Airport café and kiosk operators
Choose a product staff can portion consistently during busy periods, with a pack size that fits replenishment plans and the site’s storage and glass-handling procedures.
Who is this for?
Airport lounge and quieter-service teams
A smaller pack may suit lower demand or a second coffee option. If flavour is part of the menu decision, compare the descriptions of the exact products being considered rather than relying on jar size alone.
Teams adding decaf
A separately labelled decaffeinated product gives staff a distinct option to prepare and store apart from regular coffee.
What should an airport food counter check?
Start with the serving instructions and expected number of cups, then check where the pack can be stored and used.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Repeatable preparation | Check the selected pack’s coffee measure and water instructions. NESCAFÉ UK & IE specifies approximately 1.8g with 200ml hot water for Original; Tesco gives 1–2 teaspoons per cup for Gold. | I want staff on different shifts to make the same menu drink without assuming that instructions for one coffee apply to another. |
| Pack size | Compare the stated weight with expected turnover and storage space. NESCAFÉ UK & IE lists Original in 100g, 190g and 300g jars; Sainsbury’s lists approximately 55 cups from Carte Noire Classique 100g at its suggested 1.8g serving. | At a busy counter, I may need fewer replenishment interruptions. For a quieter lounge or second coffee option, I would rather match the opened pack to demand. |
| Container handling | Confirm the delivered container material and the venue’s permitted storage and preparation locations. Food Standards Agency MyHACCP guidance advises keeping glass and other brittle materials out of work areas where possible. | I need a way to prepare coffee that fits our site’s brittle-material procedure, whether that permits a jar at the station or requires controlled storage elsewhere. |
| Decaf choice | Check that the product is explicitly labelled decaffeinated, and set up distinct labelling and storage for service. NESCAFÉ UK & IE describes Original Decaf as coffee with most caffeine removed. | If the menu includes decaf, I want staff to distinguish it from the regular coffee when taking and preparing orders. |
What can go wrong?
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Assuming a glass jar belongs at the beverage station
Food Standards Agency MyHACCP guidance advises keeping glass and other brittle materials out of work areas where possible. A domestic-style jar may therefore need a different storage or handling arrangement at a catering site.
Check the venue’s glass-management procedure before ordering jars in volume. If jars are permitted, establish where they are kept and what staff must do if one breaks.
A breakage can interrupt service while the area is cleaned and affected product is assessed.
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Choosing size without considering turnover
A large jar needs enough demand to justify opening it, while a small jar may need frequent replacement during busy service.
Estimate cups using the chosen product’s serving instruction and compare that figure with expected demand. Sainsbury’s lists approximately 55 cups for Carte Noire Classique 100g at its suggested 1.8g serving.
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Treating regular coffee and decaf as interchangeable
A regular coffee does not fulfil an order for decaf. NESCAFÉ UK & IE describes its Original Decaf separately from Original and says most of its caffeine has been removed.
If decaf is on the menu, use an explicitly labelled product and make the distinction clear in storage, staff instructions and customer-facing descriptions.
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Using a retailer listing instead of the delivered label
The pack that arrives determines the ingredients, storage instructions and container staff will actually handle. An unsuitable substitution matters when the venue has an approved product specification.
On receipt, check the product name, pack size, ingredients, allergen information, best-before date, storage directions and container condition against that specification.
Relevant brand references
These product-line references help distinguish preparation and pack options; they do not establish which products a particular supplier can deliver.
NESCAFÉ
NESCAFÉ UK & IE lists Original and Original Decaf in 100g, 190g and 300g sizes.
- The manufacturer specifies approximately 1.8g of Original with 200ml hot water, giving a starting point for staff instructions.
- Original is offered in glass jars as well as refill packs; check which format the venue permits in its preparation area.
Kenco
Kenco describes Smooth as a medium-roast blend of freeze-dried instant coffee and roast-and-ground coffee.
- The 190g pack listed by ASDA specifies 90% instant coffee and 10% roast-and-ground coffee, providing a defined composition for that pack.
