Britain has always been a nation of drinkers, but what we drink has been changing recently. Once tea was our national brew of choice, and pubs our primary social hub. Now, we’ve fallen in love with coffee. The UK now has over 20,000 coffee shops selling close to two billion cups a year. Among them, there are an estimated 1400 independent coffee shops, a number which is forecast to double by 2020. Survival can be tough, but these independent outlets can focus on quality and the expertise of their baristas in a way that helps to differentiate their offering from the big chains.

Choosing the right equipment is extremely important for anyone trying to establish a new coffee shop. While specialist equipment like espresso machines and coffee grinders are vitally important, you’ve got to get the other basics right too. Of these, refrigeration is one of the most important.

Take milk – full fat, semi-skimmed, skimmed, 1%, through to almond and soy. A good shop will need to have all of them in stock, and keep them in the best condition. Independent coffee shops are often situated in smaller locations, so they need equipment that makes the most of that space.

Under counter refrigerated cabinets can provide safe and efficient storage in areas with limited space. Models with optional chilled or frozen drawers allow for greater flexibility as well as easy access to a wide range of items.

A coffee shop isn’t just a place to grab a quick drink. They’re social spaces, ideal for meeting up with friends, as well as being popular places for working in. This creates the perfect opportunity for further sales by offering customers afternoon teas, fresh sandwiches, cakes or pastries. Refrigerated merchandisers, including open fronted Multidecks are an ideal way of displaying food in an attractive and hygienic manner. Williams’ range of Gem Multidecks have been designed to be the perfect front of house display, integrating eye-catching style and clever design to maximise the amount of internal storage space, making it easy to keep a diverse range of product within range of customers to help

With seemingly no end in sight for our national love affair with the bean, coffee shop owners need to consider what they need to create the kind of location that keeps customers coming back for more. Choosing the right refrigeration equipment is one of the best ways of providing your business with a solid foundation.