TOPAZ & BEWLEYS AGREE TWO YEAR COFFEE DEAL
EXCLUSIVE FAIRTRADE PARTNERSHIP WORTH €1.8M
Wednesday 31st March 2010. Topaz and Bewley’s have agreed a two year deal which will see the coffee importer supply Fairtrade coffee to Topaz service stations over the next two years.
Under the terms of the €1.8m contract agreed recently, Bewley’s will supply over 100 Topaz company owned sites nationwide. Bewley’s will also provide equipment, handle promotions and provide training for Topaz staff.
Paul Candon, Marketing and Corporate Services Director of Topaz said Bewleys made the strongest bid for the contract, covering both product range and support services for growing the category.
“We also wanted to support ethical suppliers and Bewley’s worked with us to source and develop exclusive Fairtrade coffee blends for our stores. Developing a coffee that scored on taste with our customers was our number one priority. We believe it is all about getting the balance right – a premium product at excellent value for Irish consumers and a fair price for farmers and producers in countries like Brazil and Nicaragua.” Candon said.
Jim Corbett, Managing Director of Bewley’s said that Irish consumers were increasingly aware of the need for ethical business practices, “Consumers will support companies who offer ethically sourced produce. Through this partnership, Topaz will continue to raise consciousness among consumers of the necessity to pay producers a fair price for their produce. Bewley’s was the very first Irish company to import Fairtrade coffee fourteen years ago. We could not operate as successfully in developing countries were it not for other Irish companies like Topaz who are prepared to support this agenda.”
Topaz, a fuels and convenience retailer, owns 109 service stations around the country and supplies a further 200 dealer-owned sites. The company has a fleet and fuel cards business and divisions for home heating oil, lubricants and aviation fuel distribution.
The company employs 1,450 people, has revenues of €3.2 billion and fixed and current assets totaling €384 million. Topaz was recently recognised as one of the top 10 Best Workplaces in Ireland, the third year in a row the company received the accolade.
Bewley’s, established in 1840, is the largest importer, roaster and provider of fresh coffee in Ireland. It has 350 staff and annual revenues of €85 million. Thirty per cent of Bewley’s coffee is fair-trade certified. Over 4,000 hotels, restaurants and cafes in Ireland serve Bewley’s tea and coffee and the company has carefully created more than 20 different product lines each with its own distinctive taste profile.
Celebrating the deal is Paul Candon, Marketing & Corporate Services Director at Topaz and Amanda Roche Kelly, Bewleys account manager for Topaz.
Further Information
For Topaz, Contact Eleanor Newman Gordon MRM,
01 - 6650454 or 087 – 6440678
For Bewley’s, Contact Petrina Timoney, MKC Communications
01 - 7038616 or 086 - 1251386