Mike Turner on growing a tea brand with heart – Small Business Retail Sessions (S1E3)

Welcome to the Small Business Retail Sessions podcast, brought to you by Enterprise Nation's Powering the High Street programme, in collaboration with EDF.

This series explores the major challenges that today's retailers are facing – from declining footfall and vacant shop-fronts to the post-pandemic recovery and increasing demand for sustainability.

Episode three: Mike Turner, Bird & Blend Tea Co.

In episode three of the series, we're joined by Mike Turner, co-founder of Bird & Blend Tea Co.

Bird & Blend Tea Co. is a creative, purpose-led tea brand that has grown from humble beginnings in a bedroom to 25 UK high-street stores and an international online business.

With co-founder Krisi Smith, Mike launched the business in 2012 with a mission to make tea fun, sustainable and community-driven. The brand is also a proud B Corp and a strong advocate for values-led business.

In this episode, Mike shares the brand's journey from start-up to national retail success, the importance of customer experience and how sustainability, empowerment and gut instinct continue to shape the company's growth.

Topics discussed in the episode

• How Bird & Blend grew from market stalls to 25 high-street shops

• The importance of testing, learning and taking calculated risks

• Creating memorable, experience-led retail environments

• Why empowered teams are at the heart of customer experience

• Building a business rooted in values, sustainability and community impact

• Becoming a B Corp and using it as a tool to guide better decision-making

• Balancing scale with purpose – growing at the right pace for the right reasons

• Navigating supply chain complexities and the realities of sustainable sourcing

• How staying true to your gut can lead to your best business decisions

• Advice for entrepreneurs who want to build mission-driven retail brands

Watch the video podcast

Listen to the audio podcast

Where to listen, watch and subscribe

You can also listen on other platforms and Enterprise Nation.

You can watch and subscribe to the podcast on YouTube.

Bringing new energy to the UK's high-street businesses

We're helping small businesses thrive on the high street – through expert support, smart energy advice and practical tools to grow sustainably. Get free support now