Starbucks To Create 5,000 British Jobs

Starbucks plans to create up to 5,000 jobs over the next five years as it expands its drive-through business in the UK.

The coffee chain, which has nearly 9,000 company-owned stores and 8,000 licensed outlets in more than 50 countries, wants to expand the number of UK drive-through branches from nine to 200.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg called it "a bit of really good news in an otherwise gloomy week".

He said the announcement was particularly significant because the bulk of the new jobs would go to young people and those in the north of England and the Midlands - areas he described as "over-reliant on handouts from Whitehall and jobs in the public sector".

Mr Clegg visited staff at the Chiswick Park branch in west London to congratulate the company.

It was also welcomed by Prime Minister David Cameron , who said it was a "great boost to the British economy".

Last month UK unemployment rose to 2.62m and the number of jobless 16 to 24-year-olds rose to record levels.

Official forecasts suggest the unemployment rate could hit 8.7% next year.

Kris Engskov, managing director of Starbucks UK & Ireland, confirmed the expansion plans would particularly benefit young jobseekers as half the chain's baristas are under 24 years old.

Around half of the drive-throughs will be operated under licence by petrol forecourt retailer Euro Garages, while the remaining stores will be company owned.

Starbucks has expanded into different marketplaces in the UK, including trains, planes, supermarkets and workplaces, and last year it opened 35 motorway stores with Welcome Break.