Caffeine addiction – how one man’s favourite tipple inspired an empire

LIFE for entrepreneurs is a series of opportunities just itching to be taken. Or so they would have us believe.

But nothing more could be truer for David Cooper – property magnet, chef, super bike team manager, coffee shop owner, importer, roaster and barista – who currently has four businesses to his bow.

In fact, over the past 20 years the 43-year-old has started a staggering 10 companies with not a failure in sight. Although most have been sold or absorbed into other parts of Cooper’s empire there is one firm that has remained the serial entrepreneur’s first, last and always – Cooper’s Coffee.

The Huddersfield-based firm boasts a national reputation for its impressive number of roasts and blends as well as a catering “A” list client portfolio. Since its inception in 1989, it has grown to a £2.4m turnover business employing 17 staff. Its sister business Dalla Corte (UK Imports) has seen sales of the exclusive espresso machines rise by 35% since its launch last year.

Cooper certainly seems to have a Midas touch when it comes to the “other black gold” helped in no small part by some enviable taste buds (as reflected in his status as a world barista judge). But Cooper’s Coffee was more accident than design.

“Originally I’d gone into catering to train as a chef,” explains Cooper.

“But by the time I was 19, I’d worked in more than 20 different places. However, I got into conversation with the delivery driver of an Italian foods distributor and he suggested I go for a job as a sales rep. It meant normal hours so I went for it.”

Armed with a car and mobile phone, Cooper spent the next two years selling Italian food and wines across Yorkshire and Teesside but quickly realised that his career prospects were limited. It was then another chance conversation – this time with an espresso machine rep – that saw Cooper take his first steps towards becoming a barista.

“We got chatting about espresso and you’ve got to remember this was before the UK’s cafe culture got into full swing,” Cooper recalls.

“He thought I’d be good at the job seeing as I was so interested in coffee so I took a gamble and joined the firm. However, after a year things weren’t going that well. I was a bit naive and the machines were very expensive so sales were a bit hit and miss. I needed to sell two machines a month to pay the mortgage and I wasn’t doing that.”

Desperate to lift his fortunes, Cooper decided to educate himself in the mysteries of coffee roasting. Fully briefed, he bought 10 kilos of ground coffee, created a blend and decided he would bag it and offer it for sale with the machines.

“It’s common practice these days,” he laughs.

“But back then no one was doing it. To my surprise it took off and Cooper’s Coffee Supplies was born. In the first year it turned over £57,000. Obviously there was a conflict of interests and eventually I got fired. I did suggest to my employees that they too should sell coffee with the machines but they weren’t interested.

“Funnily enough four years later they started doing just that and it makes up around 80% of their business. We’re still on very good terms to this day through!”

Jobless and with a mortgage to pay, Cooper looked at his options. He had contacts, a popular blend, and a passion for coffee. The only sensible choice was to continue the business.

“Really the business was officially founded in 1991. But as well as selling coffee, I was also installing espresso machines, training baristas in fact doing everything. After three years the turnover was £250,000 but I was exhausted,” admits Cooper.

“My mother was doing the bookkeeping and I had someone driving the van a couple of days a week but basically I was doing everything. Great fun but there’s no way I could keep it up.

“I’d also made all the classic mistakes. I had poor cash flow management and even though I had a great relationship with the bank I’d never written a business plan. I saw that had to change.”

With better business discipline and a “by the book” attitude Cooper started recruiting staff and focused on growing the business. But by his own self-admission, its growth has been stifled as a result of his passion for “hair brained schemes”.

“I know now that I should have given Cooper’s Coffee more focus, and that if I had we would have a bigger turnover than we do today,” he admits.

Among the more eccentric sideline ventures is the creation of a super bike racing team, which under Cooper’s leadership came fifth in the UK championships. There’s also been a training company, a property firm (Cooper’s Homes, which is still in operation) a small coffee chain of coffee shops (ditto) and the newly founded Dalla Corte.

With his habit curbed, Cooper now has his sights firmly set on growth. The latest business plan has the business turning over £3m by 2009. Although the firm has an enviable reputation for quality coffee, machines, training and expertise it is looking to further spread its gospel with a £100,000 marketing budget at its disposal.

“Marketing is often one of the first things to be cut during tough economic times, but I believe it’s vital to maintain visibility. We want to raise our profile.”

With 42 blends and customers ranging from Michelin starred restaurants to independent high street coffee bars, choice isn’t a problem be it rare, Fairtrade, organic or all three. And there are new products in development all the time with a sub-brand currently in development, which will turn natural wastage from the coffee roasting process into an alternative brand. Plus Cooper’s reputation as a tasting expert certainly helps give the firm an edge.

“In 2003 I went to Seattle to take part in a sensory taste test,” he explains.

“Well I passed it and then in the competition beat 55 other people in the test with the highest score ever recorded.

“For four years I was the only UK representative in tasting competitions. It’s enabled me to travel the world although now I mostly judge competitions in the UK and Ireland.”

Although being classed as a super taster is a definite advantage, Cooper is a lot more switched on than his penchant for starting up companies ad hoc seems to suggest. The company has invested money in a customer relations management (CRM) system, has tight credit control, is always striving to develop new markets, and above all has a leader with a healthy risk appetite. Now that Cooper’s Coffee has his undivided attention his ambitions for the company could well become reality.