The UK coffee market continues to evolve at pace. For hospitality and foodservice operators, 2026 is shaping up to be less about novelty drinks and more about cost control, labour efficiency, product diversification, and resilience.
At Bridge Coffee Roasters, we work closely with operators across hotels, restaurants, cafés, workplaces, and visitor attractions. Based on industry reporting and what we’re seeing on the ground, these are the coffee-related trends most likely to affect hospitality businesses this year.
Automation as a Response to Rising Labour Costs
From April 2026, UK hospitality businesses will face another increase in labour costs, driven by rises to the National Living Wage and ongoing pressure on staffing availability. For cafés, restaurants and foodservice operators already operating on tight margins, higher wage bills will make labour efficiency a priority rather than a nice-to-have.
In response, businesses will likely turn to automated and assisted coffee equipment to reduce reliance on highly skilled baristas while still delivering great-tasting, consistent coffee. The adoption of and investment into coffee equipment that provides a high level of automation is likely to rise.
Expect to see coffee operators investing in equipment such as super automatic machines from Eversys, milk steaming machines and fully automated 'Grind by Sync' coffee grinders in 2026.
Matcha Is Here to Stay
Over the past few years, matcha has seen a significant surge in popularity across the UK, evolving from a niche café option into a mainstream menu staple. Initially driven by wellness trends and social media exposure, matcha has gained widespread appeal thanks to its distinctive flavour, perceived health benefits and visual appeal.
This momentum shows no sign of slowing in 2026. Matcha is now firmly embedded in UK café culture and is increasingly shaping menu innovation beyond coffee alone. As demand continues to grow, coffee-led businesses are being pushed to compete on non-coffee hero drinks, with matcha sitting alongside iced teas, functional beverages and premium cold drinks as a core offer.
Cold Beverages As a Year-Round Staple
In 2026, the momentum building in the cold beverage category is expected to continue. Espresso-based cold drinks, cold brew, shakeratos, cold foam toppings and premium ice formats will increasingly become permanent fixtures on menus rather than summer-only specials.
Consumers are showing a growing willingness to choose iced and cold drinks regardless of weather, driven by taste preference, social media influence and more sophisticated cold coffee recipes.
For hospitality businesses, this will mean designing cold menus with the same level of attention as hot drinks, investing in the right equipment and workflows, and recognising that premium cold beverages can drive margin, increase visit frequency and appeal to a broader audience all year round.
Coffee Pricing Volatility Remains High
Coffee pricing volatility will remain a major issue for hospitality businesses throughout 2026, largely driven by continued instability in the global coffee C market futures price.
The coffee C price, which is the benchmark used to trade coffee worldwide, directly influences what roasters pay for green coffee and, ultimately, what cafés and restaurants pay for roasted beans.
In 2024, the coffee market highlighted just how exposed the industry is to volatility, with prices ending the year at close to double where they began, fuelled by supply shortages, climate disruption in key producing countries, and speculative trading. That level of movement creates real challenges for UK hospitality operators, from sudden cost increases and unpredictable supplier pricing to the need for frequent menu price reviews.
In 2026, volatility is expected to remain high rather than settle, forcing businesses to think more carefully about pricing strategies, supplier relationships, and margin protection, while consumers are likely to see continued upward pressure on the price of coffee across cafés, restaurants and workplaces.
Operations-Led Coffee Tech
Coffee technology is becoming increasingly operations-led, with more hospitality businesses turning to connected equipment to improve reliability, consistency and efficiency.
Telemetry-enabled coffee machines can now collect and share performance data in the background, giving operators real-time visibility over usage, cleaning, maintenance and drink output.
For single-site cafés, this helps reduce downtime and maintain consistent quality, while multi-site and larger hospitality groups benefit from central oversight and preventative maintenance at scale. As staffing pressures and cost control remain key challenges, operations-led coffee tech is emerging as a practical way for businesses to run tighter, more resilient coffee operations without adding complexity on the ground.
Polarised Value Propositions to Alienate the Mid-Market
The UK coffee market will continue to polarise in 2026, and that shift will put increasing pressure on mid-market operators. As competition intensifies, successful businesses will tend to fall into one of two clear positions: sharp, price-led value or a premium, experience-driven offer built around quality, design and service.
What is becoming harder to sustain is the “somewhere in the middle” proposition. Customers are proving more decisive in what they want from a coffee experience. Value-focused consumers will gravitate towards speed, consistency and competitive pricing, while premium customers will seek standout coffee, strong branding, engaging spaces and a sense of occasion.
Operators that fail to clearly define where they sit risk being squeezed from both sides, struggling to justify their prices without delivering a compelling experience, or to compete on value without the operational scale to do so.
Significant Changes to Business Rates
One of the most significant changes facing hospitality businesses this year is the shift in business rates policy ahead of April 2026.
After several years of temporary relief, pandemic-era discounts are coming to an end, and new property valuations will soon take effect. For cafés, restaurants and hospitality operators, this marks a move towards a more permanent system that could reshape fixed costs, particularly for businesses in high-rent locations.
While the full impact will vary from site to site, the changes reinforce the importance of forward planning and a clear understanding of overheads as the industry continues to adapt.
Navigate the Challenges of Hospitality with Bridge Coffee Roasters
As labour costs rise, pricing volatility continues, menus diversify and customer expectations evolve, navigating the coffee landscape in 2026 will require more than simply upgrading beans or equipment.
The most resilient hospitality businesses will be those that take a joined-up approach, considering coffee quality, workflow design, staffing, menu strategy and long-term cost control together, rather than in isolation.
Bridge Coffee Roasters works alongside hospitality operators across the UK as a consultative partner, helping businesses respond to these challenges in a practical, commercially grounded way.
