Up your tea game and buy from these five small businesses
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Posted: Fri 19th Apr 2024
While Britain may be a nation of tea lovers, we don't agree on much when it comes to making the perfect cuppa.
Putting aside whether you're a MIF (milk in first) or TIF (tea in first); to celebrate National Tea Day, we take a look at five superb small businesses, owned and run by Enterprise Nation members, that are sure to meet all your brewing needs.
1. Small & Wild
Founded by Becky Coletto and Kate Towers in 2017
These founders first bonded over their love for tea when they were pregnant with their second babies. However, they were also growing increasingly frustrated about the current children's drinks options on the market and felt like it was often a choice between lots of sugar or artificial sweeteners and additives.
Kate explains in an interview with Enterprise Nation:
"One day the penny dropped and we realised that herbal and fruit teas made for children could provide a healthy, natural and delicious answer to this. So we decided to share our passion for tea with our small people and set out creating blends that were especially for little taste buds.
"We found master tea blenders to partner with, a fantastic design agency for our branding and soon the idea became a business."
There are four tea blends to choose from, or you can get all four and also something for grown-ups. You can find them in cafes, delis, food shops and online marketplaces, such as Joules and Not on the High Street, as well as Ocado and Amazon.
2. THEENK TEA
Founded by Karolina Ba in 2019
Karolina has garnered quite a loyal following since launching in 2019. The idea first came about when she was looking for a long-term solution to take care of her mental health and wellbeing.
"I'm from Poland, and we use herbal teas for different ailments and purposes. I started to research and use herbs in different methods. Some were more successful than others but then I started to feel better. I was able to create a daily routine to support my mental health."
Working with a nutritionist and clinical herbalist, she created the 21-day programme of three distinct herbal tea blends for different stages of the day.
THEENK TEA is supplied by Selfridges, Virgin Experience Days and has also made it onto the shelves of Holland & Barrett.
3. Tea Huggers
Founded by Esther Thompson in 2013
Four bouts of tonsillitis, 10 years mulling over the idea and a little nudge from Enterprise Nation's StartUp Saturday one-day business class gave Esther the confidence to launch healthy tea brand, Tea Huggers.
"Fortunately I have a few friends who have launched very successful businesses so I used them as a sounding board.
"When my business plan was in decent shape I managed to speak to some experts in the industry who helped me refine my ideas and strengthen the proposition. I went through so many different versions of the business plan but each time it became stronger and stronger."
The business officially launched in December 2013 when Esther hired a master tea blender who helped design the tea range and source the ingredients.
The range of 13 teas is available in outlets, such as Selfridges, Partridges and across the country in farm shops, delis and health food shops.
4. Two Spoons
Founded by Mark Lawson and Giles Oakley in 2020
Starting their careers at Tetley, the two friends have travelled the world and tasted more than a million teas. After leaving the corporate world, they joined forces to create Two Spoons.
Mark tells Enterprise Nation:
"We decided to launch our tea brand, Two Spoons, named after the tools of our trade – our tasting spoons.
Tea is a bit of an unsung hero, so we wanted to tell its story and the passion that goes into your daily cuppa."
5. Bird & Blend Tea Co
Founded by Krisi Smith and Mike Turner in 2013
Like most great businesses, the duo started theirs by packing tea in their bedroom and attending markets.
Now with a team of over 180, 17 stores (and counting) across the UK and a thriving international online store, Bird & Blend is leading the way in tea innovation in the UK.
On a podcast with Enterprise Nation, Krisi discusses the reasons behind the business's crowdfunding success (raising £364,000 in 24 hours) and why it was a good idea to turn down the big four supermarkets.
Are you looking to follow in the footsteps of these brilliant small businesses?
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