Make a Visit to JDE Peet’s an Integral Part of Your Vendex North 23 itinerary

‘Make a Visit to JDE Peet’s an Integral Part of Your Vendex North 23 itinerary’, says Eddie Smith

Visitors to JDE Peet’s stand at Vendex next month will be greeted by a fresh face. The company’s new Key Account Manager, Vending and Bulk is Eddie Smith, a keen family man and rugby coach. He’s hoping that a visit to the JDE Peet’s stand will be an integral part of your Vendex itinerary. He’s got a lot to tell you about…

Within seconds of meeting him, you’ll realise that he’s no industry beginner. ‘I began my coffee journey in the industry almost 18 years ago working for Gaggia, when they had a direct business here in the UK’, Eddie says.  ‘Then I spent some time working for a great family business Euro Food Brands on the Illy brand both established in the retail and foodservice market  – which was a great place to learn about coffee – and after that, I was the sales manager at Kimbo London,’

Having established himself as a ‘blue chip’ candidate, his next move was ‘a no brainer’: He was snapped up by Douwe Egberts, which was then a part of the Sara Lee group. ‘It was a great opportunity that I thought would lead to greater career development and industry knowledge’, he says.

Eddie’s promotion to his new job is a case in point.

‘I have spent the summer meeting as many of my new customers as possible, including our close partners from within  AVS, Cover Group; ARN, Montague, and many more. Vending remains a big part of our portfolio, we have many loyal operators  who have been purchasing our quality blends for many years, some are surprised by the potential there is for them to expand their business with us! Exciting times ahead.’

‘Many of our vending partners’ customers are asking penetrating questions concerning sustainability’, Eddie says. ‘They want to know the provenance of the products they are buying; supply chain transparency across the board is key. In my experience, there’s no company with a higher focus on sustainability than we have here at JDE Peet’s with our Common Grounds policies  we can really support our customers when they’re under the spotlight. We focus on quality and it’s good to remind people about the value of ‘better’.’

Eddie is also enthusiastic about the breadth of brands JDE Peet’s can offer vending partners now and into the future. ‘Looking at the portfolio of products across our household brands including – Douwe Egberts, Kenco, Tassimo, Maxwell House, L’Or, I am confident that vending operators, customers and consumers can find a coffee for every cup from within the JDE Peet’s portfolio.’

Get to know Eddie and the JDE Peet’s team at Vendex North 23, on stand 50 to talk all things coffee and sustainability from their perspective.

Read more about JDE Peet’s on Planet Vending here.