ml of milk and 100g of ice.
Price: Case of four x 1kg tubs, £42.50
Coffee for all price points
The Wholesale Group has expanded its own-brand coffee offerings with new Chef Approved and Chef Prestige ranges. This collection includes five core products: Chef Approved Barista Coffee Beans—a 50% Arabica/50% Robusta blend; Chef Prestige Espresso Beans—an 80% Arabica/20% Robusta blend; Chef Prestige 100% Premium Arabica Coffee Beans, aimed at high-end operators; Chef Prestige 100% Premium Arabica decaf beans; and Chef Prestige 100% Premium Arabica Filter Coffee for filter brewing.
Price: Case of six x 1kg Chef Approved Barista Coffee Beans, £13.49
Key Takeaways
- The UK coffee shop market is valued at £6.8 billion, with a 5.5% annual growth forecast.
- New flavour syrups from Miko Coffee enhance a variety of drinks, meeting customer demand for trends.
- Ugolini Delice dispensers simplify hot drink service, celebrating efficiency and temperature control.
- Cupper’s Journey offers high-quality single-origin coffees from multiple African countries.
- Sephra’s bubble tea range allows cafes to create customizable drinks with diverse flavour options.
- Melitta’s new coffee machine supports multiple bean and milk options for versatile drink preparation.
- The Wholesale Group’s Chef range caters to different pricing strategies in the coffee segment.
FAQ
What are Shott Super Concentrate flavours?
These are high-concentration syrups designed to enhance a variety of beverages, easily integrating into coffee, tea, and more.
What is the purpose of the Ugolini Delice hot drink dispensers?
They serve a range of hot drinks quickly and efficiently while maintaining temperature control.
What distinguishes Cupper’s Journey coffees?
They are single-origin coffees from Africa, known for their high cupping scores and unique flavour profiles.
How can cafés use Sephra’s bubble tea ingredients?
Cafés can create customized bubble tea drinks using the range’s flavours and syrups.
What is the starting price for Melitta’s coffee machines?
The base price starts at £13,000, featuring advanced drink preparation capabilities.
