Costa Coffee rolls out ‘world’s first’ hot and iced self-serve machines across the UK

Costa Express is the largest brand in the UK premium self-serve segment, operating over 12,000 units | Photo credit: Costa Coffee

Costa Coffee has announced that it will roll-out 1,100 new Costa Express self-serve machines across the UK this summer

The new machines are capable of serving both hot and iced beverages, a 'world first' according to the coffee chain. 

A UK-based trial in 2021 saw Europe’s largest coffee chain test integrated self-serve coffee machines at 40 Costa Express locations in Bristol, UK. 

The machine expansion further demonstrates Costa’s focus on convenience, which has already seen the company develop its at-home and ready-to-drink products, with plans to open 100 new locations, including more than 60 new drive-thru outlets in 2022. 

“Costa Express is synonymous with exceptional coffee on-the-go, so we’re delighted to be able to rollout our Costa Express hot and iced drinks machine this summer. The technology used in these state-of-the-art machines is nothing short of a gold-standard level of innovation – a world’s first for the self-service coffee machine industry,” said Nick Orrin, Costa Express Director UK & Ireland. 

World Coffee Portal research shows the UK’s premium self-serve coffee market doubled in size between 2016-2021. Costa Express is the largest brand in the UK premium self-serve segment, operating over 12,000 units and holding a 71% market share, as of the end of 2021.   

Costa Coffee has operated Costa Express self-serve coffee machines in third-party shops, petrol and service stations, leisure sites and offices since 2011, when it acquired Coffee Nation for £59.5m ($77.3m). 

Costa Coffee currently operates nearly 2,800 coffee shops in the UK and Ireland, and over 1,100 globally.