Lincoln-based Tea and Coffee firm doing all the right things!
Stokes Tea & Coffee all began in 1892 when Robert William Stokes moved to Lincoln, then in 1902, he began selling tea and coffee. Over 120 years later, Stokes Tea & Coffee are flourishing under the leadership of Robert’s great-grandson, Nick Peel. The company has made some incredible strides and are committed to being eco-friendly. They’re installing a cutting-edge heating system that will not only cut carbon emissions by more than a third but enable the company to reduce energy usage and harness solar power too.
The new system is being installed at Stokes’ HQ at the Lawn Building (‘the top of town’) where the company moved in 2017 following an extensive £2million refurbishment and restoration project.
Nick Peel is the fourth generation in the family at Stokes Tea & Coffee to take the reins as MD. He Said: “We want to minimise environmental impacts in all areas wherever possible including waste, water, energy and air quality and even though we have been around for well over a century we are constantly innovating to help solve modern-day problems including climate change.”
In an article with East Midlands Business Link - Stokes Project Manager - Andy Jackson commented:
“We’re pleased to see the installation of our new Viessmann boilers which are so efficient we only need two instead of the previous three and each boiler is 30% more efficient which means even less energy usage and emissions. It’s clever too, as it has weather compensation equipment installed which monitors changing external temperatures and automatically adjusts output. This information can be collected, and adjustments made remotely to improve efficiency and we won’t even know it’s been done.
“The new system can be set up to heat specific zones or rooms rather than the whole building, and it’s also capable of collecting and using solar energy to heat water – so the scope for further savings on emissions and wastage is huge!
“We are striving to make our Grade II* listed Lawn Building into an eco-showcase location to help share knowledge and experience in waste and emission reduction with anyone who has the challenges of owning or occupying historical buildings like ours.”
Business Imp Founder - Tom Stansfield first met Nick Peel four years ago and before Stokes moved it's HQ to the Lawn and it’s fair to say that the business has continued to go from strength to strength.
For those that don’t know, Stokes provides wholesale solutions as well as having its coffee available in various locations around Lincoln and well beyond.
Stokes aren’t just ticking all the right boxes when it comes to sustainability but they are also doing lots to support various different communities in and around Lincolnshire.
Most recently, Stokes became sponsors of the national mental health charity, Mind & PWSA UK, as well as getting involved in the C2C2C, (Coast to Castle to Coast), a Lincolnshire charity 100-mile bike ride!
Globally, they focus on sourcing ethically and responsibly and support organisations like Fairtrade International, the Rainforest Alliance and Coffee Kids - a charity giving better healthcare and education to youngsters in developing nations.
They are clearly focused on looking after the environment, local communities and their team. What an incredibly forward-thinking and responsible organisation. Well done Stokes and thank you, Nick.
