Beyond the flat white: how UK coffee shops can harness the immense potential of iced beverages, tea and food

Most UK consumers visit coffee shops for espresso-based beverages, but these are often not the only products they buy in-store. Done correctly, tea, iced beverages and food can be lucrative sales channels. Executed poorly, and they can drain resources, create operational complexity and damage brand reputation.

Based on 6,000 consumer surveys and in-depth interviews with industry leaders, World Coffee Portal’s Iced Beverages, Brews & Bites UK 2026 details how these complementary menus are evolving, where the growth opportunities lie, and the challenges operators must navigate to capture them.

Iced: the new frontier of beverage innovation

When it comes to the growing influence of iced beverages on the UK branded coffee shop market, industry leaders surveyed by World Coffee Portal are unanimous: 93% believe iced is the primary category for coffee shop menu innovation today.