Waitrose issues customer notice on free coffee machines

The two coffee dispensers at the Botley Road Waitrose have been out of order for about a week, leaving some customers disappointed they can no longer access their free cappuccino or flat white using their Waitrose card.

According to staff, the store is waiting for an engineer to source parts for the coffee machine, which is positioned close to the store’s entrance.

READ MORE: Waitrose supermarkets reopen after ‘critical error’

The customer notice says: “Sorry, we are unable to serve hot drinks at the moment because our coffee machine is out of order.

“Please ask a partner (member of staff) if you require assistance.”

The broken coffee machines at Waitrose Botley Road store (Image: Andy Ffrench)

The issue is not a universal problem – coffee machines at other Waitrose stores including the one in Abingdon are working well.

A member of staff at the Botley Road store said he did not know how long it would be before the machines was fixed.

One anonymous customer, who works nearby, said: “This is definitely a first world problem but the Waitrose coffee is decent and I need a cup first thing.”

The Waitrose chain, owned by the John Lewis Partnership, restored its free coffee offer in January 2025.

A customer notice about the coffee machines (Image: Andy Ffrench)

Following outrage over the withdrawal of the offer during the pandemic, the company told the nine million members on its My Waitrose loyalty scheme they would again be entitled to a complementary americano, cappuccino, latte or tea once a day regardless of whether they bought anything – as long as they have their own reusable cup.

In a statement, Waitrose said at the time: “Some of our My Waitrose members like to have the free coffee before they shop or during the shop, rather than afterwards, so we are just offering a bit of flexibility in response to customer feedback.”

The Botley Road Waitrose has an in-store cafe but it is not possible to access a free coffee using the scheme at the cafe.

Waitrose in Botley Road Oxford (Image: Andy Ffrench)

There were queues at coffee stations and complaints from customers that the offer was attracting the “wrong type of shopper” when Waitrose introduced the perk in 2013.

In 2017, it cracked down on ‘freeloaders’ by forcing members to buy something before pouring themselves a free hot drink.

The scheme was scrapped during the Covid crisis, but reintroduced in November 2022 – again for customers making a purchases. This is no longer a requirement.

A jar of Waitrose coffee and a disposable cup (Image: Andy Ffrench)

The free coffee offer is seen by some industry insiders as a way of building customer loyalty in the face of fierce competition from rivals M&S, which has been building a series of new foodhalls, including one in Abingdon.

A spokesperson for the John Lewis Partnership said: “We are sorry that the free hot drink offer is currently unavailable due to a fault with the coffee machine.

“We are working to fix it it as quickly as possible and apologise for the inconvenience.”