Dunfermline-based Spar Halbeath has become the symbol’s first company-owned store in Scotland to house a Barista Bar coffee offering, with a further eight installs planned for March and each consecutive month thereafter.
The premium coffee-to-go brand was unveiled at Halbeath last Tuesday (27 February), following its installation at independent Scottish Spar David Sands’ Pinkie Farm store in Musselburgh, East Lothian, last month.
Launched at Spar Scotland’s tradeshow last September, Barista Bar was developed by Henderson Foodservice. Its expansion into Scotland is part of an exclusive £2.5m distribution deal with Dundee-based Spar wholesaler CJ Lang & Son Ltd.
The group plans to replace all of Spar Scotland’s incumbent coffee offerings by 2025.
Colin McLean, CEO of CJ Lang & Son, said: “Spar Halbeath is a fantastic store, and we are delighted it was chosen as the first Spar Scotland company-owned store to launch with Barista Bar. When it comes to coffee, our mission is simple. We are looking to elevate the convenience store coffee experience by serving our customers with the finest coffee. Barista Bar is a premium coffee-to-go offer and our exclusive brand franchise agreement is an excellent commercial proposition for all convenience and forecourt stores looking to boost their coffee sales in Scotland.”
To celebrate the grand opening of Barista Bar in Spar Halbeath, the store offered local shoppers giveaways and a special promotion - buy any Barista Bar hot drink and get a CJ’s morning roll for just £1.25. Additionally, customers and store colleagues were offered free Barista Bar coffee to sample on the day.
The agreement between CJ Lang & Son Ltd and Barista Bar means that since launching in 2015, Barista Bar is now available via 730 machines across the UK, an increase of 1721%, selling over 12 million cups a year.
Henderson Foodservice has invested over £14m in the Barista Bar brand in the past nine years, establishing the product as the preferred choice for takeaway hot beverages to go in Northern Ireland. Now, with plans for expansion in Scotland commencing, the ambition is to make Barista Bar the preferred option for on-the-go hot drinks in the region as well.
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