CBD
coffee, anyone?
A chain of cafés across London and Essex has become one of the first in the country to offer a shot of CBD with their hot and cold drinks in some of their locations. GROWING INTEREST The growing Coffee Station group has 20 cafés situated at stations where they primarily serve commuters but also, where possible, passers-by and locals. The cafés offer quick service and serve handcrafted coffee and snacks. CBD is an on-trend health supplement which is growing in popularity. Well established as a food supplement which can help to maintain a healthy lifestyle, the benefits of CBD are being enjoyed by increasing numbers of people. Queen’s Park Coffee Station took the innovative step of introducing the CBD shots just before Christmas. The product was so successful they are now trialling it in two other locations, Pinner and Royal Victoria. “The CBD shots took off straight away in our Queen’s Park branch which serves both Kilburn and Maida Vale,” says Coffee Station’s Christo Manunta. “It became a talking point with our customers, some of whom 34 CAFÉ LIFE | THECAFELIFE.CO.UK
were knowledgeable about CBD and others who were curious about it. Many were keen to give it a go, and now we have plenty of customers who have a daily shot in their coffee of choice. The obvious next step is to trial it in our other branches, and we are looking forward to seeing this take-off across the chain.” The CBD is delivered a shot at a time from a pump, and has been introduced by CBD One, a UK-based wellness company dedicated to the supply of high quality, 100% legal CBD products. A family company owned and run by brothers, Alex and Nick Tofalos, it was launched after they became acquainted with the possibilities that CBD and cannabis offered during their brother Deno’s battle with Multiple Sclerosis, the duo spending many years researching and sourcing the very best hemp for therapeutic purposes (CBD One has ISO 22000 manufacturing accreditation, whilst all products have Validated Applications with the Novel Foods certification where required).
SPECIALLY FORMULATED Unlike traditional CBD oil that doesn’t mix with other liquids, claim CBD One, their ‘One Shot’ product is a unique, specially formulated, water-soluble emulsion that can be added to both hot and cold beverages to turn a standard drink into a CBD beverage. It presents the CBD in an ‘active’ state which means that it can be far easier absorbed into the bloodstream making it more effective than placing oil under the tongue. “Our customers particularly enjoy a CBD shot in the morning to set them up for the day, but we take orders throughout the day,” says Christo Manunta. “People just choose their usual favourite coffee or other drink, and we add a shot to it. It’s as simple as that. It’s certainly a point of difference and brings customers through the door as we are offering something really original.”
