Supermarket perk dubbed ‘middle-class therapy’ finally returns to all stores
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It’s a euphoric day for both Waitrose shoppers and caffeine lovers alike, as the bougiest supermarket of them all is set to allow shoppers to qualify for a free coffee without buying anything. Waitrose first introduced its free hot drink offer in 2014 – and customers quickly caught onto the fact that you didn’t necessarily need to buy anything inside the store to qualify.
But in 2017, all hell broke lose when it changed its terms to require members to buy at least something before getting their caffeine fix. And there was heartbreak once again when the pandemic hit, as the scheme was put on pause for two whole years. In 2022, it was reintroduced, but with the same terms that a purchase was necessary.
![[J2R135 A cup of free coffee at a Waitrose supermarket. UK. This cup is a mixture of paper and plastic and so is hard to recycle.]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/SEI_236922889-dc2d.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
From January 27 though, customers will be able to pour themselves a cup of Joe (or tea) without paying a penny for anything inside the store. Unless you’re on an emergency milk run, that is. Naturally, Waitrose fanatics are overjoyed at the news, as @harry_jrh argued that ‘going to Waitrose and getting a free coffee is a form of therapy.’.
![[Waitrose Supermarket Trolley Sign and Park.]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/GettyImages-1206927026.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
‘Can there be anything more full of middle-class tension than a queue at the free coffee machine, with a frisson of fear it might be broken?’ @PhilipGlanville reminisced, while @ruth_walshe joked that ‘moving north to south is discovering the joy of buying a 30p banana from Waitrose and getting a free coffee.’.
