Starbucks, the coffee chain behemoth, is thought to be considering launching its artisan bakery brand, La Boulange into the UK, M&C Report understands.
The group, which is currently rolling out the brand’s menu items across it c3,500 US sites, has recently trademarked the La Boulange name in the UK. It has been piloting a number of bakery ranges in the UK over the last two years.
The company acquired the San Francisco-based artisan bakery business Bay Bread and its La Boulange brand last year in a $100m deal.
Last year, the then Starbucks UK managing director Kris Engskov told M&C Report that the group was to increase its investment in food across its UK estate.
Kris Engskov, managing director of Starbucks UK & Ireland, told M&C Report: “It is a very competitive food market in the UK. The high street here is probably the most competitive in the world, therefore we need to, and will be, investing in not just our coffee, but our food offer over the next year.”
However, Engstov said that the group would not be going down the route of route of acquiring a food chain, such as Paul, after the acquisition of the La Boulange brand.
