Tell us a bit about the history of the business?

Founded in 2010, English Tea Shop Organic embarked on a mission to work directly with farmers, moving away from the traditional shared auction system. The brand’s philosophy is rooted in the Sri Lankan term ‘Prajãva,’ meaning community, which underpins its mission: Love & Prosperity through Community. In 2016, the company pioneered a unique business model centered on Creating Shared Value, aiming to empower everyone in the value chain. Additionally, it launched an Open Book Management culture inspired by the Great Game of Business to empower its employees. In 2020, English Tea Shop received the Queen’s Award for Sustainable Development in recognition of its efforts. Today, the company is 30% employee-owned, holds B-Corp certification, and has earned the Mother and Child-Friendly Seal from the Centre for Child Rights & Business, affirming its commitment to its mission.

What are some of your key products?

Our key product ranges include:

• Your Everyday Range: Featuring classics such as English Breakfast, Earl Grey, Superberries, Rooibos, and Cocoa & Vanilla.
• Super Goodness Range: A collection of teas crafted with rich botanicals and herbs. Products include Ceylon Cinnamon and Mighty Matcha and more.

Our exclusive gifting ranges are:

• Moments Range: Designed to make shared moments more special, from Motherly Moments to Thank You Moments.
• Advent Calendars: Offering a variety of Tea Advent Calendars to make Christmas extra special.

What will you be showcasing at Speciality & Fine Food Fair this year?

This year, we are thrilled to introduce our new Christmas Advent Calendars, including the Sachet Advent Calendar. Designed like a magazine and lightweight, this advent calendar is perfect for travellers and comes with 24 tantalizing blends for the season.

Why was it important for English Tea Shop to achieve B Corp certification?

English Tea Shop’s mission is to create an empowering tea revolution for everyone in the value chain, from farmers and employees to the wider community. Achieving B-Corp certification in 2022, with a score of 117.8, validates our commitment to high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. This milestone not only highlights our remarkable achievements over the years but also identifies areas for improvement, reinforcing our dedication to becoming a sustainable business and a force for good for the planet and its people.

How does the business approach working with farmers?

We work directly with 1,428 organic small-scale farmers across seven farming communities in Sri Lanka. Committed to bridging the gap between farmers and businesses, we have adopted unique approaches to collaborate with farmers. A key approach is our CSV (Creating Shared Value) approach, which aims to achieve economic, environmental, and social benefits throughout the value chain. Our primary goal is to improve farmers' livelihoods, enhance their knowledge, and promote sustainable and profitable organic farming through training programs and ongoing support.

What sets English Tea Shop apart from the competition?

• 100% organic teas sourced from small-scale organic farmers
• A unique business model focused on sustainability to bridge the gap between brands and farmers through Creating Shared Value
• Meaningful tea gifts to create shared moments
• Superior taste and variety (Developed through a unique taste quadrant system)
• Transparency through Blockchain Technology to show the farm-to-cup journey of teas from farmer information, and packaging dates to ingredient information
• Eco-friendly packaging

To find out more about English Tea Shop visit their website here.