The specialty robusta chain reports 227% year-on-year growth for its iced beverage segment at the end of April 2025 following the launch of new matcha and lemonade ranges
UK-based specialty robusta chain Black Sheep Coffee has credited new iced beverage ranges with driving record weekly sales.
Posting on LinkedIn, Chief Operating Officer Ben Fenton revealed that Black Sheep Coffee achieved £1.9m ($2.5m) net sales in the week ended 27 April 2025 – representing a 10% week-on-week increase.
“With sunshine, spring flavours, and serious momentum on our side, Black Sheep Coffee has just delivered its strongest week for iced drinks sales ever — breaking records across the board,” he wrote.
The group’s iced beverage segment achieved 227% year-on-year growth during the week, driven by the launch of new iced matcha and lemonade ranges. Black Sheep Coffee said its Peaches & Cream Matcha and Matcha Lemonades deals became “instant hits”, with lemonade sales rising 315% post-launch.
Marking its ninth record sales week of 2025 so far, Fenton said 90% of Black Sheep Coffee’s 110 stores posted sales growth during the final week of April 2025, with 40 stores achieving record weekly sales.
World Coffee Portal research found that 62% of UK branded coffee shop industry leaders surveyed believe that iced coffee has a high potential for growth – more than oatmilk (52%), matcha (41%), ready-to-drink coffee (31%) and energy drinks (17%).
However, while 20% of consumers surveyed by World Coffee Portal consume iced coffee at least once a week, industry leaders still view the category as seasonal. Just over a third (35%) of those surveyed believe demand for iced coffee in the UK is high all year round, down from 43% last year.
