M&S launches ‘hottest new style of coffee to reach UK since flat white’

M&S has launched what it claims is the “hottest new style of coffee to reach the UK since the flat white” in its 330 store cafés across the UK.

The so-called ‘Magic Coffee’ is made with a double ristretto instead of a double espresso.

A ristretto uses the same amount of ground coffee as an espresso but is extracted using half the water, which is said to create a more concentrated flavour.

“Velvety steamed milk” is added to make a coffee “without the bitterness”, according to M&S.

The Magic Coffee originated in Melbourne, Australia, where M&S Café’s head of coffee Tom Rawlinson visited in November to “better understand the hype”.

It’s served in a 6oz glass or cup, making it smaller than a flat white, which is typically 8oz, and half the size of a latte, which is 12oz.

“It’s a short coffee with a bold, intense flavour, but because it’s made with a double ristretto rather than a double espresso, it doesn’t have as much bitterness as other shorter coffees like a flat white or cortado,” said Rawlinson.

“It’s called a Magic as it is quite literally the magic ratio of coffee to milk.”

M&S registered a UK trademark for the name Magic Coffee last year. 

The drink will be available in the UK exclusively at M&S Cafés, where over 1,000 baristas have been trained to create it, according to the retailer.

“It’s a really popular coffee choice in Melbourne, and you often hear coffee lovers asking for ‘a Magic’,” said Rawlinson. “Though 10,000 miles is a long way to go for the latest coffee style, so we’re absolutely delighted to be bringing it exclusively to M&S Cafés from today.

“At M&S Food we’re full of firsts – from pioneering the prepacked sandwich in the 1980s to the vegan chicken kyiv more recently. Now our cafés get their very own ‘first’ – and our expert baristas, who we’ve been training secretly over the past few months, can’t wait to start making Magic for customers.”