Family business Coleman's offers next day delivery on groceries

Its usual business is as a soft drink distributor but the coronavirus lockdown has seen the company move into the groceries market.

Dan Coleman, director at the family business, said: “Due to our contacts at the likes of Coca Cola, Heineken, Carlsberg, Cadbury, Nestle, Kellogg’s and Heinz I have been able to secure lines that supermarkets have run low on and where I can’t I have used contacts in a similar position who sell to the same customers we do to purchase their stocks to sell to homes products such as cleaning products flour pasta etc

“I have teamed up with local suppliers as much as I can to ensure we use fresh local products where possible.”

Ordering through the website Dan and his team offer a next day service.

“This is so people that cannot go out don’t have to worry about running low on supplies,” he said.

“It is also helping 1000s of people stay at home as one van a week can cover 250 deliveries, but this can go up as we have a fleet of 20 vans.

“We are also where we can supporting local front line workers with donations to the Conquest and the DGH we have donated bottled water when asked fruit and veg, and hand soaps when asked.

“We are always happy to oblige where we can for such good causes and hard working people.”

He added: “I have even suggested that when this all goes away we would like to put a big party on for the front line services where they can all come and have a drink on us after all I have an awful lot of spare beer to shift.”

The business was set up in 1962 by Dan’s grandfather who started it by selling 7UP door to door in the Old Town, building up business to incorporate manufacturer of his own lemonade and soft drinks.

From one man in the late 70s and early 80s it turned in a large multi site operation employing more than 300 people across four sites in Sussex and Kent.

In the early 90s Dan’s father David took the reins.

Dan said: “Although manufacture had ceased it continued to serve customers throughout the countys in a wholesale capacity but on a smaller scale from one site he continues to do this however since myself and my brother stepped up we have reintroduced the manufacture of gas bottles and an installation service in the forms of seller gas and crystal dispensing.”

Through the three companies the family owns they have employed more than 2000 people locally over 58 years of trading.

Dan added: “This a service I would very much like to continue after the madness subside to help people feel more relaxed rather than be hassled around in the shops and I am always looking for ways to improve products offered by suggestions from customers.”

For more information, visit colemansabc.co.uk

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