Leon to axe coffee subscription scheme as it enters new chapter

Leon is to scrap its £25 a month coffee subscription scheme after less than two years as part of an overhaul of the business by co-founder John Vincent.

The Roast Rewards scheme launched in May last year and offers subscribers five barista-made drinks a day and 20% off food for £25 a month.

But it will end on 31 December, with all current subscribers receiving a gift of Leon Club loyalty points instead.

It forms part of a wider plan by Vincent to revitalise the 71-site business he bought back from Asda last month, four years after selling it to the billionaire Issa brothers for a reported £100m.

Vincent said: “I want to bring Leon back to its original purpose and remove all the parts that don’t feel like Leon anymore. For me, that means getting back to serving food and coffee that’s good for you, good for our teams and good for the planet. Coffee is a big part of that, but the subscription has driven a level of volume our teams are struggling to keep up with. It’s affected their day-to-day, and it’s affected your experience too.

“We will return to the famous Leon welcome, the shorter waits, and the feeling that we have time for you. Ending Roast Rewards allows us to put our attention where it needs to be - which is putting quality back at the heart of the business and becoming pioneers on the high street again.”

Vincent, who co-founded Leon in 2004 with healthy food campaigner Henry Dimbleby and chef Allegra McEvedy, admitted the chain had lost its “leadership in food” under its previous ownership.

He has launched a new 108 initiative designed to “bring harmony back to everything we do”.

This will see the return of baristas undergoing Wing Tsun training, an ancient martial arts course Vincent previously rolled out across the business. Leon said this made coffee preparation fasted and less stressful, cutting 30 seconds off the time to make six perfect coffees.

The group will also reinvest in coffee innovation and plans to launch several functional coffees, which include ingredients with added health benefits, in 2026.

While Leon was originally billed as a ‘healthy fast food’ chain, it has recently faced criticism for moving away from its founding ethos to serve higher-calorie menu items such as chicken nuggets and cookies. 

Vincent, who was awarded an MBE in 2015 for his work to improve nutrition in schools, has said he plans to overhaul the menu and stop Leon using royalty-free music.