UCC Coffee UK & Ireland announce latest stage in go-to-market strategy

UCC Coffee UK & Ireland has started 2015 by realigning its sales, operations, marketing & category and coffee specialist teams, to strengthen its support for its customers.

The move, which is the latest stage in its Go to Market strategy, includes a number of changes that focus on the core drivers of growth and align with the growing needs of UCC Coffee's customers' businesses, as well as promoting coffee excellence.

UCC Coffee has expanded its popular Northern speciality coffee brand, Coopers, to three new regions and the regional sales team has seen the introduction of a new role, a regional account executive who will work with independent customers across the country.

David Porteous, director of business development will now head up all new business activity in both the out of home national and independent teams, creating closer alignment of the two existing sales channels. Porteous will work closely with out-of-home national account controller Beth Langley and retail senior national account manager David Alexander, as well overseeing the regional independent sales team.

In operations, eight dedicated coffee trainers will join the team to integrate quality control, installations and training within its existing service business.

2015 also sees the creation of a new team of coffee specialists including coffee development manager Gayan Munaweera, Q-grader Katherine McCarthy and SCAE judge Sean Pittaway. They will continue to be responsible for the business' coffee strategy and will work together with the roasting teams in Dartford and Corby to continually develop UCC Coffee's range of own label and branded coffees.

The marketing and category teams have been joined by Michela Yardley as category manager and Nicole Hartnell as brand manager respectively.