Ali Kurji, Chief Executive of the Heart of England Co-operative Society
Tuesday, April 26th, 2022
A new partnership between the Heart of England Co-operative Society and Northamptonshire-based Bewiched Coffee will see the opening of a chain of new coffee shops over the next five years.
The deal will see the creation of 15 new Bewiched franchises across the Society’s growing trading area, starting with The Co-operative in Balsall Common in September this year.
Steve Browne, General Manager of the Society’s Food Division, which operates a portfolio of 36 Food stores, said the new partnership is part of the Society’s strategy to diversify its portfolio and bolster its existing customer offering.
He said: “Our partnership with Bewiched Coffee brings a wealth of exciting opportunities for both of our businesses and for our customers.
“Bewiched is a local company with values similar to those of our Society, and when we met it was clear we were in synergy, sharing the same values and principles and indeed the same vision for this project.”
He added: “We are excited to be working together to bring the coffee shops to fruition and watching our new offering take shape.”
Established in 2010, Bewiched Coffee is the brainchild of Matt Fountain.
Matt opened his first site in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire. His second site in Kettering, which followed two years later, was situated right next door to a Costa!
Following a slow start in Kettering Matt saw a steep increase in demand for the Bewiched offering. It was the success of this site against the world-leading brand which gave him the confidence to continue growing the chain.
Today Bewiched operates a network of 13 stores across Northamptonshire and Cambridgeshire, as well as within the Clock Towers Shopping Centre in Rugby.
The Bewiched drinks offering includes a range of teas and coffees as well as milk shakes and smoothies.
Snacks include breakfast muffins, toasties and paninis while the bakery offers a range of cakes and slices.
