JIMMY’S Iced Coffee, the family-owned Dorset brand which has achieved 30 per cent growth in a year, has taken another step forward after being stocked in Boots.
The drink was created in Christchurch eight years ago by brother and sister team Jim and Suzie Cregan.
It now sells one carton every seven seconds, with gross sales of more than £4million and year-on-year growth of more than 30 per cent.
Jimmy’s Iced Coffee has already reached the ‘grab and go’ racks of Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose, and is now available as part of Boots’ meal deal in selected branches.
The news coincides with an announcement that the Christchurch-based company will guarantee quality and ethical standards by moving to ‘single origin’ beans.
Founder Jimmy Cregan said: “It’s awesome that all four Jimmy’s flavours will soon be available on the high street nationwide. One day we hope to be in every fridge in the travel convenience sector globally.”
The Boots launch means that the product is now stocked in more than 3,500 stores nationwide. As well as original, skinny and mocha flavours, the range now includes a dairy-free option which uses oat instead of cow’s milk.
The product originated when Mr Cregan took an extended trip to Australia and discovered iced coffee. He asked for permission to franchise his favourite brand in the UK but was turned down and decided to mix his own.
The recipe was mixed at Blend, the coffee shop then run by Suzie Cregan.
It took off with the help of Mr Cregan’s promotional skills and a quirky presence on social media, accompanied by the hashtag #KYCU (“Keep your chin up”).
Jimmy’s has announced that it is now sourcing its beans from Columbia’s Huila coffee region, in the country’s south western mountains.
It says opting for ‘single source’ coffee allows for traceability to guarantee taste and quality, as well as the wellbeing of the communities producing it.
Coffee cherries are picked by the region’s 63,000 coffee growers working on Fairtrade and Rainforest Alliance certified farms, ensuring a fair price. The Rainforest Alliance helps farmers reach new markets while providing tools and education to help them farm more efficiently.
Mr Cregan said: “For us, going single source was a no brainer. Not only does it improve the taste and quality of our brand, it also enables us to give back which is super important both for us as a company and for our customers.
“We’re a family business and those values are a big deal for us. Choosing Rainforest Alliance farms has provided us with an opportunity to make sure those families and communities which help us create awesome tasting iced coffee are getting a fair deal.”
The Huila coffee will be blended with West Country milk and Demerara and will form the base ingredients in all the brand’s flavours.
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