What Liquidline does

Liquidline Limited is a UK-based commercial refreshment solutions provider headquartered in Ipswich, England, founded in 2003 by Gavin Clyne. The company supplies commercial coffee machines (bean-to-cup, traditional espresso, capsule, instant, filter, and cold brew), water dispensers (mains-fed coolers, taps, boilers, and bottling systems), vending machines, juice dispensers, and proprietary sub-brands including Café Bonté coffee beans, Juicetouch eco-pack juice systems, Brew'd nitrogen-infused cold brew, and the Aquablu REFILL+ smart hydration system. Its hardware portfolio spans own-brand lines (K, Q, L series) and third-party brands such as Schaerer (Coffee Soul, Coffee Club, Coffee Skye). The offering is supported by digital tools including a touchless app/gesture-controlled dispensing feature, the My Account subscription portal, and Apple/Android Pay-enabled vending, as well as the Coffee Academy barista training programme launched in 2024.

The company serves more than 8,000 UK businesses across at least 10 verticals — corporate offices, automotive, hospitality, healthcare, education, care homes, design-and-build, commercial landlords, high-end retail, and travel and leisure — with named enterprise logos including Audi, Volkswagen, Porsche, Holiday Inn, Butlins, Beazley, 22 Bishopsgate, Caring Homes, and the University of Essex. Its go-to-market is a sales-led model with field sales teams operating from 9 showrooms and 6 operational hubs across the UK and Ireland, complemented by a self-serve portal for SMB and inside-sales for mid-market accounts. The company employs 85+ in-house engineers providing installation, PSSR boiler testing, preventative maintenance, and emergency repairs, with a stated average engineer response time of 10.5 hours and a 4.8-star Trustpilot rating.

Liquidline generates revenue through four streams: weekly machine rental/leasing (subscription recurring), recurring consumables supply (coffee beans, tea, syrups, milk alternatives) via My Account subscriptions, servicing and maintenance contracts, and one-time machine sales including refurbished units. The company has grown through a combination of organic geographic expansion (Manchester 2020, Dublin 2021/22, Belfast 2025, plus regional showrooms in Glasgow, Plymouth, Brackley, Cork) and a roll-up of six acquisitions since 2010, including Café Subito, Vantage, Underdog, Ionia, City Vending (2025), and Hot Coffee Company (2025). It is privately held and founder-led, with Gavin Clyne serving as Managing Director; no external PE/VC ownership is disclosed. Certifications include ISO 9001, ISO 14001, Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance, Soil Association Organic, and Carbon Neutral.

Name

Liquidline

Legal name

Liquidline Limited

Website

https://liquidline.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Liquidline is a UK-based commercial refreshment solutions provider supplying coffee machines, water dispensers, vending machines, and juice systems to 8,000+ UK and Irish businesses across 10+ verticals via rental, consumables subscriptions, and servicing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Coffee and Beverage Equipment

NAICS

Coffee and Tea Manufacturing (311920), Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (722515)

SIC

Beverages (2080), Refrigeration & Service Industry Machinery (3580)

akta.pro primary industry

Bar & Beverage Service Supplies Wholesale (AFAIALAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Beverage (Non-Alcoholic) Foodservice Distribution (CRAOABAJ)

Keywords

• Commercial coffee machines
• Water dispensers
• Vending machines
• Workplace refreshment solutions
• Juice dispensers

Headquarters

HQ city

Ipswich

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Equipment Rental/Leasing: Commercial beverage machines provided through rental and leasing arrangements with weekly pricing tiers. Includes full installation, maintenance and technical support.
2. Consumables (Coffee, Tea, Syrups, etc.): Recurring supply of coffee beans, tea, syrups, milk alternatives, and other consumables through subscription orders via My Account portal.
3. Servicing and Maintenance: Comprehensive service and maintenance packages including PSSR boiler testing, filter changes, emergency repairs and preventative maintenance.
4. Machine Sales: Direct purchase of commercial coffee machines, water dispensers, vending and juice machines, including refurbished options.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Liquidline provides commercial coffee machines, water dispensers, vending machines, and juice/hot chocolate machines to UK and Irish businesses through direct sales, rental/leasing, and subscription arrangements. The company offers an integrated 360-degree solution covering equipment (bean-to-cup, traditional espresso, capsule, instant, filter, cold brew machines plus water taps, coolers, boilers, and bottling systems), proprietary consumables (Café Bonté coffee beans, teas, syrups, juices), and aftercare services including nationwide engineer support, PSSR boiler testing, barista training at Coffee Academies, and an online My Account portal for ordering and multi-site management.

