TEA+, the Harrogate manufacturer of vitamin-infused teas that was featured on the BBC’s Dragon’s Den, is on target to triple its sales to £700,000 this year after expansion into new overseas markets.

Run by husband and wife team James and Jade Dawson, TEA+ appeared on BBC’s Dragon’s Den last year and successfully secured investment from competition judge and chief executive of vitamin manufacturer Vitabiotics Tej Lalvani.

Having launched only three years ago, TEA+ has already agreed deals with major retailers in the UAE, the US, Mexico and New Zealand. It is also talking to buyers in Canada, Iceland, Australia and the Netherlands. In the UK, it is stocked by major retailers such as Boots, Superdrug and Holland and Barrett.

The firm’s overseas expansion has been supported by International Trade Advisers (ITAs) working as part of the Food is GREAT campaign.

As well as introducing TEA+ to buyers and trade authorities in Mexico, ITAs also helped the company with credit checks on potential buyers, giving the tea manufacturer security with its cashflow. TEA+ products are now sold in 200 pharmacies in Mexico, generating over £50,000 worth of sales.

TEA+ founder, James Dawson, was also a delegate on a Northern Powerhouse trade mission this year, organised by the Food is GREAT campaign to the International Food Exhibition in London. At IFE, ITAs arranged for James to have one-to-one meetings with buyers from Canada, Germany and the Netherlands.

James said: “Our vitamin-infused teas are unique in the global marketplace, making us a hit with retailers and consumers. And with tea being the second most consumed drink in the world, the potential for us is enormous.

“Finding trusted overseas buyers, learning what we can and can’t put on our packaging in each market, and conducting credit checks on customers are just some of the hurdles we‘ve been able to overcome on our export journey with support from DIT. Our local ITAs at DIT have helped us in each of these areas, which has made the process of exporting much smoother and more straightforward.
“For any businesses new to exporting, getting yourself to trade shows is a great place to start. If we can make a success of exporting, so can you.”

Mark Robson, head of regions, Yorkshire & the Humber at DIT, added: “Perhaps best known for our love of tea, the UK is also renowned for the quality of our food and drink products. TEA+ has successfully capitalised on this with its unique, innovative teas – and by taking advantage of the support available from DIT to get firms exporting.

“Overseas sales of Yorkshire & the Humber food and drink totalled £1.2bn in the year up to March 2019, a 4% rise on the previous 12-month period. With exports rising, we’d encourage other Yorkshire businesses to get in touch and see how we can help with everything from attending your first trade show to securing your first international contract.”