Why the Best Value Isn’t Always the Cheapest Price: A 40% Growth Case Study
In hospitality, price is always part of the conversation. But as one of the UK’s leading conference venues has proven, value for money doesn’t always mean choosing the cheapest option.
Wyboston Lakes, a 380-acre hotel, conference and training resort in Bedfordshire, has worked with Paddy & Scott’s for nearly ten years. In that time, they’ve won multiple industry awards, built an outstanding reputation and most recently, achieved over 40% growth in sales, even while deliberately turning business away.
So how did they do it?
Coffee as part of the experience, not an afterthought
As CEO Steve Jones explains, around 80% of the reason guests choose Wyboston Lakes has nothing to do with the bedroom. It’s about meetings, collaboration, brand experience and the social moments in between.
And today, those moments often revolve around coffee.
“We all live in coffee shops now,” Steve says. “Less and less of formal offices. So creating an environment where people feel comfortable really gets into the psyche of our guests.”
Bad coffee, flasks that taste like tea, long waits after a two-hour drive... Immediately undermines that experience. Getting coffee right, on the other hand, quietly elevates everything else.
Choosing partnership over price
When Wyboston Lakes reviewed their coffee offering, they weren’t looking for “some brown liquid in a cup”. They were looking for a partner who understood brand, sustainability and guest experience.
Paddy & Scott’s was more expensive than the incumbent supplier. Price was discussed openly. It was a conscious investment.
“At a time when everyone was under margin pressure, we chose to invest and spend a little bit more,” Steve explains. “Value for money isn’t always the cheapest price. It’s whether you’re getting everything else you want out of it.”
That “everything else” included:
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Consistently great coffee
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A brand guests could feel and connect with
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Coffee that gives back, from meals for children through Lunch Box Coffee to tree planting through Earth Coffee
Doing the right thing, even when no one’s looking
One of the most powerful insights from the case study is that many of the biggest wins are invisible. Letting guests grab a great coffee as soon as they arrive. Creating a relaxed, café-style atmosphere. Making sustainability part of the everyday, not a marketing bolt-on.
“It’s part of our DNA,” Steve says. “Are we doing the right thing when no one’s looking?”
That mindset extends beyond coffee. Wyboston Lakes has deliberately turned away between £1.5–£2 million in annual revenue to protect the guest experience and still achieved significant growth.
The result: growth built on value
By aligning their coffee offering with their brand values and guest expectations, Wyboston Lakes has shown that:
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Investment can outperform cost-cutting
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Brand experience directly impacts commercial results
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Coffee, done properly, is a strategic asset
Growing sales by over 40% wasn’t about chasing volume or squeezing suppliers. It was about choosing partners, products and values that reinforced the bigger picture.
Because sometimes, the smartest commercial decision isn’t spending less, it’s investing better.