Product overview

Liquidline is a UK-based commercial refreshment solutions provider offering an integrated portfolio of equipment, consumables, and services. The core product offering centers on commercial coffee machines (bean to cup, traditional espresso, capsule, instant, filter, and cold brew systems), water dispensers (taps, coolers, mains-fed units, boilers, bottling systems), vending machines (cold drinks, hot drinks, food, snacks), and juice/hot chocolate/tea machines. Their flagship coffee machine brands include Schaerer (Coffee Soul, Coffee Club, Coffee Skye) and Liquidline's own K, Q, and L series. The company also provides comprehensive aftercare services including nationwide engineer support, PSSR testing, barista training via Coffee Academies, and an online My Account portal for ordering and account management. Liquidline serves diverse sectors including offices, healthcare, hospitality, automotive, education, and retail across the UK and Ireland through 9 showrooms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Café Bonté: The company's own coffee brand featuring a range of blends including Italia, Milano, Platino, Java, Triple Certified, Misty Mountain, and Decaf. All Café Bonté beans are ethically sourced with various certifications including Rainforest Alliance, Fairtrade, and Organic.
• Juicetouch
• Brew'd Cold Brew
• Aquablu

Products and services

• Commercial Coffee Machines A range of commercial coffee machines including bean-to-cup, traditional espresso, pod/capsule, instant, filter, and cold brew systems for offices, hospitality, healthcare, and retail environments.
• Water Dispensers Commercial water dispensers including hot and cold water taps, bottled water coolers, mains-fed water coolers, high capacity dispensers, water boilers, and water bottling systems for workplace hydration.
• Vending Machines Automated vending machines dispensing cold drinks, hot drinks, food, and snacks for offices, hospitality, and public locations. Many support cashless payments including Apple Pay and Android Pay.
• Juice, Hot Chocolate and Tea Machines Specialty beverage machines including Juicetouch eco-pack juice dispensers using filtered water, hot chocolate machines, tea and milk machines, commercial blenders, grinders, and automatic coffee tampers.
• Café Bonté Coffee Beans and Consumables Liquidline's proprietary Café Bonté coffee brand featuring Italia, Milano, Platino, Java, Triple Certified, Misty Mountain, and Decaf blends, along with tea, hot chocolate, syrups, milk alternatives, and other consumables available on subscription.
• Nationwide Service and Maintenance Network Comprehensive service and maintenance packages including PSSR boiler pressure testing (IOSH-certified), filter changes, emergency repairs, preventative maintenance, recommissioning, Billi tap servicing, and nationwide coverage by 85+ in-house engineers.
• Operated Vending Services Managed vending service where Liquidline owns, operates, stocks, and maintains vending machines on client premises, taking responsibility for equipment performance and replenishment.
• Barista Training at Coffee Academies Professional coffee training and barista education delivered through Liquidline Coffee Academies in Ipswich and London.
• My Account Online Portal Online customer portal enabling ordering of consumables, tracking of deliveries, management of subscriptions, viewing of equipment details, booking of service calls, and multi-site account management.

Quantifiable outcome

• Trusted by over 8,000 UK businesses
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Change PleasecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial enterprise partnership since 2020 focused on 'Coffee that Fuels Change'. Change Please provides training, employment with a Living Wage, and support with housing, finances, and therapy for people experiencing homelessness. 100% of profits go towards empowering homeless people. Liquidline supports this initiative through selling Change Please coffee products.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Selecta Group: Selecta operates one of Europe's largest vending and workplace refreshment networks, including coffee machines and operated vending — directly overlapping with Liquidline's vending and operated vending services.
• UCC Coffee UK & Ireland: UCC supplies commercial coffee equipment and beans to UK and Irish workplaces, hotels and restaurants — a direct competitor in the same geography and customer segments Liquidline serves.
• Matthew Algie: Long-standing UK B2B coffee supplier serving offices, hospitality and foodservice with machines, beans and training — directly comparable to Liquidline's equipment-plus-consumables-plus-academy offering.
• Culligan (Waterlogic): Culligan/Waterlogic supplies mains-fed and bottled water dispensers plus service contracts across UK workplaces — directly competing with Liquidline's Aquablu REFILL+ and Liquidline L4 water cooler portfolio.
• JDE Professional (Jacobs Douwe Egberts): JDE Professional distributes L'OR, Jacobs and Douwe Egberts coffee systems for UK offices and hospitality, competing head-to-head with Liquidline on bean-to-cup machines and ongoing consumables supply.
• Nestlé Professional (Nespresso Professional): Nestlé Professional supplies Nespresso and other coffee systems plus consumables to UK workplaces, hospitality and foodservice, mirroring Liquidline's combined equipment-plus-consumables model across enterprise customers.
• Lavazza Professional: Lavazza's professional division sells commercial espresso and bean-to-cup machines plus coffee beans to UK offices, hotels and foodservice — directly comparable to Liquidline's core offering of equipment, beans and service contracts.

Broad incumbents

• Sodexo: Sodexo provides workplace refreshment and facility management services across the UK and Ireland. Broader scope than Liquidline, but overlaps on managed refreshment solutions for large enterprises.
• Compass Group: Compass operates workplace refreshment, vending and foodservice contracts globally. Adjacent rather than direct — competes at the integrated workplace-services layer rather than as a specialist coffee/refreshment vendor.
• Keurig Dr Pepper UK: Keurig Dr Pepper sells office coffee systems (Keurig) and beverage brands across multiple geographies. Overlaps with Liquidline in workplace coffee but as part of a much larger multi-category portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/liquidline
• Xx.com/liquidlinecof
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/liquidline

Compliance11 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Liquidline