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Source: Holland & Barrett

The new counter will serve a selection of hot teas and coffees

Holland & Barrett will now offer a selection of ‘health-focused’ hot drinks to take away, as it continues to develop its food and drink offering.

Last week the retailer installed a new takeaway counter at its Birmingham High Street store to test customer demand for the service, which is called ‘Drinks with Benefits’. The manned counter will serve a 16-strong menu of specially launched hot blended teas and vitamin-infused coffees, with prices starting at £2.50.

Each drink had been created to cater to a specific health and wellness trend, including gut health, mental focus and immunity, H&B said.

The menu includes a ‘Give me Sunshine Latte’ made with ginger, turmeric and manuka honey, which has been tailored specifically to contribute to ‘mental performance and cognitive function’. The drink retails at £4.50, the same price as H&B’s new ‘Take it Easy Latte’, which has been made to support energy levels.

A ‘Digest Support Tea’ – a blend of apple cider vinegar and H&B’s digestive support teabag – and an ‘Immune Support Tea’ are among the other tailored products on sale. Both retail at £3. More traditional staples such as Flat White, Americano and Latte coffees will be available alongside English Breakfast and Green Tea, according to H&B.

“Our team of experts have scoured the globe this past year to create a new range of delicious tea and coffee with actual benefits that’s all backed by science and nutrition,” said H&B head of food and beverage Rachel Chatterton.

“With the healthier coffee market growing, we’re excited to bring this new offering to the market as an on-the-go drinks option for customers. This also offers a great entry point for our customers to trial products and experience their benefits, with all ingredients in the new range available to buy and use at home.”

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H&B has launched a new 16-strong selection of drinks

It’s the latest in a series of store trials currently underway in Holland & Barrett stores, as part of a wider store development strategy that kicked off following the debt buyout deal by owner LetterOne in November 2022.

Last week The Grocer revealed H&B had begun stocking branded medicines and healthcare treatments alongside its traditional health and wellness line-up in around 20 stores. It also began trialling branded fixtures in a selection of WH Smith Travel stores in February 2023.

H&B relaunched its entire food and drink category in September this year. It saw the rollout of more than 300 new grocery lines, including, for the first time since the pandemic, the addition of chilled products in stores.