Introducing Barista Bar coffee to SPAR Halbeath

Leading convenience store group, SPAR Scotland, proudly announces the grand opening of Barista Bar coffee at their company owned store, SPAR Halbeath, in Dunfermline on 27th February 2024.

A must-visit for coffee lovers in the area seeking a quality, premium coffee-to-go offer, the SPAR store has installed two new Barista Bar units within the stores’ welcoming environment.

Launched at SPAR Scotland’s tradeshow last September, Barista Bar, is a premium coffee-to-go brand 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 deal sees Barista Bar replace all of SPAR Scotland’s incumbent coffee offering alongside a host of its independent retailers, the first of which has been at David Sands Pinkie Farm store in Musselburgh, East Lothian.

The installation at SPAR Halbeath is a first in terms of SPAR Scotland’s company owned store estate with another eight installs due to take place in March and each consecutive month thereafter. SPAR Scotland has ambitious plans to install Barista Bar in every company owned SPAR store in Scotland 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.”

Keavy O’Mahony-Truesdale, Barista Bar Brand Manager, added: "We are thrilled to bring Barista Bar to SPAR Halbeath and the community of Dunfermline. The launch of Barista Bar in Scotland is extremely exciting and SPAR Scotland has made a huge commitment to making the product a resounding success. We look forward to rolling out Barista Bar to all SPAR Scotland stores so shoppers all over the country can experience a premium, quality coffee-to-go offer.”

To celebrate the grand opening of Barista Bar in SPAR Halbeath, the store is offering local shopper’s 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.