Jim Moran, Moran Beverage Services founder

Feb 16 2010 by Jez Davison, Evening Gazete

TEESSIDER Jim Moran has gone through a legal wrangle and lashings of sub-standard coffee to build his Middlesbrough business. Jez Davison met him.

JIM Moran sees the irony of selling a product he used to detest.

For years the chirpy Teessider drank "diabolical" espressos before hitting on the high-quality version that has quenched the thirst of his Middlesbrough business.

Today Moran Beverage Services generates annual sales of £500,000 by importing one of Italy’s favourite drinks and supplying it to more than 100 hotels, restaurants and cafes throughout the North-east.

Now Jim is preparing to extend the Italian influence across Teesside by developing his Caffe Vinci brand - a silky-smooth blend of Arabica and Robusta beans - with expert coffee bean roasters in Northern Italy.

"No-one knows how to make it apart from the Italians," says Jim. "For years I never knew it could taste so good."

He’s confident that Teessiders share his growing appetite for the palette-sharpening cuppa that has made outlets such as Starbucks and Costa Coffee a major hit in Britain.

Although these two brands have flooded the market since the cafe culture became vogue in the 1990s, Jim claims he still has plenty to go at - especially with the industry holding strong in a tidal-wave economic downturn.

Last year UK coffee shop sales were up a recession-busting 6% to £1.63bn, with the market forecast to grow by 4.4% per annum by 2012.

Globally, coffee is a giant industry employing more than 20m people with more than 400bn cups consumed every year.

This vast river is a potential goldmine for Jim, who is confident of doubling turnover and recruiting more staff on Teesside.

Optimism sits naturally with the battle-hardened Middlesbrough lad, who rarely takes no for an answer.