Finlays is seeking to bring the US cold brew boom to the UK and Europe | Photo credit: Jennifer Burk

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Finlays Europe is hoping to warm the UK and European markets to cold brew by opening a multi-million pound production facility in Hull, UK. 

The new facility will produce cold brew coffee for branded and own-label suppliers to the UK and European grocery and hospitality sectors once it becomes operational in 2022. 

The plant will also enable Finlays to supply bulk concentrate, RTD and bag-in-box products via refrigerated supply chain networks.

Cold brew coffee is one of the most exciting trends in food and drink,” said Ian Bryson, Managing Director at Finlays Europe, in a press release. “After explosive growth in the US, we believe we are about to see the same thing happen in Europe.”

World Coffee Portal shows iced beverages racked up $10.4bn of sales in US coffee shops in 2020, with cold brew continuing to gain significant mainstream traction among operators.

In comparison, just 16% of UK consumers surveyed by World Coffee Portal in 2021 indicated they purchased cold brew at a coffee shop in the last 12 months.

However, major coffee chains such as Starbucks, Caffè Nero and Costa Coffee edging cold brew to the mainstream in the UK could indicate a growing opportunity for operators. 

“Our plan in Europe is to emulate the successful model we have in the US to deliver the same premium quality, pure cold brew that has taken the North American market by storm,” added Bryson.

Founded in 1750 and headquartered in London, Finlays Europe supplies a range of tea, coffee and botanical extracts to develop iced, RTD and cold brew tea and coffee across Europe. As well as its planned UK facility, Finlays also operates two coffee extraction plants in North America.