Blend Coffee
Blend Coffee is a privately held, founder-owned specialty coffee shop chain in Scotland operating three fixed retail locations in Perth, Dundee, and Erskine plus two mobile event-catering units (Mobi and Berti), serving local communities, event organizers, and accessibility-focused customers through in-store beverage and food sales, mobile catering, and branded merchandise.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersPerth, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Blend Coffee does
Blend Coffee is a privately held, founder-owned specialty coffee shop operator based in Scotland, United Kingdom, founded in August 2013 by four friends. The company runs three fixed retail locations — Perth (274 High Street, opened 2013), Dundee (Dock Street Studios, opened 2018), and Erskine (Rashielee Avenue, opened 2021) — plus an Abbot House Art Cafe (2022) and two mobile coffee units, Mobi (a converted horsebox launched 2019) and Berti (a converted van launched 2020), which serve private events, weddings, and corporate functions. The core product is in-store specialty coffee and tea from suppliers including Gatehouse Coffee Roasters, accompanied by pastries, panini, and bread from Wild Hearth Artisan Sourdough and Freedom Bakery.
The business operates an organic, non-franchise growth model: staff are trained and encouraged to establish new locations to preserve the company's community-focused culture, rather than via franchise licensing. Revenue is generated through one-time in-store purchases of beverages and food, mobile event catering, branded merchandise (Keep Cups, Location Mugs, Campfire Tees, Blend Clothing), gift vouchers, and Barista Experience courses; pricing is not publicly disclosed and is available upon in-store enquiry. The company serves three primary customer segments — local community members seeking accessible gathering spaces, event organizers booking mobile services, and accessibility-focused customers (prams, wheelchairs, social anxiety, mental health needs) — supported by partnerships with ethical/community-aligned businesses (Just Threads, Freedom Bakery, Blend Creates) and the "Campfire Stories — The Blend Podcast" as a community-marketing channel.
Blend Coffee firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Blend Coffee
- Legal name
- Blend Coffee
- Website
- https://blendcoffee.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Blend Coffee is a privately held, founder-owned specialty coffee shop chain in Scotland operating three fixed retail locations in Perth, Dundee, and Erskine plus two mobile event-catering units (Mobi and Berti), serving local communities, event organizers, and accessibility-focused customers through in-store beverage and food sales, mobile catering, and branded merchandise.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Blend Coffee industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Coffee Shops
- NAICS
- Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (722515)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Specialty Coffee Shops (Single-Origin, Third-Wave) (THAFADAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Cafe-Bakeries (Coffee + Pastry Focus) (THAFADAG), Beverages-to-Go (Coffee, Smoothies, Juices, Fountain/Dispensed) (CRAHAKAI)
Keywords
Where Blend Coffee is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Perth
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
Blend Coffee business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Coffee and Tea Sales: In-store sales of specialty coffee and tea beverages, pastries, panini, and other food items across multiple physical locations.
- Mobile Coffee Services: Mobile coffee catering services through Mobi (converted horsebox) and Berti (converted van) for private events, weddings, corporate functions, and outdoor gatherings.
- Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including Keep Cups, Location Mugs, Campfire Tees, Campfire Coffee products, and Blend Clothing available in store.
- Gift Vouchers and Experiences: Sale of gift vouchers and Barista Experience courses where customers learn to create perfect coffee.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | In-store pricing (not disclosed) |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Blend Coffee product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Blend Coffee operates multi-location specialty coffee and tea lounges in Scotland, serving beverages, pastries, and panini at retail sites in Perth, Dundee, and Erskine. It also runs mobile coffee catering via two converted units (Mobi horsebox and Berti van) for events, and sells branded merchandise, gift vouchers, and Barista Experience courses.
Product overview
Blend Coffee is a multi-location coffee lounge chain in Scotland operating as a single unified brand rather than a franchise model. The company offers core coffee and tea beverages alongside food items like pastries and panini, with additional merchandise including branded Keep Cups, clothing, and gift vouchers. Mobile coffee services are provided through two converted units: Mobi (horsebox) and Berti (van). The company also produces a community podcast called 'Campfire Stories - The Blend Podcast' and maintains partnerships with ethical suppliers and artisan businesses. Locations include Perth (opened 2013), Dundee (opened 2018), and Erskine (opened 2021), with mobile units serving events across Scotland.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Campfire Stories - The Blend Podcast: Podcast featuring stories from customers and community members sharing life's journeys, available on Spreaker, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.
Products and services
- Coffee and Tea Service In-store specialty coffee and tea beverages sourced from global suppliers, including coffee from Gatehouse Coffee Roasters, served to walk-in retail customers across all Blend locations.
- Food Menu Food items including pastries and panini served alongside beverages at Blend Coffee locations, with bread supplied by partner artisan bakeries.
- Mobi Mobile Coffee Unit A converted horsebox mobile coffee unit that delivers the Blend specialty coffee experience to private events, weddings, corporate functions, and outdoor gatherings across Scotland.
- Berti Mobile Coffee Unit A converted van mobile coffee unit providing on-site specialty coffee catering for events, gardens, and outdoor venues across Scotland.
