Scott Martin, the entrepreneur behind Coffee Nation, has disrupted the coffee market this week with the launch of Unity Coffee. The challenger to Big Coffee hosted a pop-up in Soho, London, offering free coffee to hundreds of passers by. Martin is the brains behind the UK’s revolutionary self-service Costa Express coffee stations, which cemented him as the architect of modern UK coffee retail.
Unity Coffee is an innovative self-serve coffee product developed on a FinTech platform and designed for a generation that wants better coffee, better value, and a smarter digital experience.
Coffee-to-go is a staple of the modern high street, but price-sensitive consumers are growing weary of spiralling costs for the same familiar products. Lumina Intelligence shows average prices have jumped by 80p since 2022 to £4.02. As a daily expenditure for many, the coffee market suffers a number of converging pressures on prices, from the volatility of coffee beans as a commodity to rising business rates, NICs, and dairy product inflation.
But signals from industry leaders indicate prices will continue to skyrocket in 2026. Gerry Ford, CEO of Caffè Nero, this week predicted increases even if the price of beans goes down. Meanwhile, Coca-Cola’s sale of underperforming Costa has run into trouble and Starbucks suffers the dual blow of tariffs and poor weather affecting coffee growth.
As we reach the psychological cliff-edge of £5 coffees, Unity Coffee is proposing a new model. Their offering combines premium ingredients, intelligent automation, and a mobile-first experience to offer high-quality, affordable coffee at the touch of a button. The platform is set to roll out across the UK in 2026, including in travel locations which often see the highest prices.
“The coffee-to-go market has let customers down for years – overpriced drinks and the same tired experience. Unity Coffee is leading a new movement, delivering exceptional coffee at fairer prices through smart technology, dynamic loyalty and instant rewards that serve customers. We’re going to take on big coffee and give the power back to the people,” said Martin.
Built around three core principles — modernity, quality, and fair pricing — Unity Coffee offers:
Seamless ordering and payment via the Unity Coffee app
Barista-quality blends developed by a celebrated Master Roaster
Dynamic loyalty and personalised rewards
Beautifully designed self-serve stations adaptable for any location
Unity Coffee integrates proprietary automation with Swiss-engineered systems to deliver barista-quality beverages at scale, featuring fully integrated digital media for dynamic content and engaging brand experiences. Connected to our mobile app, it unlocks agile pricing, real-time promotions, personalised content, and even customer-chosen visuals, creating a seamless journey through touchscreen, QR scanner, and illuminated payment pod. Dynamic LED lighting, immersive media, and precision automation ensure consistency across espresso, specialty coffees, matcha, and hot chocolate with dairy or plant-based options.
Martin has assembled a consortium of leading industry figures across hospitality and retail to invest in Unity Coffee, with plans to install in over 500 locations in 24 months in major UK retail, transport, leisure, and educational locations.
The public has one more day to try Unity Coffee, by heading to the pop-up in Soho:
Where: 19 D’Arblay Street
When: 17-18 December
Wednesday 17 December: 10am – 6pm
Thursday 18 December: 10am – 2pm
