Who\u2019s buying Blue Bottle Coffee?<\/p>\n
China-based Centurium Capital has been confirmed as the new owner of Blue Bottle Coffee, confirming what many in the industry had suspected since early March<\/a> \u2013 it seems Big Food\u2019s secrets are becoming harder to keep.<\/p>\n Having said that, the purchase amount remains under wraps, with a Nestl\u00e9 spokesperson saying that \u201cno financial details of this transaction are being disclosed\u201d. Though it\u2019s thought to be less than the $425m (\u20ac362m) the Swiss multinational paid less than a decade ago. And we suspect the figure will come out eventually.<\/p>\n The deal includes Blue Bottle Coffee\u2019s caf\u00e9s and CPG business, though Nestl\u00e9 retains the rights to its single-serve Nespresso pods. This is an interesting detail as it implies the business can see the value in the brand name, but not the trappings of the retail footprint and product portfolio.<\/p>\n The deal is expected to close in the first half of 2026.<\/p>\n Nestl\u00e9 is synonymous with coffee. It\u2019s home to some of the biggest coffee brands in the world \u2013 Nespresso and Nescaf\u00e9 \u2013 and has made it one of the Four Pillars<\/a> of the business.<\/p>\n So why is it selling off Blue Bottle Coffee? And why now?<\/p>\n The answer is actually pretty simple. Blue Bottle Coffee doesn\u2019t fit within Nestl\u00e9\u2019s coffee strategy.<\/p>\n The food and beverage giant is sharpening its focus on scalable, high-margin coffee formats \u2013 pods, instant, and ready-to-drink. By contrast, Blue Bottle Coffee\u2019s caf\u00e9-heavy, operationally complex model pulls in the opposite direction \u2013 capital-intensive, labour-heavy and exposed to volatile urban real estate and footfall trends.<\/p>\n On top of this, the cost-of-living crisis means consumer spending remains volatile, premium caf\u00e9 concepts are struggling, and Big Food is under increasing scrutiny to justify where it allocates capital.<\/p>\n In other words, retaining the Nespresso-compatible pods while divesting the rest allows Nestl\u00e9 to benefit from the brand without covering high operational costs.<\/p>\n![\"Espresso](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/5LYTTVG3DJFANLM5A2CFK3SYDI.jpg\")
Nestl\u00e9 is selling Blue Bottle Coffee caf\u00e9s and CPG business, but will retain the rights to its single-serve Nespresso pods. (Image: Getty\/lenta)Why Nestl\u00e9 and Blue Bottle Coffee failed<\/p>\n