Cafeology

A Message from Lord Pickles and Lord Blunkett, followed by Cafeology's best practice article

The ability to listen and learn from one another has always been vital in parliament, in business and in most aspects of daily life. But at this particular moment in time, as national and global events continue to reiterate, it is uncommonly crucial that we forge new channels of communication and reinforce existing ones. The following article from Cafeology is an attempt to do just that. We would welcome your thoughts on this or any other Parliamentary Review article.

Rt Hon The Lord David Blunkett

Rt Hon The Lord Eric Pickles

Cafeology.com

1CAFEOLOGY |

BEST PRACTICE REPRESENTATIVE

Founders Bryan Unkles and

Andy McClatchey

Branding is crucial for a

quality coffee offer

With a focus on quality and ethical sourcing, Cafeology

provide both equipment and ingredients to the out-

of-home market. Originally established in 2003, 80

per cent of their products are Fairtrade certified, and the rest are

purchased through the direct relationships that they have built

up with their suppliers. Beyond merely selling their products,

they endeavour to show the entire process, from growing the

coffee in Latin America to its sale in the UK. Bryan Unkles co-

founded the company and explains how they have grown and

what they have in store for the future.

We established the business in 2003 with a central focus on ethically sourced

products, and originally we were an entirely Fairtrade business. Having previously

worked in the industry for an Italian company, I was able to use my expertise to

help formally launch the business in 2004. As we have grown, we have developed

direct relationships with our coffee suppliers, some of whom are not Fairtrade

certified, but around 80 per cent of our products remain Fairtrade.

The business is roughly split in two: providing equipment sourced from Italy and

ingredients sourced primarily from Latin America. We are committed to the quality

of each of these product areas, and it is essential for the ingredients to mirror the

standard of the equipment to achieve the best result. We source the majority of

our coffee from Colombia, around 70 per cent, but we also work with farmers in El

Salvador, Costa Rica and Honduras. We have developed these relationships over a

number of years, gaining trust and consistency with our suppliers.

FACTS ABOUT

CAFEOLOGY

»Founders: Bryan Unkles and

Andy McClatchey

»Established in 2003

»Based in Sheffield

»Services: Out-of-home coffee

supplier

»No. of employees: 16

»Cafeology.com

Cafeology

THE PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW

Highlighting best practice

2| CAFEOLOGY

In order to gain these contacts, I

first visited Colombia 11 years ago.

Searching for a direct producer

partnership, I visited different farms.

I soon found Asoapia, a farm I really

liked with a great story, great-quality

produce and Fairtrade certification.

We committed to our first container

of coffee and have been working with

them ever since. Over this time, we

have built up a strong relationship.

To mark our ten-year anniversary, we

are paying for Francisco, our coffee

producer, to visit the UK and see how

his coffee is being marketed, as we are

the sole company to sell his coffee in

the country.

Developing our brand

When we started the business, we

imported coffee from the Italian

company that I had previously

worked for and used their roastery in

Groningen. As we were developing

our provision and looking to expand

into different channels, we felt we

were being held back by selling

somebody else’s brand, as well as

challenges with exchange rates. In

response to this, we developed a

brand for the out-of-home market.

Sheffield College was our first

account, and we achieved a major

breakthrough in 2006 when we

began to supply a large pub group

with sites across Britain. Initially, this

quantity was tough, but we adapted.

As we became more established, we

also took on one of the UK’s largest

contract caterers. In the last four

or five years, our growth has really

accelerated.

The strength of our business is based

on these direct relationships. We have

a very strong focus on people. Having

left school at 16, I left my hometown

of Sheffield to work on a building

site, living in a bedsit in the Midlands,

which taught me central values and

the importance of a strong work

ethic. We strive to drive the business

forward for the benefit of all our staff

and those we work with, from those

who grow the coffee to those who

deliver it. Presenting the story of our

products is also crucial, and we seek to

document the entire process from farm

to cup.

We are committed to sustainability and

have won a few awards in this area.

This includes the Guardian Sustainable

Business Award, and we were runner-

up in the European Business Awards

for the Environment in 2016/17.

Bryan working on the

African Drying Beds in

Costa Rica

Our principal producer

Francisco Herrera with

Bryan in Apia, Colombia

The strength

of our

business is

based on

these direct

relationships

“

3CAFEOLOGY |

BEST PRACTICE REPRESENTATIVE

The out-of-home market

As we are an independently owned

business with little presence on the

high street, we possess advantages

over other, similar companies.

