Photo 1: Maxim's Group and 7-Eleven collaborate to transform coffee grounds into Upcycled Coffee BOB beer.

Maxim's Group (Maxim’s) is excited to announce a pioneering collaboration with 7-Eleven, featuring the introduction of the innovative canned “Coffee BOB”, a craft beer made from upcycled coffee grounds collected from daily operations at 7CAFÉ. This partnership leverages 7-Eleven's extensive retail network to promote sustainable practices like waste reduction and upcycling to a wider audience.

BOB, short for "Bottle of Bread," marks a significant milestone on Maxim's journey to fostering a circular economy. The craft beer series uses surplus bread and crusts from Maxim's facilities to replace all the barley typically used in brewing. To date, BOB has upcycled 3.5 tons of surplus bread and 300 kg of coffee grounds, creating variants like the pale ale “Original BOB” and the coffee-infused stout "Coffee BOB".

BOB has garnered multiple prestigious international accolades for both its quality and design, including Gold Medals at the Asia Beer Challenge 2023 (Original BOB and Coffee BOB), Bronze Awards at the World Beer Awards (Original BOB and Coffee BOB), and a Bronze Certificate at the Hong Kong International Beer Awards (Pale Ale). Additionally, BOB was honoured as “Best of the Best” at the Hong Kong Designers Association Brand Design Awards 2024 and received the esteemed iF DESIGN AWARD 2024 in Germany for Advertising / Campaigns / Communication. These honors underscore the exceptional standards of Hong Kong craft beer and have sparked positive industry feedback.

In this collaboration, Maxim's ingeniously repurposes surplus bread from its facilities and coffee grounds from 7CAFÉ's daily operations to craft the new canned Coffee BOB, using the same award- winning recipe. This initiative not only ensures top-tier quality and design but also imbues the beer with the distinct flavor essence of 7CAFÉ.

The new canned coffee beer will initially be available at 70 selected 7-Eleven stores throughout with plans to expand distribution to nearly 800 stores in Hong Kong and Macau. Ms. Lin Min-chen will continue as the spokesperson for BOB and yuu members will enjoy an exclusive offer to redeem a can of Coffee BOB for just 2,200 points plus HK$5, a 66% discount, limited to 10,000 redemptions. Maxim’s and 7-Eleven aim to broaden the audience's exposure to and appreciation of BOB through integrated online and offline marketing strategies and shopping incentives.

Mr. Keith Siu, Chief Operating Officer (Hong Kong and Macau) of Maxim's Group, highlighted the shared values and objectives in circular economy practices that brought these two leading brands together. “This partnership sets a precedent for cross-sector collaboration and paves the way for more sustainable initiatives in the industry." said Mr. Siu.

Photo 2: Launch of canned Coffee BOB by Mr. Keith Siu, Chief Operating Officer (Hong Kong and Macau) of
Maxim’s Group (left), Mr. Alex Liu, Managing Director of 7-Eleven Hong Kong and Macau (right), and Ms. Lin Min-chen, spokesperson for BOB (center).

Mr. Alex Liu, Managing Director of 7-Eleven HK & Macau, DFI Retail Group, commended the collaborative initiative for its innovative and sustainable contribution to environmental sustainability. “Our shared vision for sustainable development brought us together for this collaboration, expanding our ‘Grounds to Green’ project with the introduction of the new canned Coffee BOB, further promoting environmental protection and a sustainable lifestyle,” remarked Mr. Liu.

Maxim's Group continues to champion sustainable practices through its various initiatives, including the WeGen farming regenerative agriculture project and its efforts to convert pre-consumer food waste into premium products.

As part of its ongoing commitment to sustainability, 7-Eleven’s “Grounds to Green Coffee Grounds Upcycling Program" has been repurposing coffee grounds from 7CAFÉ into fertilizers for local charity organic farms since early July, helping cultivate fresh vegetables for community meals benefiting 10 locall charities. The project's next phase intorduces the BOB canned coffee craft beer, further repurposing used coffee grounds into new products. This initiative promotes food waste recycling and raises environmental awareness, underscoring collaborative efforts to promote the "food wise" message.