Waitrose reintroduces disposable coffee cups at 10 stores for first time in six years

Stores involved in the trial include Bagshot, Newton Mearns, Edgware Road, Kingshill, Sheffield, Balham, Coham, Maidenhead and Sudbury. The supermarket has not yet confirmed if it will extend the trial after the initial 12 weeks.

This means shoppers with a MyWaitrose loyalty card can claim their free drinks without having to bring their own cups. They will be required to scan their loyalty card to redeem the drink.

A spokesman for Waitrose said: “To allow more MyWaitrose members to enjoy a free hot drink, we’re trialling the introduction of takeaway cups in a small number of our shops for customers who forget to bring their reusable cups.

“We’re also using the national cup recycling scheme so that any disposable cups used can be conveniently recycled.”

Waitrose had initially set out to remove all disposable coffee cups from its shops by autumn 2018 to reduce packaging waste.

It revealed in a statement at the time that removing the cups would underline the company’s commitment to reducing its environmental impact.

During the coronavirus crisis, the supermarket stopped offering customers free hot drinks altogether.

The benefit was subsequently relaunched in 2022, with Waitrose maintaining that MyWaitrose members would have to bring their cups when claiming a free coffee.

The supermarket announced the change as it revealed its new and improved coffee station during the reopening of its refurbished John Barnes store last week.

The new set-up features holders for disposable cups and a separate dispenser serving drinks made exclusively with oat milk.

It comes as the supermarket chain has introduced a selection of new meals to its Easy to Cook range.

Shoppers can now choose from a selection of 19 quick and easy feasts catering to all tastes, the supermarket confirmed.

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Waitrose product developer Simona Cohen-Vida-Welsh said: “Our Easy to Cook range focuses on providing our customers with quick and healthy meals that require less prep.

“The ingredients in the dishes are all sourced from our known and trusted suppliers - for example, the smoked haddock in our new Smoked Haddock & Cod Gratin is responsibly sourced from the same smokery that supplied our fish service counters, allowing us to maintain the same high quality and standards that our customers expect from us.”

A score of new meals have been added to Waitrose’s Easy to Cook range, adding to its 36-strong selection.

Several additions to the range cater to a growing demand for fish-based meals.

Waitrose Easy to Cook buyer Julia Newlands explained: “Our customers are huge fans of our Easy to Cook chicken and pork options, but we have also seen a growing trend for fish-based recipes at Waitrose.”