Supplying Virgin Atlantic, for example,

is something that we are very well

placed to do. We are happy for our

bigger competitors, such as Costa and

Starbucks, to battle for control of the

high street, as we want to focus on our

ethical standards and the quality of our

product. Many companies like ours have

been acquired by bigger companies,

Coca-Cola buying Costa for instance,

and this presents challenges. As part

of a much larger organisation, these

businesses are able to access far more

disposable income, whereas we have

to adopt a more targeted approach.

Brexit may well affect us, but, instead

of dwelling on the negatives, we are

searching for the positives. The major

issue we will face will be importing

our coffee. Although the source

is outside of Europe, it still usually

requires clearance in Germany or the

Netherlands; if this has to be repeated

again at Dover, it will significantly

slow down our process. Additionally,

our hot chocolate is manufactured in

Germany, so our supply chain is liable

to post-Brexit complications.

Continuing our growth

The university sector is very important

to us, and we are targeting this area

for further expansion. We already work

with a number of leading universities

throughout the country and feel that

this sector can be developed further,

as we want to share the journey and

ethics behind our coffees. Beyond

the commercial aspect, we are also

committed to showing the story of

our process to these students; when

Francisco comes to visit, they will have

the opportunity to meet the person

responsible for growing the coffee

they drink.

Momentum is with us, but we remain

grounded. It is not our desire to become

the biggest but simply to be the best.

Central to this is supporting our staff,

and the whole Cafeology family, and

we strive to be a very inclusive business.

We are looking to innovate and keep

our ideas fresh. If we achieve this, I

anticipate we will match our growth

this year. We believe our greatest asset

is our team and our producer partners

in the field: putting people first is our

absolute priority. Having achieved

ISO 9001:2015 accreditation, we are

confident that we can manage any size

of client. We have also started roasting

our own coffee, something we began

two and a half years ago. This has

completed the process, and we can

now tell the entire story of production

from farm to cup.

Momentum is

with us, but

we remain

grounded

“

A patio in El Salvador

showing the natural

drying process

Our brand new Eco-

Roastery in Sheffield

Cafeology.com

This article was sponsored by Cafeology. The Parliamentary Review is wholly funded by the representatives who write for it. The publication in which this article originally appeared contained the following foreword from Rt Hon Michael Gove.

Rt Hon Michael Gove's Foreword For The Parliamentary Review

By Rt Hon Michael Gove

This year's Parliamentary Review comes at a momentous time for parliament, as we collectively determine the destiny of the United Kingdom.

On October 31, the UK will leave the European Union. The successful implementation of this process is this government's number-one priority.

Three years after a historic referendum vote, we will deliver on the decisive mandate from the British people. Trust in our democracy depends on it. Until that final hour, we will work determinedly and diligently to negotiate a deal, one that abolishes the backstop and upholds the warm and close relationship we share with our friends, allies and neighbours in the EU. But in the event that the EU refuses to meet us at the table, we must be prepared to leave without a deal.

As the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, it is my job to lead on this government's approach, should that scenario happen. Preparing for Brexit is my department's driving mission. But while I am leading this turbocharged effort, the whole of government is committed to this endeavour.

Ministers across Whitehall are working together to ensure that every possibility is considered, every plan is scrutinised and every provision is made. A daily drumbeat of meetings means that we are holding departments accountable, so that preparations are completed on time.

The chancellor has confirmed that all necessary funding will be made available. And we have mobilised thecivil service, assigning 15,000 of our most talented civil servants to manage our exit from the EU.

We will make sure that on November 1, there is as little disruption to national life as possible. Our trade relationships will continue to thrive, thanks to agreements with countries around the world worth £70 billion. Our country will remain secure, thanks to nearly 1,000 new officers posted at our borders. And the 3.2 million EU nationals now living and working among us can remain confident, with absolute certainty, of their right to remain in the UK.

Above all, our goal is to be transparent. Soon, we will launch a public information campaign so that citizens, communities and businesses are ready and reassured about what will happen in the event of “no deal”.

In my first few weeks in this role, I have travelled to ports and tarmacs, borders and bridges, all across the UK –from the seaside of Dover to the rolling green hills of County Armagh. I have heard from business owners and border officials, farmers and hauliers. They are ready to put an end to uncertainty. And they are ready to embrace the opportunities ahead.

Our departure from the EU will be a once in a lifetime chance to chart a new course for the United Kingdom. Preparing for that new course will be a herculean effort. But this country has made astounding efforts before. We can do it again.

Rt Hon Michael Gove
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster