# Costa Coffee upgrades more than 10,000 UK supermarket machines in quality push

> Costa Coffee has upgraded over 10,000 UK supermarket machines with new recipes and software, part of an investment spanning more than 13,000 machines.

- Published: 2026-10-18T17:27:31+00:00
- Section: Product Launches
- Author: News Desk
- URL: https://newsforagent.com/news/2026-10-18/costa-coffee-supermarket-machine-upgrade
- Source: [EIN Presswire](https://www.einnews.com/article/950559107/live)

## Key takeaways

- Costa Coffee upgraded more than 10,000 of its UK supermarket machines with recipe, software and machine changes.
- The programme covers more than 13,000 machines and includes enhanced recipes for drinks such as the Flat White.
- Costa Express director Mark Cumming said customer expectations of coffee on the go have never been higher.

[Costa Coffee](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/0005np3/costa-coffee) has upgraded more than 10,000 of its machines in UK supermarkets, the chain confirmed on October 18, 2026, in a programme covering recipe, software and machine changes. [EIN Presswire](https://www.einnews.com/article/950559107/live) carried the announcement. The investment spans more than 13,000 machines.

## Costa Express Recipe and Software Changes

The programme targets four areas of the customer experience: drink quality, temperature, cup-fill consistency and speed of service. Costa Coffee said it introduced enhanced recipes for some of Costa Express's most popular drinks, including the Flat White, alongside changes to drink temperature and cup-fill consistency. Software upgrades reduced dispensing times for selected drinks.

Mark Cumming, Costa Express director at Costa Coffee, said: "Customer expectations of coffee on the go have never been higher. People rightly expect great-tasting, consistent coffee wherever they choose to enjoy it, whether they're visiting a coffee shop, travelling, or stopping at their local convenience store."

Cumming said Costa Express "already operates at significant scale, but leadership means never standing still," adding that the programme "represents a significant investment across more than 13,000 machines, delivering meaningful enhancements to quality, consistency, and convenience." He said: "We believe convenience should never mean compromising on quality."

Costa Coffee said the changes were made based on customer insight and machine performance data. The chain is rivalled by Starbucks, Caffe Nero and Pret A Manger.

## Costa Coffee's Expansion and Partnership Record

Costa Coffee plans to open more than 40 new UK drive-thru sites in 2026, extending its position as the UK's largest drive-thru coffee operator, according to akta.pro [company records](https://akta.pro/company-data). The same records show Costa expanding its partnership with Sainsbury's with 14 additional in-store coffee shops planned for 2026, following the opening of the 50th in-store café, an investment of nearly £16 million creating over 400 jobs. Costa is also pursuing a US B2B growth strategy centered on Smart Café self-serve coffee machines rather than a high-street store rollout.

## Costa Coffee's Recent UK Moves

On October 8, 2026, Reuters reported that Coca-Cola is seeking to sell Costa Coffee after a sales process failed earlier this year, with offers from private equity firms coming in below expectations. On October 6, 2026, The Telegraph reported that Costa warned climate change is driving up coffee prices, with a regular latte now costing £4.40 versus £2.90 five years ago. On October 3, 2026, CityAM reported that Costa Coffee posted revenue growth of 5% to £1.3 billion and returned to operating profit after Coca-Cola scrapped its sale plans.

## Costa Coffee's Sainsbury's Rollout

Costa Coffee and Sainsbury's are expanding their partnership to open 14 more Costa cafés inside Sainsbury's stores across the UK in 2026, following the opening of the 50th in-store café, according to akta.pro company records.

## Companies in this story

- [Costa Coffee company profile](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/0005np3/costa-coffee) · website: https://www.costa.co.uk

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