Alcuin Capital Partners is pleased to announce that it has realised its longstanding investment in Caffè Nero Group, the UK’s leading independent coffee bar chain.
Mark and Grace first invested in Caffè Nero in 1997, providing development capital to fund the expansion of the brand from its original five bars in London. Led by Gerry Ford, the business grew rapidly and was successfully floated on the London Stock Exchange in 2001. This IPO realised our investment in Caffè Nero at a very attractive return.
The business continued to expand rapidly from the sixty-five coffee bars at the date of the IPO to over 300 coffee bars by the date of the £245m deal in 2007, in which Alcuin participated alongside the other long-term shareholders who had backed the business in 1997.
Since our reinvestment, the business has continued to expand both within the UK and internationally, with over one thousand coffee bars worldwide and operations in eleven countries including the US.
Alcuin has now exited its final investment by way of a secondary purchase by other shareholders (at an attractive return) marking the end of one of the most successful relationships and investments made by Alcuin.
