Workplace Coffee Trends for 2023.
It’s now the second week of a wet and windy 2023 and most of us have shaken off the post-Christmas malaise and are now back into the full swing of things in the workplace. Odds are that you’ve made it this far and survived the transition back to work with the help of something hot and brown from your office coffee machine.
Whether you enjoyed it, or not, it’s a huge part of many workers’ lives, and it helps power the UK workforce throughout the day. But perhaps 2023 could be the year for a new coffee machine in the workplace, producing much improved, much more satisfying cups of high quality coffee.
In this article we look at the big workplace coffee trends for 2023 and what is coming down the line from the world’s leading office coffee machine manufacturers.
Double milk, zero cross-contamination with dual milk coffee machines
There are already a couple of dual milk office coffee machines available to businesses, though this latest coffee trend is in its infancy and likely to become a major consideration for organisations in 2023.
The concept is simple – two liquid milk options, but with no shared components and zero chance of cross-contamination between the two milks. Clearly, this is an excellent option for those businesses with staff who have serious dairy allergies, as well as offering great utility within those workspaces where a healthier milk variant is often requested.
With greater customer demand comes greater innovation from the coffee machine manufacturers, and we’re expecting to see something in the next year from those manufacturers who don’t currently offer dual milk, and potentially even more functionality from those suppliers that have already brought theirs to market.
CBD coffee beans and brews
This likely isn’t the first time that you’ve heard the acronym CBD in the world of food and drink, with the cannabidiol craze sweeping across the pond from the US and now hitting snacks, beverages and coffee beans in the UK market.
CBD is advertised as offering consumers relief from anxiety, depression and poor sleep, with products containing CBD often being higher in price because of the perceived value delivered by the chemical compound.
Coffee beans are no exception, with several brands introducing CBD infused beans alongside their standard range, though in 2023 we are expecting the CBD craze to ‘go big’ and we may well see some of the leading coffee beans bring their own equivalents to market.
Though the appropriateness of CBD consumption on work premises may be questioned, we also think there’s the possibility of CBD coffee beans making their way to the office coffee machine during the next 12 months. Don’t bet on it just yet, mind.
Cold brew coffee in the office
We’ve talked about the latest coffee trend of cold brew coffee in previous blog articles, and we genuinely think that commercial coffee machines will soon come with excellent cold brew coffee technologies included out of the box.
Leading coffee machine manufacturers including Coffetek and Franke offer machines that allow for the dispensing of cold brew drinks by utilising cold milk to cool espresso, though we expect technology in new machines to offer a more complex cold brew process which may include the dispensing of ice or rapid cooling of fresh espresso.
Cold brew coffee was a massive hit with consumers during the 2022 Christmas break, with leading high street brands such as Starbucks, Costa and Caffe Nero all supplementing their festive drinks menus with cold options.
Fingers crossed some new machinery hits the markets with stunning cold brew technology before the Summer arrives, so we can all enjoy a cold drink from the office coffee machine!
Powdered non-dairy milk
We’ve looked at the likely rise of dual milk coffee machines through 2023, but there’s also a very high chance that innovation in the ingredient space will lead an equally as big revolution in the workplace coffee machine space.
Traditionally the only option available to consumers for powdered milk is GSM or an equivalent dairy milk. However, in the last year we’ve started to see a couple of suppliers showcasing their non-dairy GSM milk equivalent, including one particularly intriguing powdered almond milk option.
We could see a serious industry movement if this allows existing machines to be filled with new ingredients without requiring refits or significant recalibration, giving organisations more options to change their dairy milk with healthier, less environmentally damaging milks, like powdered almond milk or powdered soya milk.
Of all the innovations, we think this has the most potential to change the way that businesses see their raw ingredients for coffee machines.
Intrigued by any of the 2023 trends we’re expecting to see? If you think your business would benefit from any of these trends, why not dial 01865 341011 to speak to one our coffee machine experts?
We’ve more than 25 years experience providing coffee solutions to workplaces across the UK, and would love to hear from you.
Alternatively, drop us a line at sales@connectvending.co.uk or contact us.