So you want to be a supplier?
If you’re genuinely interested in supplying Eden, it is important that you understand how we operate, the decision making process we go through and what we look for from our suppliers.
Our policies here are quite straightforward – everything we do must be economically viable, socially acceptable and environmentally sound – and we expect the same of our suppliers and their supply chains. Our criteria are not onerous and are only what you would naturally expect Eden to be striving to achieve. The good news is that they will also be of sound benefit to your business, now and in the future because it’s all about sustainability.
With regard to our catering operations for example, we have four key sourcing priorities – Quality, Price, Seasonality and Cornishness. This means we strive to use Cornish products as a first choice and Cornish suppliers as a second; where neither can supply the quality or quantity we seek, we will then work in pro-active ways to raise standards and production locally, so that we can revert to Cornish supplies with confidence at the earliest opportunity.
Our retail area is slightly more complicated in that we are looking for things to sell that help us to tell stories to our visitors when they return home. What we sell at Eden largely embodies what we stand for – real life examples of better products that meet demanding environmental standards which may be sourced on our own doorstep or from communities from much further a field.
At Eden we’re seeking to do things differently and we’re always keen to encourage and support our suppliers to pursue sustainable best practice as well as satisfying the traditional benchmarks of good quality, competitive price & outstanding service.
Let’s look one simple example regarding the delivery of goods and consider the issues and the thought process we might go through.
