08
Fairtrade’s caffeine hit
‘A major driver of
Fairtrade coffee sales is
getting the taste right —
the feel-good factor alone
will not keep any but
the most conscientious
consumer coming back’
Bobby Kerr, CEO, Insomnia Cafes,
with coffee producers in Nicaragua
Far from struggling to sell Fairtrade coffee
and tea, cafes are seeing their beverage
sales rising each year. Niall Byrne reports
ONE thing suppliers of Fairtrade coffee of its Fairtrade coffees is also organic. Fairtrade Mark Ireland about the prod-
have in common is growth. Since Going further down the organic route is ucts we wish to use. For example, it’s
Fairtrade Fortnight last year, both one option the company is weighing up at only recently that coffee with the
Bewley’s and Insomnia have reported ris- the moment. FAIRTRADE Mark became available from
ing sales of Fairtrade products. Insomnia’s research has found that Sumatra,” Corbett explains. Bewley’s
“Our volumes of Fairtrade coffee have among general cafe goers, 25pc said the claims all of its coffee is ethically
increased by a third from 2006 to 2007 availability of Fairtrade coffee was an sourced; over 10pc carries the FAIR-
across both our catering and supermarket unimportant factor in their decision- TRADE Mark and a further 5pc is sourced
retail business,” says Jim Corbett, manag- making, 43pc said it was important and through other ethical schemes.
At Irish-owned sandwich chain Munchies,
ing director, Bewley’s. 32pc said it was very important. However, Likewise, Insomnia was dedicated to
set up by former Miss Ireland Elaine
Catherine Cullen, marketing manager, when focusing only on Insomnia cus- making sure the taste remained first class
O’Hora (pictured right, with Charlotte
Insomnia, notes: “After we highlighted tomers it found that 15pc said it was when it made the switch to Fairtrade. In
Devlin) in the late Eighties, all the coffee
the fact we’d gone 100pc Fairtrade, we unimportant, 36pc said it was important Insomnia’s case the stakes were high: all of
served is Fairtrade and organic. “We
noticed there was a 5-10pc increase in and 49pc said it was very important. its coffee and tea is now 100pc Fairtrade.
realised coffee is a very fragile crop and it
like-for-like sales in our stores over the A major driver of Fairtrade coffee sales is “We use an exclusive bespoke blend in
was better to source it without chemicals,
year. It could have been the extra atten- getting the taste right — the feel-good all our stores. We made sure it tasted sim-
so it is as healthy as possible. Munchies’
tion it got in the media around the time of factor alone will not keep any but the most ilar if not the same as what we’d previ-
whole ethos is to serve healthy and nutri-
the change; it could also be because conscientious consumer coming back. ously used before rolling it out. It took
tious fast food. We also wanted to be fair
Insomnia is now seen as a store of choice “Consumers have a variety of needs about six to eight months of research and
to the growers, so we could serve guilt-
for people because it’s Fairtrade.” they wish to fulfil around convenience, development,” says Cullen. Following cus-
free coffee that tastes good,” says O’Hora.
“Interest in Fairtrade is astronomical,” taste, service and ethics. The more boxes tomer trials, the Fairtrade product got the
“We carried out several tastings until
says Tessa Van Rensburg, marketing direc- you tick, the more successful your product thumbs up and is now synonymous with
we were happy with the coffee. Taste is a
tor, Java Republic Roasting Company. will be with the mainstream consumer,” the Insomnia brand.
priority for us. Every Munchies product is
“Consumers now realise the product is bet- says Corbett. Insomnia is planning to expand its port-
made fresh daily in each individual store
ter than it was five years ago. You can see Getting the taste right has been a key folio to include Fairtrade sugar and organic
from fresh wholesome ingredients.”There
that by the interest in it and the amount of issue for Bewley’s since it first introduced options. The company opened 15 new
are seven Munchies outlets in Dublin,
people changing over to Fairtrade coffee.” Fairtrade coffee into Ireland in 1997. stores in Ireland last year and has almost
with three more due to open this year.
Java Republic offers a full Fairtrade- “We have direct relationships with doubled its coffee volume in two years, a
O’Hora says she is currently considering
certified hot beverage package, including growers. I’m in the business eight years sure sign that products with the
the possibility of introducing other
tea, coffee, sugar and hot chocolate. One and we’ve had many dialogues with FAIRTRADE Mark have a healthy future.
Fairtrade products, such as tea.
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