BEST BRANDS SURVEY Back when FFD started running the Best Brands survey in 2011, coffee was bundled into the same category as tea. But to run a combined hot drinks category nowadays would prevent the emergence of an interesting set of data. Thankfully tea and coffee were separated in our survey quite some time ago and over the years we have tracked the evolution of coffee as an increasingly localised category. Even the most popular of these suppliers in the ranking was mentioned just over a handful of times, with many suppliers only cropping up once or twice in our responses. Many retailers, it seems, prefer to go with a roastery close to them. Little’s has carved a niche for itself as a trusted brand of premium instant coffee, while Grumpy Mule has been supplying independents nationally for many years. Taylor’s reputation and coverage obviously precedes it. But Miles must be an example of how a supplier with a strong regional base (the south west) can thrive - a theory backed up by the brand's presence in the tea rankings too.
COFFEE 1st
Miles
Joint 2nd
Grumpy Mule / Little’s
3rd
Taylor’s of Harrogate
Distributors 1st
The Cress Co
2nd
Cotswold Fayre
3rd
Holleys
Over the last decade, The Cress Co. has grown from its base in Scotland into a national distributor in the UK’s speciality and fine food space. Its first listing in Best Brands was in 2012, and it has held the top spot since 2015. Its continued expansion since then has seen it set up distribution centres further south, invest in a bigger fleet of refrigerated vans, and expand its range – all of which has anchored its popularity in the indie space. Cotswold Fayre and Holleys have appeared in this survey consistently too. The former has been there from survey’s very beginning in 2011 and has innovated in a number of ways, including leading the way on sustainable practices and attaining B-Corp status. Holleys has also continued to expand, admittedly slightly under the radar, but its consistent results in this survey suggest it clearly understands how to service retailers. Beyond the top three, votes were split mainly between a host of specialist importers and cheese wholesalers, but none appeared frequently enough to merit a spot. BEST BRANDS 2023-24
in the ra
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