The dominance of a handful of players in the UK’s £6bn coffee landscape looks set to be disrupted following Nestlé’s relaunch of Seattle’s Best Coffee.
With a target of having 150 outlets up and running within 12 months, including at convenience stores and forecourts, Seattle’s Best is described as being for “a new generation of coffee drinkers who value quality and affordability”.
The brand is positioning itself between brands like Costa and Caffé Nero, and more value-led propositions from Greggs and McDonald’s. The brand’s drinks have an RRP of £3, representing, it says, “a premium offering at great value”.
Available via served and self-serve formats, Nestlé has machines, point-of-sale kits and barista training ready to roll as it looks to further tap into to the 95m cups of coffee drunk by Brits each day.
With a menu that includes hot and iced coffees, plus plant-based options and limited-edition seasonal products, Seattle’s Best uses Fairtrade-certified Arabica beans, while the coffee itself is described as “uncommonly smooth, refreshingly simple and effortlessly consistent”.
The brand was founded in Seattle, Wash, in the 1970s, adopting the name Seattle’s Best Coffee after winning a competition in the city in 1991. Nestlé acquired Seattle’s Best from Starbucks in 2022 and initially focussed primarily on the B2B sector, with self-serve machines in universities, workplaces and hospitals.
The Swiss giant now has its eyes firmly set on retail sales, and the relaunch is being marked by a partnership with Texan sandwich chain Which Wich, which is expanding its UK presence with the December launch of a Cardiff outlet, which will serve Seattle’s Best Coffee.
Isabelle Fournier, head of beverages for UK and Ireland at Nestlé Professional, says Seattle’s Best Coffee “is a brand with deep heritage, and we’re excited to bring it back to the UK at a time when demand for great coffee has never been higher.”
She adds: “Our mission is simple: to make it easier for operators to serve consistently great coffee that customers love, wherever they are. The relaunch brings together everything that makes Seattle’s Best stand out: quality, value, simplicity, and vibrant, fun branding – all backed by Nestlé’s operational expertise and strong sustainability commitments.”
