Supplier Spotlight: Taylors of Harrogate

Continuing our Supplier Spotlight series, where we give a snapshot of key hospitality suppliers, we speak to Greg Harvey, out of home controller for Taylors of Harrogate.

Taylors of Harrogate, which also incorporates the Yorkshire Tea brand, was founded in 1886 as a tea and coffee merchant. Today the firm’s out of home range offers speciality tea, iced tea, coffee bags and roast coffee, with companies including restaurant chain Leon and train line LNER serving its products.

Here, Harvey talks about the growers the company relies on and investment into sustainable farming.

Describe your product portfolio in five words

Quality tea, coffee, iced tea.

What types of hospitality operator are your products aimed at?

Those who want to create value through commitment to quality and doing things properly. Yorkshire Tea has incredible breadth of appeal and belongs equally at your favourite breakfast spot as at a posh afternoon tea. Yorkshire Tea creates a sense of home, wherever you are. Although cafés and coffee shops might be our heartland, we’re found aboard planes, trains, workplaces and hotels around the country. Hotel guests can drink real coffee using convenient Taylors coffee bags and our new Yorkshire Tea Iced Tea has also been a hit in cafés, farm shops and delis.

What challenges do your products help hospitality operators to meet?

We understand that operators have a lot to contend with and don’t have endless time to think about their tea and coffee. We are a trusted partner, working in the background to consistently do the right thing, so operators can focus on building their businesses.

How do your products provide value for money?

We’ve consistently invested in our products, creating brands that are really loved. Customers are delighted to see products they would choose to drink at home, and operators can be confident that customers will pay more for products they love.

How do your products assist operators with sustainability efforts?

We work directly with growers, paying more for quality and agreeing long-term contracts that enable investment into sustainable farming and livelihoods. Our business is carbon-neutral, but we’ve been planting trees long before the trend for carbon offsetting. In Kenya, we’ve worked with the International Small Group and Tree Planting Program to plant trees that also provide shade for animals and crops, and extra income for farmers through selling fruit and produce.

At home in Harrogate, we’ve created the Cone Exchange, a community space where waste materials are converted to craft products, raising funds and opportunities for community groups. All of this means that operators can be confident that their spending power is aligned to our authentic commitment to sustainability.

What are your top three brand values?

Quality, properness, family

What trends are you noticing in your product sector?

The sector is so vibrant at the moment. New formats such as ready-to-drink are flourishing, as are products that meet support health and wellbeing. Experiences that emphasise craft and indulgence are also creating real excitement in the sector.