# Repackaging Coffee Beans



## Peterpiper (Oct 16, 2015)

Hi Guys & Girls.

Looking at starting a new online business after I get back off my holiday in November.

I've been researching on and off for last 6 years but can't find anything that gives me

any real answers.

Does anyone know if I was to purchase bulk beans in kilos (already foil packed) opened

and repackaged as my own brand, is this illegal? The closest I've come to any information

was if I was to say it was packaged by "company".

Any advice ?

Thanks In Advance.


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

Peterpiper said:


> Hi Guys & Girls.
> 
> Looking at starting a new online business after I get back off my holiday in November.
> 
> ...


It's not illegal, but I think the labelling regs might require you to identify where it was roasted, they always used to, but things have become lax now. More importantly, if you buy bulk beans open them and repack them, they will stale pretty fast and their shelf life will be hugely reduced. In addition it's quite likely the coffee will be weeks old when you repack it. What date were you thinking of putting on the packaging>

Here is a better suggestion, rather than parasitically push shit into the market, why not add value and roast your own offering. What you propose to do has no added value at all and just takes more margin out of the product! This means to be competitive and make any decent profit you have to buy cheap coffee and mark it up, or you have to charge a lot more for your special "service" whatever that may be.

P.S. I speak from some experience of people doing similar things to what you propose. I was in contempt of the practice then and still am today.

Grrrrr!


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## Peterpiper (Oct 16, 2015)

My idea is to not undo and leave open for weeks, it will be to open and repack within minutes. then re label to sell on.

My future plans would be to roast and flavour my own but don't have the major capital to start

the business i.e.roasting and packaging myself.

Want to start small and build up a fan base by not selling a "shit" product.

I don't want to put major marks ups for my service I've found a seller that will bulk sell a decent coffee.


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

Peterpiper said:


> My idea is to not undo and leave open for weeks, it will be to open and repack within minutes. then re label to sell on..


I'm not stupid, I know exactly what it is you want to do.....and whatever you say, you will be adding no value, just parasitically taking from the chain. Don't do it this way, do it the right way.


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## djedga (Apr 22, 2015)

Sounds a bit dodgy to me and probably not legal unless you did it the right way.

What it sounds like you're talking about is an "OEM" (original equipment manufacturer) type agreement where someone else makes it and you sell it? A supermarket own brand is probably made by a major food company (easiest analogy).

You would have to have permission from the company to do so.

I would think you would need to have some "clout" to persuade a reputable roaster to allow you to do this with their product. Definitely a good business plan to present to them.

You'd probably negotiate them supplying you in bulk with differently branded packaging for your company (don't know who would pay for the packaging - either one of you could pay for depending on how you negotiated it).

This would negate the packaging problems associated with opening and closing bags which might lead to a sub par / tainted product.

Also you could negotiate to so it under your business name or to share credit (roasted by / supplied by) etc.


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## Jon (Dec 3, 2010)

Peterpiper said:


> My idea is to not undo and leave open for weeks, it will be to open and repack within minutes. then re label to sell on.
> 
> My future plans would be to roast and flavour my own


Hi Peter!

When you say 'flavour' can you elaborate please?

Thanks!


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## Jon (Dec 3, 2010)

djedga said:


> Sounds a bit dodgy to me and probably not legal unless you did it the right way.
> 
> What it sounds like you're talking about is an "OEM" (original equipment manufacturer) type agreement where someone else makes it and you sell it? A supermarket own brand is probably made by a major food company (easiest analogy).
> 
> ...


If the volume is there I am sure there are roasters who offer a 'white labelled'/own-label product for restaurants and cafes and so on...


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## djedga (Apr 22, 2015)

jonc said:


> If the volume is there I am sure there are roasters who offer a 'white labelled'/own-label product for restaurants and cafes and so on...


Absolutely 100% certain that there will be businesses doing this already and it is a viable proposition with the right potential volume / client list to be attractive to roaster. High volume, guaranteed business with safety checks in place on both sides and it's a winner.

However... it didn't seem from the OP that this was his intent - but rather just to buy direct, repackage and sell online to a mass audience without permission from roaster or being straight with his audience. Not enough info to know for sure but I don't think the plan is a sound or a legal one. (I may be mistaken both about the OP's intended business model and how he intends to put it together but I do have some experience in OEM business - not coffee or food related).


