It appears that Cafe2U remains the Royal Family’s catering service of choice, after being called upon to provide refreshments at the recent Coronation of King Charles III. The UK franchise was selected ahead of a number of companies, to cater for members of the UK’s Armed Forces during the celebration party in London at the beginning of May.
Cafe2U secured the tender and, after holding a dress rehearsal in the early hours of Wednesday, May 3rd, the chosen franchisees were primed for the real event three days later. During Saturday’s coronation, Cafe2U served coffees and pastries to approximately 6,000 military personnel and dignitaries.
And for Cafe2U, whose head offices are based in Leeds, this was their second Royal assignment in less than eight months. Back in September, they journeyed to central London to provide a similar service for around 3,500 military personnel during Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral.
On the day of the coronation, the franchisees that were selected to represent Cafe2U kept members of the armed forces supplied with caffeine and sweet treats, during what was the biggest military parade the UK has seen in over 70 years.
Franchisees were supported by the company’s management team, who were kept busy, as they travelled from van to van to restock the supplies of their business partners.
The chief executive of Cafe2U, Martyn Ward, said: “We were delighted and honoured to have this opportunity to play our part in such a momentous and historic event. I’m thrilled to report that everything went smoothly.
“We estimate we served around 10,000 coffees and 5,000 pastries over the two days. This included a very high number of ‘double-double’ espressos. Suffice to say the schedule for rehearsals was exhaustive and those taking part in Wednesday’s practice run were busy serving food and drink at two o’clock in the morning.
“The majority of the franchisees that took part are based in Greater London. But one of our newest franchise partners travelled all the way from Bath, highlighting the commitment of our incredible team.
