How Ringtons Transformed Klondyke and Strike’s Coffee Fortunes

At one point, specialty coffee was almost exclusively consumed in niche, artisan cafes and only enjoyed by enthusiasts.

However, where coffee has become a big part of culture and lifestyle in the UK (us Brits drink 95 million cups of coffee a day!), speciality-grade coffee is now routinely available in ‘non specialist outlets’ where the focus is usually on the food offer – places like hotels, supermarkets, pubs and, of course, garden centres.

With demand for quality coffee showing no sign of slowing down, there is great scope for garden centre operators to turn a healthy profit from the specialty drinks menu – if managed correctly.

Who Are The Klondyke Group?

The Klondyke Group, an independent and family-owned chain of 22 garden centres located in Scotland, Wales and Northern England. Each site includes a plant centre, craft and gift retailing plus a restaurant and coffee shop.

In 2021, the group decided to review the company’s hot beverage offering. Catering and Food Sales Director, Keren Feeney explains:

“I’d read an industry report which said 77% of consumers agreed that poor coffee quality is more discouraging than poor service. It made me realise how coffee savvy the public had become in a relatively short space of time.”

As is the case with many garden centres, the Klondyke Group is also a food and beverage destination, meaning they are competing with not only the high street and other leisure operators who offer a great standard of food and drink.

“Competition is fierce and we need to be able to compete. It was time to look at ways of improving the whole customer experience, coffee included.”

Total support by Ringtons for Business

John Broad, Head of Beverages for Business at Ringtons, impressed on Keren the importance of complete support. It’s not just about the coffee – the equipment, staff training, machine cleaning and maintenance, and after-sales care are all in the mix too. 

With latte and cappuccino being the most popular espresso-based drinks sold in coffee shops, the ability to deliver perfectly foamed milk is also important. “Milk steaming was something that concerned me as like others in the industry we have a lot of part-time and casual staff and inevitably barista skills are not always as we would like them to be.”, said Keren.

During a visit to the Ringtons showroom in Newcastle upon Tyne, Keren was able to try the equipment to find a manufacturer and machine that she felt comfortable with.

“We were very pleasantly surprised. Technology has certainly moved on. Our new Cimbali M26 traditional espresso machines and Elective Grinder-Dosers incorporate technology that take the guesswork out of the whole brewing cycle. The result is perfectly brewed espresso every time, regardless of the skills of the barista.” 

The milk management systems cater for dairy and plant-based milks and deliver perfectly foamed milk to a consistent standard which is ideal for lattes and cappuccinos and the all-important latte art. The rollout was smooth, and all sites received their machines on the days arranged. 

With new machines in place, coffee sales are increasing

With machines and systems chosen, attention was drawn to handling the installation process. It was vital to Klondyke that they minimised disruption and kept their brand consistency across their locations all over the country.

Having handled multi-site installations before, Ringtons were more than capable of the task. Working closely with our manufacturing partners, we arranged delivery of the machines, installation, taking away of the old machines and staff training – all across the 22 locations over a 3 week period. Keren describes the installation process:

“We lost no business during the installations due to the great work which went into the planning by John and his team. Staff training was given over two days and feedback from the catering managers on the training was 100% positive. Sam and John were engaging, humorous and helped even our very young or shy staff feel confident in making drinks on the new machines. Things are going incredibly well. It’s reassuring to know that we have Ringtons as our safety net. But, as we approach the start of the ‘hot drink’ season, I’m also delighted to report that sales are increasing and, more importantly, customers are buying additional coffees after a meal, which is something they would not have done before.”

A partnership built to last

Klondyke and Ringtons are currently enjoying a thriving partnership. Ultimately we’re both there to ensure Klondyke customers enjoy their beverages from the cafe and restaurant. Ringtons continue to support Klondyke with regular barista training, Machine maintenance and are support with menu development and Point of Sale advertising.

If your business is looking to improve its coffee offering and revenue, contact the Ringtons Beverages for Business team to start your journey today.