The Enterprise awards that failed to recognise the enterprises

Last Thursday (28th Feb) was supposed to be the night when large and small local businesses were supposed to be given the red carpet treatment by the States of Jersey Economic Development Department led by Senator Ozouf.

Sadly for all the razamattaz and effort put into organising the event the businesses who had entered the awards competition must be wondering why they bothered.

In front of an international audience not one business was profiled, not one winner got an opportunity to speak. The small business winners, a software development company who many in the audience had never heard of, walked on and off without any of us being any the wiser as to why they won or what they do, why? - What a missed opportunity and how disappointing for them.

James Caan of BBC's Dragons Den fame who gave the keynote speech talked about the importance of people, and it is of course people who make or break businesses. I would therefore like to take this opportunity, an opportunity I wasn't given on the night of the awards to acknowledge the people who work with me every day and who helped get my business shortlisted in the small business category which contained between 50 and 60 entrants although you wouldn't have known it.

I start with a famous quotation by Sir Isaac Newton – 1642-1727

“If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants”

And those giants and members of staff are:

Kathy Jehan - Who has been with the business for 18 years and who is the only true local. She has been unstinting in her efforts in running the office. Going way beyond her call of duty

Philip Bull - Originally from Wales who has been with the business for over 25 years and who has been key over the years in the operations of the business

Pedro Mendes - From Portugal who has been delivering customer orders for nearly 10 years now

Ania Emerli - From Poland who has run our shop for the last 3 years and made such an impact

Lorna Frow - Originally from Yorkshire, the new kid on the block who has filled the shoes of Stephan (who returned to Sweden) so well in the operations side of the business.

And last but not least Robert Wheeldon who at the end of last year took over the job of roasting our coffee and has already made such a positive impression.

On the outside we have Harry Sutherland-Hawes who works in London, the man behind the Cooper's look and who keeps me on the straight and narrow!

Finally I would like to give a mention to those who have inspired me over the years

The recently retired ceo of the SCAA: Ted Lingle who has championed quality coffee and the cause of the industry for as many years as I can remember

Kenneth Davids, a great writer and reviewer of coffee whose tastings make you want to tour the coffee world for the rest of your life

Sunalini Menon from Bangalore, a massive supporter of Indian coffee who tours the worlds trade shows promoting Indian coffee and the person who introduced me to Monsooned Malabar coffees at a memorable tasting

To the growers:

From Daterra Farm in Brazil –

Isabel Pascoal – Her energy and passion for sustainability

Holly Nottebohm from the Nueva Granada farm in Guatemala who I first met in LA discussing the books she needed to get for the farms Creche

Simon Wakefield – Whose passion for sourcing great sustainable coffee is now paying off

And finally………….To Howard Schultz, who in 1987 bought Starbucks a small coffee business based in Pike, Seattle and revolutionised our coffee drinking habits and the reason why Coopers today is able to showcase so many of the great coffees of the world.

I salute you all