- Blend Branded Merchandise Blend-branded merchandise sold in store, including Keep Cups (reusable cups), Location Mugs with location-specific designs, Campfire Tees (campfire-themed t-shirts), Campfire Coffee products, and Blend Clothing.
- Barista Experience A hands-on learning experience where customers learn to create the perfect coffee, sold as a gift voucher redeemable in store.
- Gift Vouchers Physical gift vouchers purchased in store that can be gifted to others for use at Blend Coffee locations.
- Campfire Stories - The Blend Podcast A community podcast series featuring conversations with customers and community members who visit Blend Coffee shops, sharing their life stories. Distributed on Apple Podcasts, Spreaker, and Spotify.
Companies that use Blend Coffee
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Blend Coffee technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Blend Coffee partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Gatehouse Coffee RoasterscoreGatehouse Coffee Roasters is Blend's coffee supplier. They carefully roast responsibly sourced coffee for wholesale customers and home brewing. This is a key supply chain partnership ensuring quality coffee sourcing.
- Just ThreadsminorJust Threads is an ethical clothes shop that creates unique, ethically made clothes and accessories to help raise funds for great charitable causes. Partnership aligned with Blend's community values.
- Wild Hearth Artisan Sourdough BakeryminorA wood-fired artisan bakery on the edge of the Scottish Highlands dedicated to the world of natural sourdough. Partnership provides quality bread/bakery products for Blend locations.
- Freedom BakeryminorA social enterprise based in Glasgow, Scotland with a mission to make great bread and help people. Partnership aligns with Blend's community and social impact values.
- Blend CreatesminorBlend Creates is described as 'all things creative' - facilitators for people, community and art. Partnership supports Blend's creative and community-focused mission.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Blend Coffee competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Costa Coffee: UK's largest coffee chain with thousands of locations — a broad incumbent competing in the same customer occasions and Scottish geographies as Blend, though with a fundamentally different mass-market positioning.
- Caffè Nero: Major UK coffee chain with hundreds of locations — broad incumbent competing directly with Blend in Scottish high streets and town centres for daily coffee occasions.
- Starbucks: Global coffee chain with significant UK presence — broad incumbent competitor in the same daily coffee occasion and Scottish geographies, though positioned differently on price and experience.
Direct peers
- Brew Lab: Edinburgh-based independent specialty coffee chain with multiple locations focused on single-origin coffee and community — directly comparable to Blend Coffee in product, target customer, and Scottish positioning.
- Notes Coffee: UK specialty coffee chain operating multiple cafes with focus on direct-trade coffee and in-store experience — comparable multi-location specialty coffee operator with similar brand-led growth.
- WatchHouse: London-based specialty coffee cafe and roaster operating multiple locations with premium positioning and design-led spaces — comparable multi-site specialty coffee peer with brand-driven growth.
- Harris + Hoole: UK specialty coffee cafe chain focused on quality single-origin coffee across multiple locations — comparable multi-site specialty coffee peer with similar community and accessibility ethos.
- Foundry Coffee: Glasgow-based specialty coffee roaster and cafe operator serving ethically sourced coffee across Scottish locations — comparable independent specialty coffee model competing in the same geography.
- Machina Espresso: Edinburgh-based specialty coffee roaster and cafe serving quality espresso across Scottish locations — directly comparable Scottish independent specialty coffee operator.
- Artisan Roast: Edinburgh independent specialty coffee roaster and cafe with multiple locations focused on single-origin beans and community atmosphere — directly comparable Scottish specialty coffee peer.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Blend Coffee social profiles
Digital presenceBlend Coffee financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Blend Coffee leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Blend Coffee funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Blend Coffee M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Blend Coffee
What does Blend Coffee do?
Blend Coffee operates multi-location specialty coffee and tea lounges in Scotland, serving beverages, pastries, and panini at retail sites in Perth, Dundee, and Erskine. It also runs mobile coffee catering via two converted units (Mobi horsebox and Berti van) for events, and sells branded merchandise, gift vouchers, and Barista Experience courses.
Is Blend Coffee a public or private company?
Blend Coffee is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Blend Coffee founded?
Blend Coffee was founded in 2013. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Blend Coffee based?
Blend Coffee is headquartered in Perth, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Blend Coffee make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Coffee and Tea Sales are the primary driver. The others are mobile Coffee Services, merchandise Sales and gift Vouchers and Experiences.
Who are Blend Coffee's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Costa Coffee, Caffè Nero and Starbucks. Direct peers are Brew Lab, Notes Coffee, WatchHouse, Harris + Hoole, Foundry Coffee, Machina Espresso and Artisan Roast.
Does Blend Coffee have an API?
No public API is recorded for Blend Coffee.
What industry is Blend Coffee in?
Blend Coffee's product category is Specialty Coffee Shops. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFADAA, Specialty Coffee Shops (Single-Origin, Third-Wave), with a secondary code of THAFADAG, Cafe-Bakeries (Coffee + Pastry Focus). Its NAICS code is 722515 and its SIC code is 5810.