Reimagining the office cafe at Camden Council

Camden Council needed to reconnect staff to the office and their teams, but they were very conscious that flexible working and the increase in living costs made time challenging for staff. The wanted a solution that would be inclusive, sustainable and flexible to their changing needs.

The London Borough of Camden is an inner London local authority that provides a range of council services for over 200,000 local residents, 37,000 businesses and millions of tourists annually.  It has about 4000 staff in total.  Camden’s main office building at 5 Pancras Square, where the new self-service café is based, has won awards for its sustainability and design. In the local area, staff have to pay a premium for food and drink outside the office.

Coffee was a must-have, but they wanted to ensure staff were able to get this at a reasonable price point. The previously manned café meant prices were high and Camden Council wanted to offer their staff better value whilst not compromising on quality or availability.

Camden Council wanted a framework that provided an immersive customer offer, with coffee at the heart of it.  It had to have something for breakfast, lunch and snacks at competitive prices to supermarkets.

Selecta worked with Camden Council to design a bespoke space, with the same look and feel as their modern building. They incorporated important features such as disabled access stations to ensure the solution was accessible to everyone.  The space was also designed to allow room to grow as more staff return to the office.

Sustainability was important to Camden Council and so they chose Pelican Rouge as their coffee solution.  The fully sustainable coffee not only tastes like a premium brand but has a price point that offers staff great value compared to the premium prices in the local area. 

With diversity and inclusion high on the council’s agenda, a dedicated oat milk coffee machine and a modern range of meals including Halal and plant-based meant that a range of dietary requirements could be accommodated in the same space.

Selecta’s installation team worked closely with Camden Council’s own facilities team.  Ahead of the install a temporary coffee machine was installed, giving staff the chance to try out the coffee first, and drive interest in the new concept.  It also allowed the facilities team the chance to be trained on the management of the coffee machine, so they knew how to keep running at its best.

After installation, the council’s staff now have access to a much fresher and more diverse range of food and drink than they would have had from traditional vending machines.