Give Me A Break

25 March 2009

Coffee

LONDON; 24th March, 2009 - Today celebrates the launch of Starbucks VIA^TM Ready Brew into select London Starbucks coffeehouses. New research commissioned reveals that the UK unanimously cites ‘elevenses' as its favourite coffee moment, with 61% of people craving a mid-morning coffee.

Indeed, this much-loved break is stimulating a sense of community spirit as almost 8 million people* will buoy their mood in 2009 by enjoying ‘elevenses' and coffee mornings with friends and neighbours.

Futurologist and food expert Kevin Gould comments: "It's great to see that ‘elevenses' are back and booming, which could define a real change in our society. It appears that, in these uncertain times, we are lifting our mood by reconnecting with the people that really matter over a cup of coffee".

The research also reveals that we Brits are an extremely discerning bunch. Over a third of the nation (37%) craves better quality instant coffee when away from home, and therefore the pressure is on hosts to provide neighbours, family and friends with a great cup of coffee.

Unlike traditional instant coffee, which lacks the essential oils that give coffee its flavour and aroma, its 100% naturally roasted coffee, made with the highest quality arabica coffee beans finely ground to release their fullest flavour. In developing Starbucks VIA^TM Ready Brew, they created a proprietary, patent-pending micro-grinding technology to guarantee the quality, freshness and superior taste.

Starbucks VIA^TM Ready Brew is Shared Planet^TM certified - Starbucks^TM Shared Planet^TM is commitment to doing business responsibly. In fact, it has always been dedicated to doing business the right way: it does not buy coffee on the commodity market because it works with farmers and suppliers directly to ensure its coffee is ethically traded and responsibly grown.

Furthermore, it works directly with 185,000 farmers in 18 countries to ensure they receive an equitable price for their coffee, enabling them to strengthen their farms for the future. Starbucks is proud of its role to raise standards in the coffee industry, and looks forward to expanding its work with farmers to enhance coffee quality and the lives of their families and society. Therefore customers can be confident that they too are helping to make a positive difference to coffee growing communities.

Darcy Willson-Rymer, managing director, Starbucks UK & Ireland commented: "The arrival of Starbucks VIA^TM Ready Brew to London is extremely exciting. It took time, effort and dedication to develop the Starbucks VIA^TM Ready Brew flavour and we believe we've created a way to enjoy the quality and great taste of a freshly brewed Starbucks coffee, in an instant. Consumers have increasingly sophisticated tastes when it comes to coffee and Starbucks VIA^TM Ready Brew is uncompromising as it delivers the filter coffee taste in an instant format".

The Starbucks VIA^TM Ready Brew ritual is simple. Tear the sachet. Add the contents to a cup, and then add hot (or cold) water. Stir and its ready in an instant. The perfect choice for an impromptu catch up with friends and neighbours.

Starbucks VIA^TM Ready Brew will be available in 32 coffeehouses in West London from Wednesday, 25th March. Portioned into single-serve packets,it will be packaged in packs of three or twelve and is available in two flavours - bold, nutty Columbia and smooth, rich Italian Roast. The suggested retail price for the UK will be £1.20 for three and £3.95 for twelve.