BP TOUTS ITS ADVANCES IN ‘FRESHLY PREPARED FOOD OPTIONS’

BP stores around the world are expanding the range of food and drinks available to customers—from customizable sandwiches to new, private-brand snacks, the company said in a post on its website.

“Customers tell us they want tasty and freshly prepared food options on the go,” said Tracey Clements, SVP of mobility and convenience, Europe.

“We are constantly listening to give them what they want, when and where they want it, as we develop exciting, new menu options at our stores.”

According to the post, menus at BP stores are developed with local tastes in mind. In the U.K., that means made-to-order hot sandwiches and toasties, like the big breakfast bap (bread roll) with sausage, bacon, egg and Gouda cheese, and the avocado, halloumi and egg bap with gochujang-style ketchup.

Meanwhile, at BP stores in the United States—which include ampm, Thorntons and TravelCenters of America—customers have been able to pick up drinks like the Dirty Horchata, a mix of horchata and coffee in a frozen slush with a light cinnamon flavor.

According to BP, the drink launched at ampm stores for the summer season last year and ended up selling five times the anticipated volume.

Smash burgers drove an increase in burger sales after they replaced the previous burger selection on the menu at TravelCenters of America in 2023.

“The U.S. is such a big market, with big differences in how people shop based on their location,” said Greg Franks, SVP of mobility & convenience, Americas.

“Our aim is to give them the food they love and take advantage of our scale and worldwide expertise to expand our food offer even further.”

Among U.S. highlights, the company said to watch for fresh pizza made onsite at Thorntons and an LTO international menu coming to TravelCenters of America, including chicken tikka masala.

Two stores testing the new freshly made menu in the U.K. saw double-digit growth in cafe food sales.

And in Poland, an expanded burger selection drove an increase in sales of 17% above plan in the first 10 weeks alone.

“We expect drivers to spend more time at our sites as the need for EV charging becomes more widespread.

Our convenience retail offer enhances our fuel and EV charging offers and it is also, for many people, the only reason they visit a BP store,” said Clements.

“In the U.K., more than 50% of our transactions are now shop only, while in Germany, that figure is approximately 25%.”

In the coming years, BP said it aims to continue developing exclusive food and drink offers.

Convenience is one of BP’s five transition growth engines, along with bioenergy, EV charging, renewables and power and hydrogen.

In February, BP unveiled U.S. offerings to “transform the consumer experience.”

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