Launched in 2014 with a mission to breathe new life into lunchtimes, Yolk believes every al desko meal matters. World Coffee Portal caught up with founder Nick Philpot to find out how the nine-store operator is disrupting London’s on-the-go market with premium food, specialty coffee – and a brand-new subscription model
Yolk founder, Nick Philpot | Photo credit: Yolk
Operating in some of Central London’s high footfall commuter districts, Yolk’s nine stores cater to busy professionals with a range of gourmet breakfast baps, poached egg pots, loaded sandwiches and specialty coffee roasted by Islington-based
Caravan.
For Yolk founder Nick Philpot, speed-of-service was for too long synonymous with mediocrity in the capital’s food-to-go market and the premium operator has long courted London’s foodie scene with a commitment to sourcing fresh produce and menus inspired by global cuisine.
Seeking to broaden its appeal among London’s younger workforce, in January 2025 Yolk
threw its hat into the in-store subscription arena, joining fellow London favourites
Pret A Manger and
LEON to launch BrewClub, which offers 50% off barista-made beverages from £10 per month.
What inspired you to launch Yolk in 2014 and how has the business adapted to London’s evolving premium food-to-go and brunch scene?
Yolk was born out of frustration – too many dreary, forgettable meals eaten at my corporate desk. Lunch should be a highlight of the day, an escape, a pleasure. Instead, it was often the same old chains, serving pre-packed sandwiches, lifeless fridge-cold salads and low-grade coffee. The UK has an incredible seated dining scene, but the on-the-go space lacked that same excitement. I saw an opportunity to change that – to bring bold flavours, real cooking, and a level of care that was missing.
Was your background in consultancy beneficial in establishing your first hospitality brand?
It was definitely helpful to a point, as it gave me a strong commercial foundation and a strategic mindset – plus it taught me to create a lovely Powerpoint deck and sell the idea! But once I started running the business, I realised there are so many aspects that consulting hadn’t prepared me for, and I’ve had to learn a lot on the job.
People, product and perseverance are key. Hiring the right people changes everything. I tried to do too much on my own for too long. You must continually improve and evolve the product, otherwise customers get bored and move elsewhere. And lastly, brand-building is hard – there will be setbacks and pandemics, but the winners will (hopefully!) be those who persevere and believe in the vision.
Yolk’s Broadgate outlet | Photo credit: Yolk
Affordability has arguably never been more important for consumers. How has Yolk sought to position itself as a value-leader in terms of quality?
We think about value constantly. We’re here to elevate the on-the-go market, but we believe great food shouldn’t be an exclusive luxury. That’s why we work hard to keep our main lunch dishes in the £6-£11 ($7.60-$13.93) range, even as some other challenger brands push into the £12-£15 (£15.19-$18.99) bracket. The same thinking applies to our coffee pricing. It’s not easy balancing quality and cost, but we think it’s key to making great food accessible to as many people as possible.
You serve specialty coffee from Caravan Coffee Roasters. Why is specialty coffee important to your on-the-go-focused brand?
Great coffee is an essential part of a great meal. From the start, specialty coffee has been central to what we do, not just an add-on but a core part of the Yolk experience. It’s also a key part of our all-day trading model – it drives frequency, keeps our stores buzzing and brings people in throughout the morning and afternoon, not just at lunchtime. Many on-the-go brands treat coffee as secondary, settling for low-grade beans and inconsistent quality. That’s not us. At our busier coffee sites, around 20% of total sales come from coffee.
What prompted Yolk to an in-store coffee subscription?
We’re incredibly proud of our specialty coffee and we wanted to shout about it more. At the same time, London’s trading reality has shifted – office patterns are more fluid, and consumer spending is under pressure. We want to really embed Yolk as part of people’s everyday. The subscription model makes high-quality coffee more accessible and helps build and reward loyalty, giving people a reason to choose Yolk daily.
We’ve invested heavily in upgrading our equipment, including installing Eversys machines at all our sites, to support staff deliver high volumes of coffee without compromising quality. That helps us to deliver a really consistent guest experience, at speed. We’re still pouring great latte art by hand, but elements such as pouring shots and dialling in the grinder are automated which means our baristas can focus more on guest service.
.jpg.aspx?lang=en-GB)
A Yolk Steak Bearnaise sandwich | Photo credit: Yolk
How is technology and automation enabling Yolk to deliver its subscription?
Tech is a huge enabler. We’re using a digital subscription platform that integrates with our POS system, making redemptions quick and easy. Guests log into their subscription in-store using mobile wallet passes which gives a quick, easy and seamless experience. We wanted to avoid an app, as we think people have app fatigue.
What are the business benefits of offering an in-store subscription and do you think the proposition will become more widely available in the market?
In a competitive market, we think the biggest benefit is in driving loyalty and frequency, which in turn helps support off-peak trade. We also now understand our guests much better. The subscription helps underpin our customer analytics, so we can understand who is buying what and when. Before our subscription and loyalty scheme, customers came and went and we couldn’t track individual behaviour.
Yolk opened its first outlet in 2018 and currently trades from nine Central London locations. Will Yolk explore neighbourhood or kiosk stores as many of your competitors have done?
We think there is a need for Yolk wherever people are busy and eating on-the-go. That absolutely includes neighbourhood high streets, transport locations and a whole range of other location-types. There is plenty more to come.
We will use recent crowdfunding investment to grow the business in a smart, considered way. We have a couple of openings planned, with more locations in the pipeline. We’ll also continue to evolve our menu and invest in marketing to raise broader awareness of the Yolk brand.