Skip to main content
Coffee Tips

What Coffee Beans Does Costa Use?

Coffee beans undergo a lot of processing before they find their way to our cups. Some of the best coffee beans come from far-off regions such as Kenya, Ethiopia, Colombia, Brazil, Costa Rica, and Indonesia.

With tonnes of coffee beans being exported into the UK every day, you may wonder where the coffee they use to brew coffee at Costa comes from?

costa coffee

Costa Coffee shops are known for brewing distinctly flavored coffee beverages. These signature brews and coffee roasts set them apart from other coffee shops. That inspires many coffee lovers to question the source of their excellent coffee beans.

 

What is Costa Coffee?

Costa coffee is a popular coffee chain in the UK with branches worldwide. It was founded in 1971 by Bruno and Sergio Costa as a wholesale roast coffee supplier for Italian coffee shops and caterers.

The Costa brothers established their first roastery in London at Fenchurch Street, Lambeth. They later opened their first Costa coffee shop in 1981 at Vauxhall Bridge Road, from where they sold some of their signature roast coffees and brews.

The Costa brothers set themselves apart by creating over 100 coffee varieties that attracted many customers to their coffee shop. Of particular interest is Costa’s Mocha Italia coffee which established its reputation as an excellent roaster and coffee maker. That blend of coffee beans is still used to create Costa’s Mocha Italia beverages today.

Once they had successfully run their roastery and coffee shops for years, the Costa brothers decided to sell their company to Whitbread, a respected UK hotel establishment, in 1995. At that time, they had already established 41 coffee shops in the UK.

By 2009, Whitbread had increased Costa coffee branches to 1,000 outlets in different parts of the UK, including Cardiff.

The company continued to grow until it moved its roastery to Essex from Lambeth in 2017 to increase its coffee roasting capacity due to a growing demand for Costa coffee. That was the year Costa opened their first store outside the UK in the Arab Emirates, historically delivered Costa coffee to its customers using drones.

Whitbread ran Costa coffee till 2019 when it sold the company to Coca-Cola. The popular beverage company opened more coffee shops in the UK and other parts of the world, such as China, the Philippines, Ireland, Greece, and Hungary, among other countries.

They also invested in Express coffee vending machines that you can find in offices, garages, and supermarkets all over the UK today. These coffee machines are also located in countries such as Canada and Denmark, where they are usually found in fuel stations.

The popularity of these vending machines and the many Costa coffee shops worldwide have made Costa Coffee the second largest chain in the world. They also introduced a brand of canned Costa coffees in 2020.

By 2022, Costa Coffee had opened over 3,800 shops in over 30 countries worldwide. Their success is attributed to their unique blend of coffee beans and excellent business ideas that always put the customer first.

 

The Coffee Beans Used to Make Coffee at Costa 

Costa coffee is made using a blend of Arabica and Robusta coffee beans sourced from farms that have earned Rainforest Alliance Certification. These farms are found in tropical countries such as Ethiopia, Indonesia, Costa Rica, and Colombia.

The Coffea Arabica beans impart sweet, acidic flavors to their brew, while Robusta Canephora beans give it a rich caffeine content and full-bodied mouth feel.

All the coffee beans used in Costa cafes are roasted at their facility for a minimum of 18 minutes, giving them a rich aroma and flavor.

You can buy Costa coffee beans from one of their coffee shops or reputable stores such as Sainsbury’s, Asda, and Tesco.

Many coffee drinkers prefer Costa coffee due to its unique aroma and flavor. These attributes are down to the hand roasting technique used to process the coffee beans at their roastery.

The roasters at Costa Coffee add special flavors to their signature blends, such as almond and caramel, that give it a distinct taste. The coffee company o collaborates with other companies, such as After Eight, a reputable chocolate brand, to create flavorful coffee beverages you cannot find in other coffee shops.

Some of the specialty drinks that set Costa Coffee apart from other coffee chains are its signature Mocha Italia coffee and its Sticky Toffee Latte coffee.

The popular coffee chain also serves beverages such as Costa coffee Americano, Costa coffee latte, Costa Coffee Flat White, Costa Coffee Cappuccino, and Costa coffee Cortado.

 

How to Brew Costa Coffee at Home

You can also make your version of Costa coffee at home using one of their signature coffee blends with a smooth nutty taste. Most people choose to make the signature Costa Mocha Italia coffee due to its great flavor. Here is a recipe you can try.

Home-made Costa Mocha Italia Recipe

6 – ounces of hot coffee made from Costa’s signature blend

1 1/2 ounces of Amaretto liqueur

1 tsp hot cocoa

Chocolate chips and whipped cream for garnishing.

Procedure

  1. Mix the hot cocoa and hot coffee until you have a nice uniform mixture.
  2. Add the Amaretto liqueur, and top your beverage with chocolate chips and whipped cream for garnishing.
  3. Serve your home-made Mocha Italia coffee drink with a cookie.

You may be interested in making your own blend of coffee similar to what Costa uses to brew their signature Costa Mocha Italia beverage.

A combination of coffee beans you can try is a mix of bright and fruity Ethiopian Yirgacheffe coffee beans and rich flavorful dark roast Peruvian coffee beans.

Another great option is to buy Costa Mocha Italia ground coffee or whole coffee beans from stores. That will allow you to enjoy their coffee every day.

 

Conclusion

Costa is one of the best coffee shops to go to whenever you feel like an excellent milky coffee beverage. It has set itself apart by creating signature coffees such as Mocha Italia coffee and Sticky toffee Latte.

The unique blend of Arabica and Robusta coffee beans that are used to brew Costa coffee gives their beverages a distinctive taste and aroma that has made it one of the most popular coffee chains in the world today.

Have you tried Costa Coffees? If not, this is the best time to find out what makes their coffees stand out. You may be inspired to create your own version of their coffee at home to add to the coffee recipes you already know.

 

Related Articles

How to Choose Coffee Beans For A Coffee Shop?

What Coffee Brands Use Robusta Beans?