Costa Coffee awards HQ project to Morgan Lovell

"We are taking great pride in our new roastery – ensuring we deliver the very best facility in the world to meet customer demand in the long-term and support our growth – and are delighted to have Morgan Lovell on board to design and build our new workspace." Christopher Rogers, Managing Director for Costa

With fit out works due to begin in the summer, Morgan Lovell has been tasked with delivering the 11,000 sq ft office, a product development area, a state-of-the-art specialist lab and a training facility for Costa baristas. The roastery, responsible for the production of nearly all of Costa’s coffee, will be located next door and fitted with three 18-metre roasters to produce 45,000 tons of coffee a year.

Morgan Lovell has been appointed to create an office design that not only reinforces the coffee theme, but will help to almost quadruple the business’s output, whilst improving the general work-life balance and environment for all team members.

Having been based in Lambeth on Old Paradise Street, London, for 45 years, the new facility has been christened ‘Paradise Street’ and will feature reminders of Costa’s proud London heritage. This includes the installation of large brick arches to mimic those that took prominence in its previous office, which will now be used as part of the break out areas. Whilst the history will have a great influence on the design, there are also a number of modern features being planned as part of the fit out. A ‘collision zone’ is to be formed at the heart of the office to encourage communication, as well as a games room to emphasise creativity.

The complex design also addresses the science behind roasting coffee and the specialist lab requires careful consideration as it plays a major role in the testing of each product. As such, Morgan Lovell has designed a circular meeting room in the laboratory with black out blinds and red lighting. When in use, these elements heighten the sensory experience for Costa’s masters of coffee who are focused on product quality and developing new products.

Colin Allan, Managing Director of Morgan Lovell, says: “We are delighted to have been appointed on such a unique and exciting project. Costa is one of the best known brands in the UK for quality coffee products and this move is essential to helping the business continue to grow and innovate. It’s great to have the opportunity to help Costa reach its goals and I look forward to seeing the project unfold in the coming months.”

"This is an important milestone and a truly exciting project for Costa,” comments Christopher Rogers, Managing Director for Costa.

“We are taking great pride in our new roastery – ensuring we deliver the very best facility in the world to meet customer demand in the long-term and support our growth – and are delighted to have Morgan Lovell on board to design and build our new workspace.

He adds “As a British company, it is fantastic to be basing our operations right here in the UK. Our heritage is the lifeblood of our business and Paradise Street will be a new chapter in our rich history – as we continue to roast the same irresistible Mocha Italia blend first produced by the Costa brothers in 1971 in Lambeth, London. Our new roastery is a vote of confidence in Basildon and we are proud that the town will be a vital hub of our global business. We are very much looking forward to making a positive contribution to the local economy and local community."

Representing over £38m in fresh investment for Basildon, the construction of the facility on the former Visteon Site in Prologis Park started in November 2015 with an official ground-breaking ceremony attended by the Mayor of Basildon.

Find out more details and view the full gallery in our project case study.

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