Posted:26-November-2025
Temperature Rises at Foodco with 100th Cafe Confirmed
Sutton, South London, will mark the location of the 100th Foodco franchised store investment in the UK, with the opening of a 1,800sq ft Jamaica Blue café in the town centre confirmed for early 2026.
Australian-owned hospitality franchise group, Foodco, first entered the UK market in late 2001 with the first Muffin Break café in Derby. Jamaica Blue debuted in Cambridge in 2014, and now the Group has outlets across the UK, with 85 stores in England, 8 in Scotland, 6 in Northern Ireland and 1 in Wales.
Commenting ahead of its milestone 100th store opening, Mike Arbuckle, CEO of Foodco Group adds: “From our first Muffin Break café in Derby back in 2001, to vibrant Jamaica Blue cafés in Bracknell, Belfast and beyond, the growth of both Muffin Break and Jamaica Blue has been defined by quality, innovation, and community.
“Reaching 100 locations in the New Year is a testament to our incredible franchise partners, our loyal customers, and the dedicated teams behind each outlet, and we’re only getting started. There’s a huge appetite for our quality coffee, freshly baked-on-site goods and menu offerings which use only fresh, premium ingredients.”
Structured as a franchise group, Foodco has seen a growing number of franchisees expand into multi-store ownership, investing in both Muffin Break and Jamaica Blue concepts across the UK. The largest franchisee currently operates 19 stores under these brands, reflecting a strong trend towards multi-site franchising. This model is expected to continue and plays a vital role in the Group’s long-term growth strategy.
Mike continues: “As town centres and out-of-town shopping centres work hard to create experiences and additional reasons to visit their schemes, our brands are well positioned to offer contemporary food and beverage options for shoppers.”
The company’s growth strategy extends into 2026, with five further Foodco outlets scheduled for launch across Northern England and Greater London in the first two quarters, and a potential expansion into the Republic of Ireland in 2027.
“We’re exploring smaller, food-to-go outlets, and we’re in discussions with airports and train stations to bring Muffin Break and Jamaica Blue to high-footfall travel hubs across the UK,” adds Mike.
Commenting on the success of Foodco’s franchise model, Chris Milne, Head of Finance at Foodco, explains:
“One of the key drivers of our success is the consistent profitability of each franchised store, achieved by closely adhering to our business KPIs. We strive to negotiate fair rental agreements that allow the franchisee to maintain good margins. Importantly, Foodco has never relied on external borrowings, instead focusing on building strong, sustainable franchise partnerships.
“Our dedicated operations team provides ongoing support at the shop front, fine-tuning processes, resolving issues, and guiding both franchisees and their staff to ensure operational excellence.”
Muffin Break stores are a bakery /café format which offers freshly baked-on-site goods daily and serves an award-winning arabica coffee blend while catering to a range of dietary needs.
Jamaica Blue takes inspiration from the majestic Blue Mountains of Jamaica - one of the best coffee-producing regions in the world and home to Jamaica Blue’s exclusive Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee – with brunch-style made-to-order menus, great food and signature coffee
Foodco is also actively seeking new franchise partners to grow both Muffin Break and Jamaica Blue across the UK. Store sizes typically range between 1,200 and 1,800 square feet, offering flexible formats including full cafés and kiosk-style outlets.
Interested and want to know more about Jamaica Blue?
The Jamaica Blue profile outlines all aspects of their franchise opportunity and allows you to contact them for further information or to ask a question.
