It’s best practise to always be on the look out for smart and imaginative ways to promote your business. These national holidays, awareness days, coffee-related and food and drink-related days are the perfect opportunity for your business to get involved and more importantly, get selling!
Be as creative as possible when it comes to planning events, you’ll still be competing against other coffee shops remember! There are a few safe bets, such as Chocolate Cake Day, UK Coffee Week and Macmillan’s, World’s Biggest Coffee Morning. However, every coffee shop in the country is likely to be planning an event for these dates! Think outside the box. Perhaps, for National Storytelling Week, you host a book reading session with a popular and or local author. This may take longer to organise, but it will set your coffee shop apart from the competition and drive non-prospective customers to your store in the process. The more frequently you tap into mainstream and niche moments in people’s lives, the greater the potential for growth and profit.
It’s worth remembering that, depending on the scale of the season or special day, you’ll want to be planning your promotions, campaigns and speciality coffees a good couple of months in advance.
No time to waste! Let’s get started.
| December 2019 | Christmas – use as much of the month as you want! |
| December 14th | Christmas Jumper Day – fundraising day for Save the Children |
| December 15th | International Tea Day |
| December 24th | Christmas Eve |
| December 25th | Christmas Day |
| December 31st | New Year’s Eve |
| 2020 | |
| January 1st | New Year’s Day |
| January 1st - 31st | Veganuary |
| January 25th | Burn’s Night |
| January 25th | Chinese New Year |
| January 27th | Chocolate Cake Day |
| Feb 1st - Feb 8th | National Storytelling Week – could your coffee shop be a suitable venue? |
| February 14th | St Valentine’s Day |
| Feb 22rd – Mar 1st | Real Bread Week |
| Feb 24th – Mar 8th | Fair Trade Fortnight – promote your Fairtrade coffee, tea and more |
| February 25th | Shrove Tuesday & Pancake Day |
| March 1st | St David’s Day |
| March 1st – 8th | Time for a Cuppa – Dementia UK fundraising week |
| March 2nd - 8th | British Pie Week |
| March 7th | Plant Power Day - promote those plant based meals! |
| March 15th | Red Nose Day / Comic Relief |
| March 17th | St Patrick’s Day |
| March 20th | Spring Equinox |
| March 20th | International Day of Happiness |
| March 22nd | Mother's Day |
| March 29th | British Summer Time begins – caffeine might compensate for that hour lost |
| April 1st | April Fool’s Day |
| April 2nd - 5th | The London Coffee Festival, The Truman Brewery |
| April 3rd | National Walk to Work Day (who doesn’t need a coffee on their way to work?) |
| April 7th | World Health Day |
| April 10th | National Siblings Day (get brothers and sisters together for a catch-up coffee) |
| April 10th | Good Friday |
| April 12th | Easter Sunday |
| April 13th | Easter Monday |
| April 21st | National Tea Day |
| April 23rd | St George’s Day |
| April 26th | The London Marathon |
| April 27th – May 3rd | UK Coffee Week - 10th Anniversary of the campaign! |
| May 4th | May Day bank holiday |
| May 9th | World Fairtrade Day |
| May 13th – 19th | National Vegetarian Week |
| May 14th | National Biscuit Day |
| May 19th – 20th | European Coffee, Yea & Soft Drinks Expo, London's Olympia |
| May 25th | Spring bank holiday |
| June 1st | World Milk Day |
| June 5th | World Environment Day – no better day to promote your reusable coffee cups |
| June 5th | National Fish & Chips Day |
| June 7th – 9th | Birmingham Coffee Festival, Custard Factory, Birmingham |
| June 8th | National Best Friends Day - perfect reason to go out for a coffee! |
| June 13th | Queen Elizabeth II’s Official Birthday |
| June 15th | National Beer Day / Beer Day Britain |
| June 18th | Cupcake Day – fundraising for Alzheimer’s Society |
| June 18th | National Freelancers Day – they’ll be looking for somewhere to meet… |
| June 19th - 21st | The Great Get Together – could your coffee shop be the right venue? |
| June 21st | Father's Day - offer a reduced price for fathers with family? |
| June 26th | National Cream Tea Day |
| July 7th | World Chocolate Day |
| July 30th | International Friendship Day (communal coffee time, we think) |
| August 1st – 7th | World Breastfeeding Week – make your coffee shop a safe space for mums |
| August 22nd | World Plant Milk Day – perfect for promoting those alternative milks |
| August 31st | August/Summer Bank Holiday |
| September 6th – 8th | Speciality & Fine Food Fair, Olympia, London |
| September 8th - 9th | Coffee Shop Innovation Expo, ExCeL, London |
| September 8th - 9th | International Drink Expo, ExCel London |
| September 11th - 20th | Heritage Open Days – publicise and support free local historical building visits |
| September 13th | International Chocolate Day |
| Sept 19th – Oct 4th | British Food Fortnight |
| September 25th | World’s Biggest Coffee Morning |
| October 1st | International Coffee Day |
| October 1st | World Vegetarian Day |
| October 2nd - 3rd | The Caffe Culture Show, Business Design Centre, London |
| October 4th | National Grandparents Day |
| October 13th | The Great British Tea Festival, The Roundhouse, Derby |
| October 16th | World Food Day |
| October 31st | Halloween |
| November 1st | World Vegan Day – and the entire month is World Vegan Month |
| November 3rd | National Sandwich Day |
| November 5th | Guy Fawkes’ Night / Bonfire Night |
| November 8th | Armistice Day / Remembrance Sunday |
| November 26th | World Cake Day - promote those cakes! |
| November 30th | St Andrew’s Day |
| December 1st | Tree Dressing Day |
| December 14th | Christmas Jumper Day – fundraising day for Save the Children |
| December 15th | International Tea Day |
| December 24th | Christmas Eve |
| December 25th | Christmas Day |
| December 31st | New Year’s Eve |
You can download an Excel version of the 2020 calendar by clicking here.
Now, begin formulating your events. Remember, marketing comes down to imagination. Good luck!
Are we missing any important dates or events? Contact us with your suggestions.