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## aaronb (Nov 16, 2012)

It's legal, you probably need to be registered as a food business with your council.

You are adding zero value though.

Your supplier probably isn't a 'specialty' supplier either, suspect commodity if they are OK with what you are doing so you will be selling a poor product in comparison to what people can buy direct from the many specialty roasters or the shops that sell their beans.


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

So your added value , your usP the colour of the packet and the font .

I'm out


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

aaronb said:


> You are adding zero value though..


Less than 0 really


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## urbanbumpkin (Jan 30, 2013)

Hi Peter

Sorry to poo poo your idea but I'm not convinced.

You'd be better off sticking your Peter Piper in the bags.


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

Why not go a stage further and talk to a roaster who has the spare capacity to roast for you and white label them. Only have a couple of blends that can be to your own taste and design, giving you the niche you wish. Make the bags as jazzy etc as you like, and market away. Then the client is still getting a freshly roasted bean etc etc


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## Thecatlinux (Mar 10, 2014)

Don't bother, i can't see how you'll make any money from this venture . But If you think you have a massive customer base for commodity coffee go for it , If you think people buy speciality coffee because of its label or how the packaging looks I'm afraid you are sadly mistaken .

Speciality coffee is produced by roasters who have gained a reputation through time from blood ,sweat and tears .

Good luck if you think you think you will get repeat customers, surely a basic principle in your marketing strategy as you seem to be well away if all you have left to consider is the packaging .

Oh yeah don't dont forget your logistics .

im also out


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## 7493 (May 29, 2014)

A much better idea @dfk41 ! You could do that to test the water, then start your roasting business proper if you get the sales results to justify it.


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## Jumbo Ratty (Jan 12, 2015)

Peterpiper said:


> Hi Guys & Girls.
> 
> Looking at starting a new online business after I get back off my holiday in November.
> 
> I've been researching on and off for last 6 years


Have I seen your business plan before ?

Is part of your USP that you will give a percentage to charity ?


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## djedga (Apr 22, 2015)

dfk41 said:


> Why not go a stage further and talk to a roaster who has the spare capacity to roast for you and white label them. Only have a couple of blends that can be to your own taste and design, giving you the niche you wish. Make the bags as jazzy etc as you like, and market away. Then the client is still getting a freshly roasted bean etc etc


This

'working closely with renowned roasters to bring you unique beans and roast profiles only available to me is much better than 'buying and opening some beans then reselling them in a different bag to give you... Nothing unique'

better business model, more saleable, more original. Could even work with multiple roasters...


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## Peterpiper (Oct 16, 2015)

Researching roasting my own beans then flavour i.e rum, whisky, chocolate etc


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## Peterpiper (Oct 16, 2015)

Jumbo Ratty said:


> Have I seen your business plan before ?
> 
> Is part of your USP that you will give a percentage to charity ?


I've never posted it on here before but yes there was a percentage going to a couple of charities, don't think you would have seen it before though


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## aaronb (Nov 16, 2012)

Peterpiper said:


> Researching roasting my own beans then flavour i.e rum, whisky, chocolate etc


ugh.

This is a specialty coffee forum, you're in the wrong place.


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## Peterpiper (Oct 16, 2015)

aaronb said:


> ugh.
> 
> This is a specialty coffee forum, you're in the wrong place.


Flavoured coffee beans is a specialty, you still drink it not the sweet.

That's a future plan on top of coffee beans that I want to bring to the market. Thanks to the couple of ppl that gave advice I've now been in touch with 3 white label roasters from England hopefully they will be in touch and will be able to bring me a few different roasts to the market hopefully I can launch before Christmas I'll let you guys know.

Thank you all once again.


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## aaronb (Nov 16, 2012)

Peterpiper said:


> Flavoured coffee beans is a specialty, you still drink it not the sweet.
> 
> That's a future plan on top of coffee beans that I want to bring to the market. Thanks to the couple of ppl that gave advice I've now been in touch with 3 white label roasters from England hopefully they will be in touch and will be able to bring me a few different roasts to the market hopefully I can launch before Christmas I'll let you guys know.
> 
> Thank you all once again.


