Coffee 1

Coffee #1 is a British coffee house chain that originated in Cardiff, Wales in 2001, and since 2019 has been majority owned by Caffè Nero. Coffee#1 has outlets along the M4 corridor, with others in Wales and southern England.

Coffee #1 Ltd.
TypeLimited company
IndustryHospitality
Founded2000
FoundersJames Shapland, co-founder
HeadquartersBristol, England, UK[1]
Number of locations
100 (2019)
Area served
United Kingdom
Key people
Bruce Newman, Director[2]
ProductsCoffee, tea, soft drinks
OwnerCaffè Nero
Websitewww.coffee1.co.uk

History

Coffee #1 was co-founded in 2000[3] by James Shapland, Anthony Shapland, David Jones and Maryanne Tagney Jones. James Shapland was appointed Managing Director in 2002 and was majority shareholder when the business was sold in 2011.[4] Jones and Tagney Jones, both based in Washington State, USA, remained minority shareholders and non-executive directors until the sale in 2011.[5]

Coffee#1 opened its first coffee shop in 2001 on Wood Street, Cardiff, and had three shops by the end of that year.[6][7] Shapland grew the company to become a market leader across South Wales and South West England.[8] The company won the Cafe Society's Coffee Bar Chain of the Year award in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 and the Beverage Service Association's 'Best UK Coffee Chain' in 2009.[9][10]

The first Coffee#1 in Wood Street, Cardiff, Wales

In the autumn of 2011, Coffee#1 was bought by the Cardiff brewery company SA Brain, who wished to diversify from their pub business. The move was seen as a symptom of the tough trading conditions in the beer market.[8] Brains had previously had Costa Coffee outlets in several of its pubs.[10]

In 2013 another nine outlets were added and in 2014 sales grew by 55%.[11] In April 2015 the company opened their 50th outlet, in Fareham, Hampshire, giving them a total workforce of 380.[12] At the end of 2015 the chain included 57 coffee shops across Wales and parts of southern and central England. The company planned to open another 15 in 2016.[6]

In mid-2018, SA Brain announced that they wished to sell a majority stake in Coffee#1, after a strategic review. In January 2019, Caffè Nero bought a 70% stake in the business, which at that time had 92 outlets.[13]

References
  1. "Terms and Conditions". www.coffee1.co.uk.
  2. "Coffee#1 Opens its Landmark 100th Coffee House". www.coffee1.co.uk.
  3. "Coffee #1 Ltd". Companies House. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  4. Jefford, Kasmira (16 May 2010). "How I made it: James Shapland founder of Coffee #1". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  5. "Annual Return with list of shareholders". Companies House. 5 July 2011. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  6. Chris Kelsey (26 November 2015). "Coffee #1 to open 15 new shops across Wales and England as part of £85m package". Wales Online. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
  7. "Coffee #1 Limited: Financial Statements". Companies House. 31 December 2001. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  8. "Brains brewery plans to open 30 Coffee #1 shops". BBC News. 23 May 2012. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
  9. Barry, Sion (6 October 2009). "Chain is voted UK No 1 for coffee". WalesOnline. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  10. Chris Kelsey (4 October 2011). "SA Brains buys Coffee#1 chain". Wales Online. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
  11. "Brains brewery Coffee #1 shops sales rise 55%". BBC News. 8 May 2014. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
  12. Sion Barry (25 March 2015). "Coffee#1 is star performer in strong financial results from SA Brain & Co". Wales Online. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
  13. Morris, Josh (30 January 2019). "SA Brain sells majority stake in Coffee #1". Insider Media Ltd. Retrieved 29 March 2019.
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