Coffee culture on the rise in the workplace

There’s no getting away from the café culture that has become firmly integrated into the modern workplace, the role of coffee has undoubtedly become the social glue in the office environment, and with many of us spending our working week split between the office and home, the moments of pleasure in our day and the social interactions they can provide seem even more important. It’s more than just a caffeine hit – it gives us an excuse to gather and can even help give structure to the day. Considering this, we wanted to understand the wider impacts and trends around office coffee culture now and in the future.

With 25% of coffee being consumed in the workplace, it’s important to ensure that you have the right ways and means to provide a suitable solution for your workforce.

Many modern workplaces have a designated coffee lounge, whilst this helps create a homely atmosphere, it also provides a convenient location for smaller meetings.  We have worked with many designers and contractors to create the ultimate workplace coffee cultures.  Remember, good coffee goes a long way.  At a low cost per cup, it can create such a buzz in the office when there is high street quality coffee readily available.

At Wellbeing Group, we’re here to help you get this right. With so many options available from barista style coffee machines to push button bean to cup machines, it can an almost be overwhelming trying to find a route to explore.

Form Over Function 

Coffee was always seen as serving a purpose and a functional beverage to give us a perk and get us through the day, it was more of a habit, or a mechanical instinct. Now, people are tailoring and refining their tastes becoming more educated on taste profiles and serving styles. Coffee is now a lifestyle product, it is now a drink that is desired rather than simply consumed and new standards bring new expectations.

Social Nectar 

The impact can be seen in new office builds, as companies are keen to create café style social break-out and refreshment spaces to impress employees and visitors with higher quality refreshment facilities, where traditionally, more formal and sterile reception or canteen areas might have been. This will install a sea of change around the office space and alter the landscape of workplace culture in the future.

Employee Value Proposition

Bringing people back to the office who are comfortable at home could be a challenge. There’s also an increasing range of potential competition, with flexible co-working spaces becoming increasingly popular, offering a space that combines the work and hospitality increasingly. Workplaces will need to recognise that their employees and other stakeholders will want to work or hold meetings away from the office in the facilities are no longer fit for purpose culturally and from a quality perspective to provide a level of quality that meets new expectations.

Wellbeing & Community 

A study found that 80% of employees had higher morale and were more motivated to do their best work when provided with simple perks like fresh, free gourmet coffee and tea, and felt that the provision of high quality coffee at work was an indication that their wellbeing mattered to their employer – Many forward thinking companies want to be seen to be offering ‘work perks’ and employee wellbeing for many companies now form a big part of their company ethos and is often promoted outwardly as much as projects and case studies. The dynamic between employers and employees has become much more of a two-way relationship and companies must be able to articulate what they can offer to employees, rather than it all being about what the individual is bringing to a company.

Sustainability

Buying behaviour has began to massively shift to a more considered pattern among consumers, especially around produce and food. Coffee drinkers are especially keen to learn about the origins and which coffee can have the biggest positive impact on Fairtrade communities in coffee growing regions locally –  As forward thinking companies want to become more aligned with sustainable values, they are much more likely to purchase coffee for the office that meets the image they practice in their customer facing proposition.

The Decaf Trend

Here at Wellbeing Group we are looking to dispel the myth that decaf coffee equals poorer flavour. With a trends towards health and wellbeing becoming more and more elevated, there should be a quality decaf option for those looking to consume coffee for the great taste without the caffeine boost. Our Fairtrade Organic Decaf 100% Arabica, from the Andean Mountain of Peru has been sourced to provide exactly this.

Brand Representation

A company’s coffee offering has the potential to help shape its external image as well as making employees feel valued – Being able to offer high-quality hospitality to all stakeholders and visitors has the ability to install and leave favourable lasting impressions and forms a positive narrative about how a company looks after it’s people.

Looking To The Future 

The pandemic and lockdown has fast-tracked the inevitability and acceptance of flexible and remote working. Coffee can play a major role in encouraging people to spend more time together again in the office and central to the culture a workplace can cultivate, the moments of pleasure in our daily routines seem even more important, It’s more than just a caffeine hit, but the vehicle through which to gather and collaborate. Co-working spaces are mastering this and it feels like if the office is going to continue to appeal as we move into the remote working world it needs to evolve and embrace the culture that coffee can spearhead.

Our range of Bean To Cup Coffee Machines, are a great addition to any workplace or office environment, a great way to introduce a better quality of hot beverage facilities and install a better culture and wellbeing among your employees.

Office Coffee Machine Considerations 

Our range of commercial coffee machines provide a sleek, stylish addition for any workplace environment, with the latest technology to deliver high quality hot beverages to your employees at the touch of a button.

There are a number of important points to consider when specifying, but it’s worth starting with the following questions:

1. What type of coffee dispense and drink drink options do you require?

Depending on what type of coffee you are looking to purchase will determine what type of coffee machine is right for you. We offer Bean To Cup, Instant, Filter Brew and Filter Pack coffee machines. Bean To Cup are become the most popular as they are able to create a more barista style coffee taste and quality.

2. How many different variaties of drinks would you like your coffee machine to produce?

You may wish to provide offering your staff and guests a greater range of coffee shop style speciality beverages. We have machine that can produce classic barista coffees such as; Lattes, Cappucinos and Flat Whites. We also offer machines with the addition of chocolate to create a Mocha or a creamy hot chocolate drink. Let’s not forgot the tea lovers! We also have coffee machien with a built in tea brewer, which delivers a fresh tea leaf cuppa.

3. How many people will be using a coffee machine in your office?

Our range of coffee machines are available in different capacities to cope with the demand of any office big or small. Our helpful icons on our website help identity each products capacities by the number of staff you have in your offices.

You can browse our range of Coffee Machines to select your favourite. Get in touch with our friendly knowledgeable sales team who can advise on the best options based on your specifications. 01905 337187

Office Coffee Culture