The Nero Group acquires FCB Coffee

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Credit: Getty / Tom Werner

Caffè Nero and Coffee#1 owner The Nero Group has added London-based coffee business FCB Coffee to its growing portfolio.

The group says the acquisition will bolster its travel and transport business.

FCB was founded in 1998 and now has 11 locations in travel hubs across London and the South East.

The acquisition means The Nero Group now has more than 50 locations in train and transport hubs in the UK.

“I’m very pleased to bring FCB into our Group. Its stores offer commuters in transport locations very high-quality coffee,” says Gerry Ford, founder and CEO of The Nero Group.

“This is part of our strategy to provide customers with premium coffee no matter where they might be.”

The group’s acquisition of FCB Coffee comes after it completed the purchase of Nottingham-based coffee brand 200 Degrees just last week.

Overall, The Nero Group has 790 stores in the UK, more than 600 of which operate under the core Caffè Nero brand.

Its portfolio also includes Harris + Hoole, and Aroma.

“As the coffee market develops, we continue to be focussed on the premium, specialty coffee category,” adds Ford.

The Nero Group claims to be the largest independent coffee house group in Europe and operates more than 1,100 sites in total across 10 countries.