Skip to content

The Week in Coffee: 23-29 March 2026

Your weekly round-up of 5 essential coffee industry stories you won’t want to miss...

Your weekly round-up of 5 essential coffee industry stories you won’t want to miss... 

  • Danone acquires an RTD protein giant for €1bn
  • French private equity firm makes second German bakery-café acquisition, plans more
  • Chobani to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in La Colombe
  • Mixue’s Lucky Cup challenges Luckin Coffee and Cotti Coffee in China
  • Joe & The Juice makes major US market announcement

1. Danone beefs up protein portfolio with €1bn Huel acquisition

Dairy giant Danone has placed its biggest bet yet on the booming protein and functional beverages market after agreeing to acquire UK-based Huel.

Founded in 2014, Huel produces a wide range of plant-based powders, ready-to-drink (RTD) shakes and coffee beverages, snacks, and supplements formulated as meal replacements.

Photo: Danone

The acquisition will enable the French conglomerate to strengthen its presence in the booming functional nutrition market – a fast-growing category driven by rising consumer demand for premium, health-focused F&B products and broader interest in wellness trends.

Unlock Allegra intelligence for just £1

£1 for 4 weeks
Then £29 per month. Cancel anytime.
What you get:
Daily Coffee 24/7 briefing in your inbox
Weekly Coffee Dose intelligence newsletters
Unrestricted WorldCoffeePortal.com access
5THWAVE Digital Magazine (6 issues/year)
Allegra analyst forecasts & market insights
Subscribe for just £1

Already have an account? Sign In

Join 650,000+ coffee professionals worldwide.

Latest