Modern Office Refreshments: Camden Council

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. Their old cafe area wasn't working for them anymore and 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.