FreshGround: 40 Years of Office Coffee, One Bold Claim

FreshGround has been supplying offices with coffee since 1982, and this October they’ll be pouring it at GCUC UK London, with two machines on site for the whole day. Ahead of the event, we asked Marketing Manager Anthony Hare what’s actually changed in office coffee, whether “good culture starts with great coffee” holds up, and what operators keep getting wrong when they buy a machine.

FreshGround’s been in the coffee business since 1982. What’s changed most about what an office expects from its coffee in that time?

“As we’ve been in business for over 40 years, in that time the leap in office drink quality, variety, and technology is enormous! Back in the day, the choice was either instant coffee and a kettle or, if you wanted better, a filter drip coffee pot. Now workspaces want sophisticated bean to cup machines that offer hot chocolate, dairy-free milk, and a coffee menu that rivals Costa.

So we’ve come from black filter coffee fresh from the pot being special, to double espressos and oat milk cortados being the norm. Coffee culture continues to evolve, so the machines need to keep up with people’s tastes.”

Does good office coffee actually improve workplace culture?

“Good workplace culture starts with great office coffee” is a bold claim. What’s the real evidence behind it, not just the slogan?

“There are some fascinating studies on the impact of coffee in the workplace. A 2024 survey by YouGov revealed that 78% of UK office workers see coffee breaks as vital for team bonding, while 64% believe that good coffee improves their overall job satisfaction.

Anecdotally, the ‘water cooler moment’ where you catch up with colleagues about life, the universe, and everything is now held around the coffee machine. This is where company culture thrives, when people get together outside of meetings and share thoughts, ideas, and of course, have a good old chat.”

Coworking space coffee vs a single company office

What’s actually different about kitting out a shared coworking space versus a single company’s office?

“In terms of the actual product, there’s very little difference. The main factors we see in coworking spaces is a stretch for higher quality drink experiences, like the use of fresh milk over granulated, as well as milk alternative compatible fridges (e.g. oat milk) and similar.

Areas where FreshGround specifically sees differences is around the account management piece. So flexible rental agreements as opposed to fixed leasing to make adding, removing and transferring machines between sites more simple. Also, a focus on consistency between sites, so that a cappuccino from your Shoreditch office tastes exactly the same as the one you can get from your King’s Cross branch.”

 

The most common mistake in choosing a coworking coffee setup

What’s the most common mistake operators make when choosing a coffee setup for a coworking space?

“The most common mistake we see is when an office underestimates the drinks capacity level of the machine they need. This might be to save costs, fit a specific space in the kitchen, or even be a model the office manager likes to use at home.

Going with a small coffee machine, especially a domestic model, when serving an office full of people puts a lot of stress on it. Home-style machines are often built to handle up to 15 cups a day. Exceed this on a regular basis in an office, and then you’ll get breakdowns far more regularly than you should.

That’s why it’s important when you’re looking at machines to ask about drink capacity, and don’t try to ‘get by’ on a model designed for fewer people. It will lead to more hassle, and likely more expensive costs in the long run.”

FreshGround at GCUC UK London 2026

What are you most looking forward to about GCUC UK London?

“Sharing coffee with people over a chat of course! We’ll be at GCUC with two coffee machines, ready to meet and greet with a variety of drinks, from espressos and mochas to matcha and chai lattes. Coffee can be a very emotive subject (love it or hate it), so hot drinks often provide the perfect conversation starter that differs from person to person.”

A non-coffee question: in your Fresh Ground bio it says you like board games but ‘never Monopoly’. What games do you like to unwind with? And why not Monopoly?!

“Because Monopoly’s rubbish! You know who is going to win within the first 15 minutes, but still have 2 hours of game left to play. My personal favourite is probably Risk. It’s an old school strategy game that still holds up today, built on shaky alliances with other players that only last as long as it suits them. I would bring the board to GCUC if the day wasn’t already so action packed!”

FreshGround will be serving coffee at GCUC UK London, 8&9 October, TOGETHER, 88 Wood Street. Tickets →