BP pilots made-to-order food at 10 Wild Bean Cafes

BP will be piloting a “new and improved” ‘fresh food for now’ offer that customers can personalise at 10 of its Wild Bean Cafes across the UK. The news comes as BP looks for new ways to drive convenience growth by giving “on-the-move” customers made-to-order, hot food options and coffee. With over half of BP’s customers in the UK now visiting its retail sites on a ‘shop only’ mission, the company has decided to invest in new food offers to help meet their changing needs. According to the company, this pilot is an evolution of the current Wild Bean Cafe heat-to-eat offer and builds on the learnings from a proof of concept made-to-order food offer that was tested at BP’s retail sites in Holborough and Byron in 2023. BP saw a double-digit rise in total Wild Bean Cafe food sales in the proof of concept cafes. The new food offer includes a broader range, improved breakfast offer and expanded lunch menu. PB plans to have the pilot rolled out across the south east of England by the end of April, and will evolve the concept through customer feedback. Jo Hayward, VP of convenience at BP Europe, said: “We have been serving customers on the move for decades and are committed to meeting their evolving needs. As the energy transition progresses, we anticipate shifts in consumer behaviour, with customers spending more time on our forecourts charging electric vehicles. “Our research has told us that these customers want great quality, tasty fresh food options and hot drinks when on the go – and that’s what we are giving them, when and where they want it”. BP has identified convenience as one of its five strategic transition growth engines, along with EV charging, hydrogen, bioenergy, renewables and power. By 2030, BP aims to double its convenience gross margin with 10% year-on-year growth and increase its number of strategic convenience sites globally to more than 3,500.