At its annual Brand Supplier Conference, UK retailer Sainsbury awards companies who have outperformed their competitors. This year Fairtrade’s own KCU, a coffee cooperative from Tanzania, took the prestigious Best Supplier Award home.

Given the current coffee market climate, which is plagued with defaults, the win is an impressive achievement. According to the jury, KCU’s many merits include timely delivery, non-defaults, highest quantity of coffee and unquestionable quality delivery.

Export Manager John Kanjagaile explains the secret of KCU’s success: ‘We don’t offer what we don’t have. Over the past 20 years, KCU has been supplying coffee to traders across the globe. Our experience has taught us when to offer what. This award recognises our reliability and commitment to our buyers.’

John and his team were rewarded with a trophy, but the real prize is Sainsbury’s commitment to further deepen its relationship with KCU. The co-op is already Sainsbury’s largest volume supplier of African coffees.