Bird & Blend Tea Co. opens first store in Sheffield
Independent tea company Bird & Blend Tea Co., arrives in Sheffield with a tea-licious bang.
Sheffield is the 20th retail store in its portfolio, following recent openings in Canterbury and Newcastle, and its launch on to the UK high street 11 years ago in 2013.
Creating at least 6 new jobs that will be an integral part of the imaginative and magical customer journey offered in store, Bird & Blend Tea Co. create a fun, interactive in-store experience, mixing award winning tea-based drinks. Flavours as inventive as Birthday Cake and MojiTEA to Chocolate Digestives, alongside firm favourites Builders Breakfast Brew, Earl Grey Crème and many more will be available. The new Store Manager and Assistant Manager head up the team, supported by 4 tea mixologist roles.
Retail stores are the heart of Bird & Blend Tea Co., alongside its successful ecommerce business, and in addition to mixing tea, the Sheffield team will also host live free Matcha tea demos, offer a tea matching service, showcase new and innovative flavour combinations, run mixology masterclasses, events and so much more.
Sustainability is at the forefront of the brand, always with thought behind its product range, stores and the every day running of Bird & Blend. To celebrate the opening of the Sheffield store, Bird & Blend has created its first Sustainability Grant and Mentoring Programme, offering a local business their advice and a cash fund to inject into the improvement of their organisations impact on people and planet.
To apply for the for the £500 Sustainability Grant and Mentoring Programme* which includes a session with Mike Turner, Co-Founder and MD Bird & Blend, and a separate Sustainability Consultation with Cush Bennett, Ethics & Sustainability Auditor/B Corp Lead, local businesses can simply apply online.
With its arrival in Sheffield, the team at the new store has nominated a local charity and has chosen The Archer Project as its charity of the quarter, raising money for vulnerable people in the city, supporting those in need to develop their independence and improve their wellbeing. In store fundraising activities to raise funds and 50% of the in store profits of store blend, Sheffield Allsorts, will be donated.
Bird & Blend Tea Co. was founded by Krisi Smith and Mike Turner, who met at university. Beginning their story packing tea in their bedroom and attending markets, building Bird & Blend Tea Co. from scratch. Now with a wonderfully diverse team, multiple retail stores & a thriving international online store, the brand is leading the way in tea innovation in the UK; creating a range of over 100 exciting tea flavours by blending ingredients including herbs, flowers, fruits, caramel, chocolate…& even cake sprinkles.
Mike Turner, Co-Founder & Managing Director of Bird & Blend Tea Co. said, “Customer experience is at the heart of everything we do. Alongside the fast growth of the digital side of our business, we’re proudly continuing to invest in local high streets too. As a brand we seek out locations where we believe we align, the regeneration in Sheffield City Centre is remarkable and we wanted to be a part of that. We see our stores as not just retail spaces, but as 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 and we’re delighted to be arriving in Sheffield.”
Cllr Ben Miskell, Chair of the Transport, Regeneration and Climate Policy Committee at Sheffield City Council, said, “We are delighted to welcome Bird & Blend to Sheffield. It’s a company that has a strong reputation for attractive, quirky stores and will create a perfect fit for the rustic corner unit in Laycock House.
“It’s fantastic to see so many brilliant businesses choosing to open their stores within our Heart of the City development, continuing with the high-quality mix of national and independent retailers. All together, we are ensuring that visitors to our city centre, along with residents, are able to enjoy a varied, exciting and inspiring experience. It’s clear that our vision to transform the city centre is bringing about more jobs and helping to boost economic growth in the city.”
Open now, the store will showcase its range of teas, and the largest Matcha tea range that can be found in the UK, via its bespoke Tea Wall display, alongside the wide range of tea tools and utensils and its takeaway tea bar. The store will even run its own award-winning Mixology Workshops, where guests can learn all about tea and even blend their own to take home!
The store opens on 6th September. The official opening party will be on the 26th September where the first 50 customers will receive an exclusive Sheffield tote bag and lots of free tea. The winner of the Sustainability Grant and Mentoring Programme will also be announced! The first 20 customers will also receive a sample of Sheffield store blend, Sheffield Allsorts, a special black tea blend with coconut & colourful flowers with a hint of liquorice, just like a bag of the city’s classic confectionery.
The Bird & Blend Sheffield store is at Units B6 and B7, Heart of the City Development, Pinstone Street, Sheffield City Centre, S1 2HP.
