A specialist tea merchant who sources rare and unusual varieties of the beverage has opened a cafe in the city with the help of a finance provider.
The Estate Tea Company was launched in 2014 by Tom Webb, following a project he worked on while studying at Northumbria University. The company works with single estate tea growers in countries including India, Japan, China, Sri Lanka and Taiwan as well as blending its own variations of popular brews.
Having opened a café in Gateshead, Mr Webb relocated to larger premises in Heaton, Newcastle, converting a former plumbers’ merchant. Having been declined funding from a high street bank, he turned to not-for-profit Finance For Enterprise for the funding needed to upgrade its kitchen equipment and refurbish the empty space.
