Bob & Berts expands UK footprint into Yorkshire

Independent coffee and food chain Bob & Berts has expanded its footprint into Yorkshire as it prepares to open its 28th UK store in Wakefield on Monday 25th September, creating over 30 new jobs.

Situated in the city’s open-air Trinity Walk Shopping Centre, the company has transformed a 3,000 sq. ft unit into a relaxed family-friendly coffee shop. The store’s 120-cover layout delivers a bright interior style that the brand has become known for, with 92 internal covers and a further 28 external covers in the heart of the shopping centre.

Founded in Portstewart in Northern Ireland in 2013 by Colin McClean, Bob & Berts is known for its distinctive style, quality offering and community-focused approach. Following a £2 million investment in 2017 from BGF – one of the largest and most experienced growth capital investors in the UK and Ireland – the business has grown to 28 sites across the UK, including seven in England, and reported 58% sales growth in the 12 months ending 30th June 2022, reaching £17.8m.

The company has recently appointed former Pizza Express and Spit Roast operations manager, Dave Rayner as its regional operations manager for England. Dave will lead the operations team to oversee the company’s roll out across the country as part of its strategic growth plan.

Colin McClean, founder said: “We’re eager to bring Bob & Berts’ signature style and welcoming service to the local community of Wakefield. Trinity Walk Shopping Centre is a fantastic location with family-friendly events taking place all year round. We see Yorkshire as a key growth area for us and Dave’s experience of both branded and independent operations will prove extremely valuable in helping us to reach more communities across England.”

Bob & Berts’ food offering focuses on an all-day breakfast menu with favourites including ‘Bob’s Famous Fry’ and ‘Bert’s English Breakfast Muffin’, as well as a range of seasonal specials that will launch on 15th September. Bob & Berts’ Autumn menu will showcase seasonal favourites such as toffee apple pancakes and pumpkin-spiced French toast. There will also be some hearty additions to the lunch menu including pulled pork quesadillas and a Korean BBQ chicken burger.

Bob & Berts serves its own artisan coffee that’s hand-roasted in Northern Ireland using 100% arabica beans, as well as a range of milkshakes, frappes and smoothies. Seasonal specials for Autumn include a pumpkin-spiced latte, s'mores hot chocolate and a spiced chai cappuccino.

David Ferguson, co-owner added: “We’ve seen great success across England over the past 12 months following store openings in Carlisle, Bury and Blackpool, with customers commenting on the positive impact our stores have had on boosting the local high street offer with affordable food and drink.

“We’ve identified a strong pipeline of new sites as part of our continued expansion and short-term objective of being a 50+ site brand. Our roll out across England remains our focus for the next 12 months and we’ve identified six stores to open with potential locations including Rochdale, Burnley, Southport, Warrington and Liverpool to maintain our successful momentum.”

Bob & Berts Wakefield is located at Unit G29, Trinity Walk Shopping Centre, Wakefield, WF1 1QU. Its opening hours are 8am – 6pm, Monday – Saturday, and 9am – 6pm on Sundays.