UK | Costa Coffee has been voted the Nation's Favourite coffee shop once again, celebrating 15 years of holding the title.
Costa Coffee was voted ‘The Nation’s Favourite’ coffee shop for the 15th year in a row, based on the votes of over 5,000 UK coffee consumers. To celebrate this remarkable achievement, World Coffee Portal looked back at the past 15 years and explored how Costa Coffee consistently inspired and shaped the UK coffee scene.
Founded by brothers Sergio and Bruno Costa in 1971, Costa Coffee was a pioneer of coffee and café culture in the UK. Over the years, it provided innovation and quality through more than 2,700 coffee shops and over 15,000 Costa Express machines across the country.
Costa Coffee always took pride in being 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 drink that later became a staple of UK coffee culture.
In 2011, the brand launched Costa Express, a state-of-the-art coffee machine that not only featured Costa Coffee’s iconic Mocha Italia Signature beans but also used fresh milk to create high-quality coffee, revolutionizing 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 in its UK stores, and in 2018, it became 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 were then sent 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 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 allowed 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, 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 as 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.
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