- That 190g pack is a glass jar; confirm the container of any other size before applying the venue’s glass controls.
Douwe Egberts
Joybuy UK lists Douwe Egberts Pure Gold Medium Roast 190g in its instant-coffee category.
- Check the exact product label for preparation directions, ingredients and container material before adding it to a catering specification.
Carte Noire
Sainsbury’s describes Classique 100g as freeze-dried instant coffee in a jar.
- Sainsbury’s estimates approximately 55 cups at its suggested 1.8g serving, which helps plan a smaller-volume menu option.
- Confirm supply before making this product part of a service plan; the Sainsbury’s listing showed it out of stock when recorded.
Tesco
Tesco lists its Gold 200g as a freeze-dried coffee made from Arabica and Robusta beans.
- Its preparation instruction specifies 1–2 teaspoons per cup with hot, not boiling, water.
- The product is in a glass jar, and Tesco warns against carrying the jar by its lid.
Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s lists an own-label Gold Roast 200g instant coffee as well as branded instant-coffee products.
- The Gold Roast listing identifies it as freeze-dried instant coffee.
- Check the current Gold Roast pack for its ingredients, preparation guidance and container before comparing it with a specified alternative.
Joybuy instant coffee options
These Joybuy products cover regular and decaffeinated instant coffee for a counter or lounge. Match each pack to turnover, its own preparation instructions and the venue’s container-handling rules.
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Kenco Smooth Coffee 100g
This 100g instant coffee is an option to assess for a lower-volume counter or second coffee line. Check the delivered pack’s preparation directions and container material before setting service and storage procedures.
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NESCAFÉ Classic Original Instant Coffee 190g, pack of 10
Ten 190g jars suit consideration where regular-coffee demand and storage space justify that quantity. Confirm the delivered pack’s serving instructions and the venue’s glass-handling procedure before putting jars into service.
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NESCAFÉ Original Decaf Coffee 300g
This 300g decaffeinated coffee is a separate menu option to consider where decaf demand supports the pack size. Keep it clearly distinguished from regular coffee, and check its preparation directions and packaging before use.
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NESCAFÉ Decaf (New Shape) 200g
This 200g decaffeinated option has a smaller stated pack weight than the 300g decaf product above. Check the current pack’s serving instructions and container against the site’s procedures, and label the decaf service position clearly.
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NESCAFÉ Gold Blend Coffee 190g
This 190g regular instant coffee is an option to assess against counter turnover. Check the delivered pack’s ingredients before relying on a composition specification, and confirm its serving directions and container-handling requirements.
Frequently asked questions
Can an airport food counter use a glass instant-coffee jar?
Check the venue’s glass-management procedure before using one at the beverage station. Food Standards Agency MyHACCP guidance advises keeping glass and other brittle materials out of work areas where possible, so permitted storage and handling arrangements matter.
How can staff make coffee consistently across shifts?
Use the preparation directions for the exact product and give staff a consistent measuring method. NESCAFÉ UK & IE specifies approximately 1.8g with 200ml hot water for Original, while Tesco specifies 1–2 teaspoons per cup for Gold; those instructions should not be treated as interchangeable.
When does a smaller jar make sense?
Consider a smaller jar when the coffee is a second menu option or demand is lower, then compare its stated servings with expected turnover. Sainsbury’s estimates approximately 55 cups from Carte Noire Classique 100g using its suggested 1.8g serving; a busy counter may need to replenish that size more often.
How should a counter offer decaf?
Choose a product explicitly labelled decaffeinated and distinguish it from regular coffee in storage, preparation and menu wording. NESCAFÉ UK & IE says most caffeine is removed from Original Decaf; decaffeinated does not mean the product should be described as caffeine-free.
What should staff check when storing and receiving jars?
Follow the delivered pack’s storage instructions and inspect its label and container against the approved product specification. The ASDA listing for Kenco Smooth 190g specifies a dark, dry place; storage directions for another product or pack should be checked separately.