US-based company Marley Coffee is looking to increase its distribution and product lines in the UK and Europe in 2014.

According to the company, it recently expanded its sub-licensing agreement with its UK distributor Marley Coffee UK, to take a more active role with countries outside the UK and Ireland, while reinvesting in building the brand within the UK.

The company provides artisan roasted coffee to the grocery, retail, online, service, hospitality, office coffee service and big box store industry.

In a statement, Guy Wilmot, general manager of Marley Coffee UK, said the objective for 2014 was to expand product lines significantly to match those of the US in order to “enter into new business verticals such as food service and OCS”.

He said: “Marley Coffee UK has followed the US in many ways from a strategic development standpoint. For the last two years, we’ve tested and proved that Marley Coffee is a viable brand that consumers can identify with across several different European countries.

“We are extremely excited for the additional support that’s being committed to us in 2014.”

The business said its main UK goals during 2014 would be to enter into the hotel, restaurant and foodservice business, focus on expanding its retail grocery footprint, be present at European trade shows, as well as introduce its single-serve RealCups into the European marketplace as it sees the trend for American-style filtered coffee increasing.

The company added that it was developing a Nespresso compatible product line to be launched this year.

Brent Toevs, CEO of Marley Coffee, said: “A year-and-a-half ago we were authorised in about 500 points of distribution and today we’re authorised in over 8,000 retail stores.

“We believe the UK is right at that tipping point. They’ve shown that people are gravitating toward the brand, so it’s time for us to reinvest our efforts into this market.”