HOT BEVERAGES


Post lockdown premiumisation


During the COVID-19 enforced lockdown many hot beverage product launches have been put on hold, but what will be the new challenges for suppliers and vending operators now that the end is in sight?


where possible what has been eroded in the last 12 months. And it’s also important never to lose sight of vending’s key USP –


I


convenience – adding further hope for the future . But Tracy Southwell sales director of Barry Callebaut Beverages UK


asks: “What will be interesting is how consumers respond to post- pandemic freedom and if this does or does not influence attitudes to hot beverage consumption. Before lockdowns 1, 2 and 3, ‘closing the gap to the high street’ was an


important mission for the vending industry and it is possible that this will not only remain but be further amplified. This is because during lockdown. the daily trip for take-away coffee may


well have been the only treat available to many. So the question remains… Will those who return to work embrace or reject hot beverages that do not


Adaptability is key


Remote configuration of vending machines has always been a valuable service, but never more so than during a pandemic when you need to keep your staff safe and your customers happy at the same time. In effect, COVID-19 has redefined the term adversity according to


Jacqui Croker-James, who took the job of customer services director at Lavazza Professional two years ago. The company discovered that adaptability is key especially when


dealing with the pandemic’s wide and varied challenges which include safety aspects at the top of the list. Jacqui explains: “For example, we had a call to attend a broken-down


nspite of all the difficulties, a sense of hope has always remained within vending, driven in part by the encouraging progress the UK vaccination programme is making with many businesses poised to build back


deliver an experience close to what consumers have grown used to? According to Tracy, the answer is likely that vending must embrace


premiumisation through the upgrade to good quality ingredients, and already many operators have and continue to successfully repond to this long-term trend. “Whilst many new product launches have naturally been put on hold,


innovation will continue to play an important role in hot beverage vending. Demand for reduced sugar, free from and functional health options to meet dietary and wellness needs will accelerate development and product launch. “Automatic cold drink dispense for Frappe’s and Milkshakes remains a


relatively untapped market for the vending industry and sustainability will become the norm and not the exception. “Thankfully the vending industry continues to meet one major


overarching trend and that is convenience. Accessibility to hot beverage products 24-7 ensures that vending reaches consumers that others simply cannot achieve – what a fantastic USP.”


machine located on a COVID ward. I looked myself in the eye and admitted I wouldn’t personally take a risk like that, so I couldn’t ask it of a customer service technician. “Having said that, we were talking about loyal customers, working


under extreme duress and being denied a much-needed hot drink, because one of our machines was down, so the ball was in our court. “After a bit of lateral thinking, we provided a new machine; the CST pre-


configured the machine remotely, handed it to the facilities manager and then led him through a successful installation process remotely. I could share so many other examples, but you get the picture?” “To serve your customers properly in a crisis means continuously


adapting. There’s no training course anywhere that can prepare you for managing people during a pandemic,” Jacqui concludes.


Hot beverage facts and trends


The European ready-to-drink (RTD) coffee market is projected to record a growth rate of 4.8% during between 2020 and 2025 according to ResearchandMarkets.com. The market is driven by the rising demand for convenience


and nutrition-enabled products, owing to the hectic work schedules of the consumers. Additionally, ready-to-drink coffee is becoming popular among youngsters as well as the middle- aged working population. The increase in disposable income in the developing economies is another triggering factor.


• Fresh milk coffee machines with milk foam temperature


control technology are being offered by some firms including So Pure. Microfoam is the fine-textured heated milk we know from coffee shops and is used to make espresso-based drinks such as cappuccinos, flat whites and lattes. The technology works equally as well with dairy and plant-based milk.


• Research shows coffee drinkers choosing plant-based milk is on the rise. Suky Matharu, managing director of So Pure said: “With a record £12m in sales for the plant-based food and drink category in the first two weeks of 2021 alone, it’s clear that growing consumer demand for vegan-friendly options will be an upward trend over the coming months.”


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