Nespresso partners with HIVED for 100% electric deliveries in London, Germany’s The Barn set to open first Munich store, NFL legend acquires ownership stake in US coffee roaster, and a new beverage trend sweeps South Korean coffee chains
Nespresso’s partnership with HIVED is expected to save up to 10,000kg of CO2 emissions per month | Photo credit: HIVED
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Nespresso UK partners with HIVED for 100% electric deliveries in London
Coffee pod giant Nespresso UK has partnered with sustainable delivery firm HIVED for 100% electric coffee deliveries in London. HIVED will handle deliveries between Nespresso’s distribution centre and its east London depot, as well as last mile deliveries to Nespresso customers. The two businesses expect the partnership to prevent up to 10,000kg of CO2 emissions per month across approximately 60,000 Nespresso deliveries in the UK capital, compared to non-electric delivery options. HIVED also works with coffee machine parts distributor Espresso Solutions, cocktail delivery brand Lockdown Liquor and ready-to-drink (RTD) wine start-up NICE.
Berlin’s The Barn to commence Germany expansion with first Munich store
Specialty coffee roaster and café chain The Barn is set to open its first German store outside of Berlin with a site in Munich. Launched in 2010, The Barn currently operates 11 cafés and a roastery in Berlin, alongside five international coffee shops across the UAE, Spain and South Korea. In a social media post, The Barn said it was ‘long overdue’ for the brand to open a café outside of Berlin and hopes the move will contribute to Munich’s specialty coffee community.
NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders acquires ownership stake in BLK & Bold
US sporting legend Deion Sanders has become a co-owner of BLK & Bold Specialty Beverages after acquiring an ownership stake in the Iowa-based coffee roaster. Sanders, currently coach at the Colorado Buffaloes NFL franchise and affectionately known by fans as ‘Coach Prime’, will lead BLK & Bold’s marketing and strategic partnerships with a focus on social impact and ‘empowering underserved communities’.
With a 14-year playing career spanning spells at NFL franchises San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys, as well as the MLB teams New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants, Sanders is the only athlete to play in both a Super Bowl and a World Series.
Ashotchu trend sweeps South Korean coffee chains
South Korea’s largest branded coffee chains have introduced Ashotchu – iced tea with an espresso shot – to their menus after the concept went viral on social media. Value-focused operators Mega Coffee, Compose Coffee and Paik’s Coffee have all added Ashotchu to their menus over the last nine months, while The Carlyle Group-backed A Twosome Place sold more than 900,000 cups in July and August 2024 alone. Although Ashotchu first gained traction on social media in 2018, the beverage has found a new audience this year as part of an online ‘modisumer’ trend which sees consumers create new recipes from popular food and beverages.
UK specialty coffee group WatchHouse celebrates 10-year anniversary
London-based WatchHouse is celebrating its 10-year anniversary – a period the specialty coffee group said has been marked by ‘innovation, community and dedication to providing exceptional coffee experiences’. WatchHouse opened its first store in Bermondsey in September 2014 and has grown to 20 coffee shops across London, Bath and New York – with its most recent outlet opening in London’s Marble Arch in September 2024. The specialty coffee roaster and café chain has a further three sites in development across London alongside two outlets in New York at the iconic Chrysler Building and Manhattan’s Flatiron District.