Hotel Suppliers reporter interviews Manager of The Little Coffee Bag Co, Jesse Bate, to find out how bagged coffee is making waves in the hotel industry.
How has The Little Coffee Bag Co. been making waves in the hotel industry?
We’ve changed the game for hoteliers by offering quality, convenience, and style, all in one cost-effective package. Hotels are usually forced to choose between quality and cost savings when deciding whether to go down the coffee-machine or instant-coffee route. Now, they don’t have to!
The hotel industry demands consistency and quality. How does The Little Coffee Bag Co. ensure that its coffee products meet these standards for the hospitality sector?
Let’s start with quality; We still use the same selection of Arabica coffee beans that won over the investors on BBC’s Dragon’s Den, 10 years ago. These were expertly selected by Q graders (the coffee equivalent of a wine sommelier) before we first launched. We love it, and so do our customers!
With regards to consistency, every batch of coffee beans we receive is tested, to ensure the properties are the same as the last. Then, our state-of-the-art roasting methods ensure that every batch is roasted to the same profile, i.e. temperature, speed, and darkness.
In a competitive market, how does your company differentiate itself and stand out as a preferred coffee supplier for hotels?
The coffee bag market has become increasingly competitive over the past few years. We maintain our position by sticking to our core values, and not wavering on quality to save costs.
This means that we still offer 10g of premium coffee per bag, as opposed to the usual 7 or 8g. We’re also continuing to develop other aspects, like our sustainable packaging, and packaging design.
How does The Little Coffee Bag Co. adapt its offerings to meet the diverse needs of different hotels?
Product-wise, there isn’t a great deal to adapt to. The product is simple. We just aim to be as flexible as possible to accommodate hotels of different sizes. There are no MOQs, no contracts, and no obligations.
Sustainability and ethical sourcing have become important considerations for consumers. How does The Little Coffee Bag Co. align with these values, and how does it resonate with your hotel clients?
We pride ourselves on having 100% sustainable packaging. That includes biodegradable coffee bags, and recyclable outer sachets. There are still further steps we’d like to take once the technology becomes available, such as post-recycled material for the outer sachets, but unfortunately there is nothing out there that’s suitable yet.
Hoteliers are becoming increasingly conscious of their environmental impact, so we’re seeing a rise in demand for ‘sustainable hotel supplies’.
We also audit our suppliers to ensure they meet our ethical trading policy.
Our website features a page on our responsibility measures.
What’s next for The Little Coffee Bag Co? What are you currently working on with hotels?
At the moment, we’re just continuing to scale our base of boutique hotels in particular. We’ve recently taken on a number of distributors overseas, and we’re extremely happy to be further expanding our market internationally.
