Bewley’s acquires UK coffee distributor Darlington’s

Ireland’s leading fresh coffee company Bewley’s has acquired the British speciality coffee distributor Darlington’s in a move which will see Bewley’s expand its coffee supply business in the UK. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Darlington’s is a successful and growing business, with annual sales of approximately Stg£4.5m (€5.2m), supplying high quality fresh coffees and coffee service equipment along with barista training to long standing customers in the hotels, restaurants, cafes and catering sector, particularly in Greater London, the Midlands and southern England. Bewley’s is the market leader in this sector in Ireland and sees considerable growth potential for the Darlington’s business in the UK.

John Cahill, Chief Executive of Bewley’s said: "As one of the largest coffee roasters in the combined Irish and UK market, Bewley’s currently supplies a range of well known UK-based customers in the foodservice and retail sectors. The acquisition of Darlington’s will help us to greatly expand the range of services we offer in that market."

"Both companies share a passionate commitment to offering the highest quality coffees to our customers by delivering comprehensive sales, training and equipment support programmes, and we are looking forward to working with Darlington’s management and staff to grow the business in the future. We will support the further development of Darlington’s through our overall coffee expertise along with ongoing investment in sales and marketing."

The Darlington’s name will not change and the deal will see Darlington’s management team and staff being retained. The company employs 25 people.