Global cold brew coffee pioneer Finlays has set a target date to open its new multi-million-pound facility specialising in producing cold brew coffee.

Opening in autumn 2022 in Hull, United Kingdom, the coffee extraction plant will produce pure cold brew coffee for branded and own-label suppliers to the United Kingdom and European grocery and hospitality sectors.

The new cold brew coffee site is being built next to Finlays’ tea decaffeination facility in Hull and close to its tea and coffee facility in Pontefract, West Yorkshire. The new facility will focus on supplying big beverage brand owners with a full cold brew coffee solution, including ready-to-drink and bag-in-box formats.

“While cold brew is already extremely popular in the United States and Japan, the market is emerging in the United Kingdom and Europe. Looking at the forecast growth for this sector, there is a huge opportunity for brands to lead in this space in both retail and Out of Home. Our new facility will help these brands tap into the exciting cold brew market,” says Andrew Martin, Group Head of Business Development at Finlays.

Finlays new facility will produce pure cold brew coffee solutions, starting with high-quality, sustainably sourced coffee beans that are freshly roasted at its roastery in nearby Pontefract, West Yorkshire.

“Cold brew is seen as a more premium alternative to traditional iced coffee. Its complex flavour profile and natural smoothness also means it offers a rich sensory experience without the need for additional ingredients. Cold brew is also a natural source of caffeine making it a great alternative to normally sugary energy drinks, most of which contain synthetic caffeine,” says Martin.

The company will be able to create tailored blends which are steeped in ambient temperature filtered water in a reduced oxygen environment. The cold brew is triple filtered and gently extracted using a bespoke, gravity fed extraction technology that involves no heat or pressure.

This gentle extraction process will preserve the character and full-bodied flavour of the coffee and achieve consistency. Though some manufacturers may use heat to improve yields, or even add soluble coffee to achieve higher concentrations, Finlays will only offer ‘pure’ cold brew to achieve less acidity, smoothness and rich flavour.

Packaging formats will be flexible to suit a variety of customer needs while also maintaining Finlays’ commitment to sustainable sourcing.

For more information visit https://www.finlays.net/product-solution/cold-brew-coffee-europe/