FDBusiness.com

In response to rising coffee sales, McDonald’s is extending its freshly-ground coffee range with the addition of sustainably-sourced Espresso. The Rainforest Alliance certified beverage marks another step in McDonald’s journey to transform its coffee business in the UK by offering freshly-ground, sustainably-sourced coffee at affordable prices.

Espresso is the latest addition to McDonald’s Full BEAN coffee range, now available at McDonald’s 1,200 restaurants across the UK. The move marks a bid to grow coffee sales beyond breakfast, and take a greater slice of the high street coffee market, which is predicted to grow to £2 billion by 2012.

Despite an overall drop in high street coffee sales during the recession, McDonald’s has seen the number of cups sold climb by 39% over the last two years since re-launching its coffee range in 2007. Last year alone, McDonald’s sold 84 million cups of coffee – more than one cup for every adult in the UK. McDonald’s sales of freshly-ground coffee account for more sales than any other brand on the high street, including those of the major coffee chains.

Each Espresso will be brewed using 100% Arabica coffee beans developed using the latest in sustainable farming techniques. McDonald’s already serves freshly-ground Lattes and Cappuccinos as part of its Full BEAN range, and uses only semi-skimmed organic British milk in all hot drinks.

McDonald’s has become the largest retailer of coffee on the high street sourced from farms that meet sustainable standards. The introduction of Espresso is part of a larger commitment by McDonald’s to support sustainable food production. It spends £490 million pounds a year on food, much of which comes from the UK and Ireland including semi-skimmed organic milk, free range eggs, and beef from farmers that meet strict standards on animal welfare and environmental practices.