Tesco ready to supersize Harris + Hoole

As Peach Report has reported, Tesco has a 49% stake in Harris + Hoole, which it developed in association with artisan coffee chain Taylor St last summer. It has since been rolled out on a number of standalone sites, but Tesco has drawn criticism for disguising its involvement in what has been presented as an independent concept. Tesco, though, has firmly insisted it is a hands-off investor, while Taylor St says it has welcomed the retail giant’s support.

Its plans to fold branches of Harris + Hoole into its supermarkets is not likely to placate critics. The first combined site will be at Tesco’s new concept store on Tooley Street near London Bridge—a place where it has previously trialled new ideas. If the coffee shop proves popular, it seems inevitable that Tesco will take it elsewhere. When asked by the Guardian, Tesco declined to comment on its roll-out plans for Harris + Hoole.