Solo, a coffee brand known for pioneering coffee concentrate, will launch its new 500ml Ready-to-Go Espresso format nationally in over 400 Tesco stores and online from 14th May.
The rollout comes as the UK’s £279m ready-to-drink (RTD) category continues to grow. With much of the RTD coffee market leaning into sweet, milky formats, Solo is aiming to cut through the noise with its stripped-back, barista-quality espresso built for at-home iced lattes and coffee cocktails.
The launch marks a major moment for Solo, taking its coffee concentrate – widely used across the hospitality industry – into the mainstream.
The Tesco rollout represents a wider shift in consumer behaviour, as demand for at-home iced coffee continues to rise. It also comes as the government considers extending the sugar tax to sweetened, milk-based drinks, a move that could impact many canned iced lattes and bottled frappés on supermarket shelves. With no added sugar or flavourings, Solo’s Ready-to-Go Espresso offers a healthier alternative that’s aligned with where the category is headed.
“We originally made this for the trade. But the time is now right to take it to the people,” said Alex Foss Sims, Co-Founder of Solo. “This is speciality coffee without the theatre. No gear, no gimmicks, no queue. Just grab a glass, some ice, and go.”
Each 500ml carton makes up to 10 coffees – from iced lattes to espresso martinis – and delivers espresso-strength coffee with no added sugar or flavourings. The new format is also claimed to be more sustainable than single-serve alternatives, with each carton replacing 10 RTD cans or takeaway coffees.
To support the launch, Solo is releasing a campaign film – a surreal horror parody that takes aim at “single-origin snobbery, sleepy cafe branding and the overly curated world of modern coffee marketing”.
