BETTYS & TAYLORS WIN TOP RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS AWARDS

Bettys & Taylors have won coveted recognition as a leading responsible business in Business in the Community’s Awards for Excellence.   The award was presented to the company by HRH The Prince of Wales at a gala event at the Royal Albert Hall on Monday 2 July 2007.

Bettys & Taylors showed passion and commitment in improving standards in their supply chain.  Their practical and energetic approach makes them an ideal winner and an excellent example for other companies.”

Bettys & Taylors were awarded the John Lewis and Waitrose Supply Chain Award for their achievements supporting coffee farmers across the world. 

Bettys & Taylors is a traditional family business based in North Yorkshire, with six Bettys Café Tea Rooms and a tea and coffee merchants, Taylors of Harrogate. By paying a fair price for coffee Bettys & Taylor are able to ensure a high quality product both now and in the future whilst farmers are able to achieve a decent standard of living and invest in the future of their businesses. 

In response to the crisis in the world coffee market Taylors of Harrogate launched their Sustainable Coffee Sourcing Programme.  The programme was built on three pillars: building direct personal relationships with the growers; maintaining quality, including meeting ethical and environmental standards; and finally rewarding quality with a fair price.

To monitor conditions in their supply chain, Taylors coffee buyers are qualified social auditors, accredited by the Ethical Trading Initiative. These audits assess working conditions against international labour and human rights standards as well as compliance with local legislation. By offering suppliers forward contracts and by pre-financing crops they are able to give farmers the stability and the confidence to plan ahead, invest in their crops and therefore provide Taylors of Harrogate with the on-going quality they need for their blends.