Press release -

Over 7,000 Costa employees under 25 benefiting from National Living Wage

Costa, the nation's favourite coffee shop, is one of the few companies in the UK which offers the National Living Wage to workers of all ages, not just those over 25. Today the company has revealed that 55% of its staff are under 25 and will continue to benefit from the National Living Wage pay increase.

To mark the announcement, Costa’s longest standing employee, Mr Surjit (63), who has been loyal to the company for 40 years, met with Valentina Alexandrea (22) on her first day at the Rathbone Place branch to share a cup of coffee and words of advice with the young barista.

New starter Alexandrea commented “I’ve started working here following my studies and I think it’s great that Costa pay people my age the National Living Wage. Extra income is always welcome, especially when living in London!”

Costa recognises the hard work of the talented people it employs and accordingly introduced the National Living Wage in October 2015 to all staff1 ahead of the national introduction which will apply from today.

Costa’s Managing Director Chris Rogers commented: “At Costa we truly believe people are the most important ingredient, with every person bringing their own unique blend into the mix. We treat all employees as equals and are committed to keeping talented people at the heart of our business, offering excellent career opportunities and the room to progress into senior roles throughout the company.”

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Topics

  • Drink

Categories

  • csr
  • our people

Founded in London by Italian brothers Sergio and Bruno Costa in 1971, Costa is the UK’s favourite coffee shop, having been awarded “Best Branded Coffee Shop Chain in the UK and Ireland" by Allegra Strategies for six years running (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 & December 2015).

With over 2,000 coffee shops in the UK and more than 1,880 shops in 30 overseas markets, Costa has diversified into both the at-home and gourmet self-serve markets. There are now more than 4,275 Costa Express self-serve machines in the UK.

Costa is committed to looking after coffee-growers. That's why we've established The Costa Foundation, a registered charity. The Costa Foundation's aims are to relieve poverty, advance education and the health and environment of coffee-growing communities around the world. So far, The Costa Foundation has funded the building of 46 schools and improved the social and economic welfare of coffee-growing communities.