TILBROOK, Milton Keynes, UK – Elaine Higginson, Managing Director of UCC Coffee UK & Ireland and the most influential woman in the European Coffee market, has celebrated 20 years at the total coffee solution specialist (formerly First Choice Coffee and United Coffee).
Elaine joined First Choice Coffee on 11 February 1996, having been headhunted from competitor Bewley’s, with an undeniable passion for quality coffee and a unique drive to revolutionise the industry.
Today she is responsible for the UK division of one of the world’s top five independent coffee companies, 480 employees and behind 20 billion cups of coffee each year. With 9,500 tonnes of coffee roasted in its Dartford roaster, this year the company is forecasting turnover to exceed £100m for the first time.
Elaine comments: “The last 20 years has been an exciting time for the industry. We’ve seen the explosion of the high street coffee chain, astonishing innovation and quality coffee being delivered to the masses at an affordable price.
The market has grown tenfold since I joined the business, but by creating unique coffee solutions we’ve helped our customers outperform it and grow faster than anyone else.
I’m so privileged to work with so many passionate and talented people – we wouldn’t be where we are today without such a great team around me. Coffee is a fantastic industry to be part of and I’m excited about it today as I was on day one. How many people can say that after 20 years?”
In 1996, Elaine joined First Choice Coffee and quickly made her mark by introducing one of the first bean-to-cup machines – Black&White – to the market.
The unique piece of kit produced the highest quality speciality coffee at the touch of a button and transformed coffee preparation for operators. Now the company’s best-selling machine, it can be found in over 30,000 sites across the UK including McDonald’s and Gregg’s.
In 2006, First Choice Coffee was acquired by United Coffee (called Drie Mollen at the time) and then merged with retail roaster Gala Coffee, with Elaine at the helm to drive the new business forward. It was a landmark year for the company.
For the first time they could now supply customers with their own carefully selected and roasted beans, as well as market-leading equipment and exceptional service.
The acquisition of Coopers and Andronicas in 2011 increased share of the independent market and in 2014, a €500m acquisition saw it became part of UCC Holdings – Japan’s largest producer of coffee.
With a strong track record of innovation, UCC Holdings is responsible for £2bn annual sales turnover and 7,300 employees. A rebrand to UCC Coffee UK & Ireland created a new worldwide identity to push the boundaries of coffee.
In 2015, UCC Coffee UK & Ireland invested £2.5 million at its Dartford roaster.
Jeffrey Young, Managing Director, Allegra Group comments: “Elaine Higginson is one of the truly great leaders of all time within the UK coffee sector and a great ambassador for our entire industry. Her passion, drive and commitment over the past 20 years has led to the creation of one of the most powerful and influential coffee businesses in Europe.
“I have had the great pleasure to work directly with Elaine, not only as a client to our business, but also as a trustee in the Allegra Foundation for the past five years. It’s been great to see first-hand her commitment to such an important charity and also her strategic thinking and clear decision making, which has been a great asset to our board of trustees.”
As the total coffee solution provider in the UK, UCC Coffee works with its customers to exceed commercial expectations and satisfy consumer tastes. The next three years are set for further growth through investment, improving efficiencies and a continued commitment to its mission to serve the very best quality coffee.
Elaine also continues to lead her team with the same infectious passion, drive and enthusiasm that she had back in 1996. 13 employees have also been with the business for 20 years or more.
Graham Mason, events manager at UCC Coffee UK & Ireland, who was originally hired as a van driver by Elaine in 1996 comments: “We were all hands on. Elaine would be in the warehouse waiting for me to get back so she could load my products for the next day. It’s been amazing journey but we’re still the same people. Whatever it takes, we make it happen.”
