Bird + Blend Tea Co. Raises £1MIL+ In Exchange For ‘EquiTEA’

Bird & Blend Tea Co. (the UK’s leading independent tea mixologists) have raised over £1 million in investment on Crowdcube: 1,800+ investors, in just 30 days…

With a target of £500,000, the brand has smashed through the £1 million ceiling.

The investment raised in this second round (their first round was raised in 2017) will support the company’s local high street expansion, investment into the development of their innovative range of flavours, AND the growth of their communiTEA, via a digital innovation strategy.

All in all, investors support(ed) the brands vision to spread happiness, to reimagine tea (by championing the concept of tea mixology), AND the delivery of meaningful, impactful, ethical, and sustainably-led initiatives, – alongside their retail expansion (the business plans to launch four new stores per year, one of which includes their first ever Scottish store, which is opening soon).

Mike Turner, the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Bird & Blend Tea Co. said: “I think I speak for the whole of our team when I say that we are humbled by the level of investment, and by how many of our customers, friends and Tea Birds have chosen to invest in us, and our vision. It’s exciting that we can invite them to join us in the next stage of our journey.“

“This level of funding will support our strategy of developing our e-commerce experience, plus allow for more investment into local high streets, delivering our new hybrid model further around the UK, whilst creating more local community hubs (where customers can come to make connections with one another and our team, and enjoy interacting with our teas). For us, there will always be a place for magical in-person experiences,” he added.

Bird & Blend Tea Co. plans to introduce the concept of tea-mixology to tea lovers around the world, via experiential activity and events, as well as the launch of new innovative flavour combinations and mixes, AND unique gifting items. There’s also been a discussion about the additional investment into their digital innovation and customer experience (a.k.a. the first tea experience app offering an innovative product builder).

The brand is also undertaking impactful environmental, social and governance projects. For instance, since they launched their ChariTEA Programme in 2014, they’ve supported over 30 worthwhile causes (each nominated by a team member), – which so far, has resulted in over £37,682 donated to charity.

In addition to this, they’ve also committed the Bird & Blend Tea Co. to become a net-zero carbon company, achieving a B Corp status for the brand, AND they’ve contributed to the planting of over 40,000 trees through the World Preservation Fund.

“Whilst tea itself is at the core of our business, the planet and the people on it, – are just as important as the financial profit, and the experiences they seek. A proportion of this raise is ring-fenced for sustainability projects, which is a huge priority for the whole Bird & Blend Tea Co. family,” said Krisi Smith, the Co-Founder and Chief Mixologist at Bird & Blend Tea Co.

As part of this crowdfunding round, over 1800 investment perks (aka EquiTEA) will be issued, which includes the perk of becoming an official Tea-Taster, exclusive access to a private ‘tea lovers’ website, personalised tea-consultations (“create your own blend” sessions with their Chief Mixologist and Co-Founder Krisi Smith), exclusive invitations to special events (private tours, and a dinner with friends), AND other Founder perks.

Bird & Blend Tea Co. is an independent, award-winning tea company that’s on a mission to reimagine the Great British brew. After years of working in the tea industry and studying politics at university, Krisi Smith and her partner, Mike Turner decided to use their passion for tea to create their own innovative, top-quality blends. The couple started the business from their bedroom in 2012, – packing tea, and attending markets to sell their exciting creations.

After building their brand from scratch, Krisi and Mike now have a growing team, and a thriving online store. Now employing over 125 across their stores, headquarters, and ecommerce site, they’re projected to turnover £30M+ over the next three financial years.

Leading the way in British tea innovation, the brand now features the country’s largest range of creative blends (100+ flavours), using a wide range of ingredients including herbs, flowers, fruits, caramels, and chocolate.

As well as online, the Bird & Blend Tea Co. also retails via 14 UK-wide stores based in Brighton, Bristol, Cardiff, Exeter, Manchester, Norwich, Nottingham, Oxford, Tunbridge Wells, Worthing, and in London sites: Angel, Borough, and Portobello. They also attend festivals, and they run educational Tea Mixology workshops.

Find out more here: https://www.birdandblendtea.com