Plympton Co-Op store first in UK to get new ‘& Coffee’ concept

Excitement is brewing at the Co-op in Plympton, as it prepares to become the first store in the country to welcome a new concept coffee shop.

The new shop at the Ridgeway store will be officially opened at 11.00 on Friday (30 August), and will be the first to boast the Co-op’s new ‘& Coffee’ banner.

Using responsibly-sourced ingredients from local suppliers alongside Lavazza’s award winning coffee, the shop will also offer tailored food menus for breakfast and lunch.  Acting as a community hub, book clubs, societies, sports clubs, and other groups will be able to use the space after coffee shop hours.

Officially opening the coffee shop will be Councillor Patrick Nicholson, representing the Plympton St Mary Ward Councillors and Chairman of Plympton Community Council, Rose Hamley and their Youth Ambassador, Charlotte Bryant.

Operating the coffee shops will be Suffolk-based Churchill Catering (owned by Vertas) which has a long tradition of working in partnership with business and industry, country parks and leisure spots. It currently operates tourist cafes for Forestry England, and Forestry and Land Scotland, staff restaurants for police constabularies in East Anglia and catering for council-run leisure facilities nationally.

Mark Pettigrew, Director of Innovation & Format at Co-op, said: “We want the coffee shop to be a place for the community to meet and enjoy a range of quality drinks and snacks, all under the new ‘& Coffee’ banner.  We’re really excited to be partnering with an expert in this field and to be able to offer our customers new reasons to visit us as we deliver a great new coffee experience.”

Ian Surtees, Chief Executive Officer at Vertas Group, said: “Co-op is one of Great Britain’s most trusted brands so it’s a wonderful honour to play our part in that success continuing. We are looking forward to working side by side with the in-store managers to create community hubs that provide more than just a great cup of coffee.”