No, single origin coffee's that score 85+ points on a cupping table due to their natural taste are specialty coffee's.

Look at roasters like SquareMile, HasBean, Foundry and all the other recommended ones in the beans subforum.

If you flavoured these you would be committing a horrible crime, but you wont be because of the price.

You are looking at the opposite end of the market, commodity coffee that is cheap and lacks interesting natural flavours, and scores far below 85 on a cupping table.


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## h1udd (Sep 1, 2015)

20 years ago I was working out in Columbus Ohio ... Flavoured coffees were all the rage ... Tasted discusting, but the Americans seem to like them .... Never seen it over here though, so as a money making scheme the op might be on to something. As a crime to coffee he is definately on to something .. But crime does pay !!!


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## Eyedee (Sep 13, 2010)

Surely the only reason to flavour coffee is because the base product tastes like crap.

Ian


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## h1udd (Sep 1, 2015)

The smell is good ... So you could buy flavoured beans and pop them straight in your bin so each time you open the lid you get a nice coffee cinnamon smell masking the fish skin and rotting chicken bones


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## pirate (Mar 22, 2015)

I'll maybe buy some from you and rebrand them again.


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

flavoured beans are nothing new. This is a classic case of someone with no speciality, meaning our sort of speciality, coffee. leave him alone to get on with it. He has taken some abuse and has gone away with a couple of ideas. Just because the purists on here do not agree with it, there is still no reason he should not try.

A business idea needs thought through, planned etc etc. Look at Ebay. Plenty of flavoured beans there and recently on Gumtree up here, someone was trying to sell their franchise. They are widely available, just like Nespresso capsules that we might not like either but in truth a lot more capsules get sold every week than freshly roasted beans!


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## Peterpiper (Oct 16, 2015)

pirate said:


> I'll maybe buy some from you and rebrand them again.


I'll let you know the brand


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## Peterpiper (Oct 16, 2015)

dfk41 said:


> flavoured beans are nothing new. This is a classic case of someone with no speciality, meaning our sort of speciality, coffee. leave him alone to get on with it. He has taken some abuse and has gone away with a couple of ideas. Just because the purists on here do not agree with it, there is still no reason he should not try.
> 
> A business idea needs thought through, planned etc etc. Look at Ebay. Plenty of flavoured beans there and recently on Gumtree up here, someone was trying to sell their franchise. They are widely available, just like Nespresso capsules that we might not like either but in truth a lot more capsules get sold every week than freshly roasted beans!


Like I said it's a future plan that may never happen I just notice a small company pop up in Nottingham doing 25+ flavours and he was doing really well so it was a thought but nothing solid I know it's a crime but if there's a market for it why would I turn down easy money?


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## Yes Row (Jan 23, 2013)

Maybe call it Troll Coffee?

I find it hard to believe a person would come here to ask about repackaging flavoured beans

Maybe I am just too cynical?


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## Peterpiper (Oct 16, 2015)

Yes Row said:


> Maybe call it Troll Coffee?
> 
> I find it hard to believe a person would come here to ask about repackaging flavoured beans
> 
> Maybe I am just too cynical?


I didn't ask about repackaging flavoured coffee I asked about repackaging coffee beans I wasn't aware that this was a forum about specialty coffee I thought it was a coffee forum it was an idea I had a couple of years ago I was asking for ppls advice I've took the abuse lol come out with better ideas, which I have acted on so we will have to see


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## Jumbo Ratty (Jan 12, 2015)

Jumbo Ratty said:


> Have I seen your business plan before ?
> 
> Is part of your USP that you will give a percentage to charity ?





Peterpiper said:


> I've never posted it on here before but yes there was a percentage going to a couple of charities, don't think you would have seen it before though


How could I have known about your USP, ESP, or simply my omnipresence


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## jkb89 (Dec 10, 2014)

Another one firmly in the 'it's a **** idea' camp - me thinks you're asking in the wrong place chap, and I very much doubt you'll find any custom here.

Best of luck - maybe try it on something bigger first, take the Kia badge off, whack on a BMW one - quids in. (No offence to kia owners...)


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## Peterpiper (Oct 16, 2015)

Jumbo Ratty said:


> How could I have known about your USP, ESP, or simply my omnipresence


Lucky guess :/


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