Lavazza responds to ‘decaf revolution’ with reimagined range

Italian coffee maker Lavazza is to overhaul its decaf lineup in response to growing demand.

It has revamped the packaging for its Decaf My Easy Day Beans, Decaf My Easy Day Ground and Nespresso Compatible Capsules, and added a new Decaf My Rich Break Beans blend.

Decaf My Rich Break Beans (rsp: £12/500g) has launched via Amazon and DTC.

The other SKUs will roll out from this month, gradually replacing existing decaf products stocked in retailers including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Morrisons and Asda.

The overhaul came amid a UK “decaf revolution”, Lavazza said, citing NIQ figures that showed a 45% increase in sales of decaffeinated coffees in the 12 months ended 28 December.

Some 62% of Brits were avoiding regular coffee in the afternoon as they were “becoming notably conscious of their caffeine intake”, Lavazza said.

However, finding quality decaf was a “challenge for many coffee lovers”, it claimed, citing its own research that showed 32% of coffee drinkers believe decaf to be inferior to regular coffee.

Some 46% of drinkers, meanwhile, assumed decaf didn’t taste as good, it added.

Lavazza’s Decaf range was made with “a natural decaffeination process which harnesses the properties of carbon dioxide to remove the caffeine at molecular level”, the supplier said.

As a result, its decaf blends retained “the delicate flavours and aromas of selectively chosen coffee beans”, it added.

“Lavazza believes that superior quality Italian coffee blends should be available to coffee lovers everywhere, including those seeking decaffeinated options,” said Matthew Case, sales director at Lavazza UK. “Despite the evident demand, the options available are still limited and often fall short for coffee lovers, lacking that full-bodied flavour that they crave.

“We are committed to elevating the decaf experience and choice available without sacrificing on taste,” Case continued. “That is why we’re expanding our decaf range to include a new intense blend to complement our already bestselling Lavazza Decaf product.”