The transcending nature of the coffee market is reflected in the diversity of the UK coffee culture scene. With that in mind, whether you’re in the beginnings of a new venture or in the midst of a decades-old operation, staying on top of coffee trends and providing your customers with top quality tasting coffee is paramount.

That being said, you still need to choose the right coffee supplier to fit in with your ethos, brand and customer base. Therefore, we wanted to highlight some of the reasons why we think we’re a professional, reliable and ideal coffee supplier.

1. Coffee Supplier Reputation

A level of trust and transparency is required in any relationship. That’s why you should choose a coffee supplier with credibility. Credibility can be obtained in the form of customer reviews, case studies and recognition through awards.

Lincoln & York now have over 25 years experience in the coffee industry, beginning life as a small start-up out of a garden shed. Since then, our coffee company has gone on to gain international recognition, supplying coffee to over 250 customers in 10 countries.

As a coffee supplier, what you produce and how you deliver it is paramount your reputation. The fact that we produce enough coffee each day to fill 1.5 million cups in the UK OOH sector alone speaks volumes.

In terms of credibility, we can boast an AA BRC accreditation and have been lucky enough to be the recipients of some great awards. 

2. Coffee Supplier Expertise

You should be confident in your coffee supplier. Ensuring they back up their claims is part of responsible research. A coffee supplier should also be reliable and approachable, should you have any questions regarding their operation, offerings or facilities.

That being said, Lincoln & York boast a wealth of experience and expertise. With over 80 staff employed across all levels at our impressive coffee roasting facility in Lincolnshire, we are one of the UK’s largest coffee manufacturing operations. We boast 6 Brambati drum roasters, 14 packing lines across 2 roasting facilities.

We show further expertise and willingness through attending events such as the London Coffee Festival where we can not only share our products but learn from others too. 

3. Coffee Supplier Knowledge

In an ever evolving industry, it’s important that your coffee supplier keeps its fingers on the pulse regarding all things coffee. From the origin, through to the blending, roasting and packing, it’s important that each aspect is fully understood and appreciated.

As well making regular trips to origin to source coffee, Lincoln & York have a team of knowledgeable blenders, brilliant baristas and exceptional Q-graders (tasting over 200 cups of coffee each day) to assist and bolster the team’s and customer’s understanding of coffee. A coffee’s flavour profile is one of its unique selling points, so it's important to be able to understand the ‘how’ and ‘why’ it has certain flavours, as well as identify them.

Each stage is crucial in giving customers a thorough understanding of the product. This knowledge is passed on to our customers, so they can educate their customers through their own marketing and advertising. We also provide a free blog subscription, allowing others to access and absorb our in-house knowledge.

4. Choose A Coffee Supplier That Suits Your Brand

Whilst you will no doubt be looking at your margins, choosing a coffee supplier should be based on more than just profits. You need to consider the overall quality of the product and service, as well as the sort of organisation you want to be associated with and work with.

Lincoln & York work with a range of customers across many sectors, at differing sizes and levels of business. Some of this is down to the variety of coffee we source from around the world, some of it is down to the quality of the coffee itself and the processes from bean to cup.

Other customers are attracted to aspects such as company commitments to a greener coffee future through relationships with the likes of World Coffee Research, local and wider community projects and the ability to be discreet in a private label operation. Other affiliations with the likes of Rainforest Alliance also strengthen our brand ethos.  

5. Coffee Supplier Reliability

If coffee is your business, you need to be confident that you can access a regular supply, as well as rely on your coffee supplier to support you in time of need. Be this through reassurances or updates of information regarding the coffee market, your coffee supplier should be your coffee partner.

The fact that Lincoln & York have existed for over 25 years, with a lot of customers showing loyalty and longevity, reveals the business is reliable and sustainable.

In the event of any unforeseen circumstances, our unique coffee roasting contingency ensures our customers can have peace of mind. 

Lincoln & York - Your Coffee Partner

It’s in our slogan: ‘Your Coffee Partner’. We want to work closely with our customers to benefit both our businesses. Therefore, if you are an existing customer or a new one, feel free to get in touch!