I’M A DAD, a lover of the visual arts, a foodie, a creative, and a risk-taker. I’m also co-founder and commercial director of SUKI – Tea Makers. SUKI started as the product of a conversation between myself and my mate Annie as we strolled through a park one September morning in 2004. There, we shook on a plan to revolutionise tea, one leaf at a time, and so SUKI – Tea Makers was born.
The company began at a small Farmer’s Market in Belfast before we toured the island of Ireland selling the teas at markets, craft fairs and music festivals. Having a strong brand identity and keeping true to our goals was the focus from the outset. Growth was slow to start but our determination began to pay off, as SUKI became the first online tea shop based in Northern Ireland.
At SUKI – Tea Makers we pride ourselves on ethically sourcing and blending loose leaf teas, herbal infusions and fruit blends from all over the world. We are committed to responsible sourcing, great taste and delivering the very best customer experiences.
We are fiercely proud of what we have accomplished so far and as we embark on our 15th year in the industry, I am extremely grateful every day for the opportunities that SUKI brings. I enjoy what I do immensely and bringing new tea and flavour experiences to people is what gets me up in the morning.
SUKI is led by amazing customer loyalty and our dedicated team and I’d love to use this platform to thank each and every customer who has supported SUKI over the last 15 years. . . here’s to the next 15!
Covid-19 lockdown
Recent months have been challenging for many companies operating in the hospitality industry but for SUKI, the decision to keep operations running was an easy one. We asked ourselves, do people want to buy tea online? The answer was yes, and they wanted it more than ever before.
Despite cafés closing and a number of our supply networks drying up, we turned our focus to the online community. This has grown at a fast pace over the last few months and continues to do so.
As SUKI has been able to continue delivering tea to people across the country, I have been so busy and I have appreciated this sense of normality. The situation we have all found ourselves in over the last few months has given me a sense of calm; I’ve been able to take stock and look at what matters in life and work. It’s made me re-prioritise a lot. I have also squeezed some weekend painting in, just to keep up with the neighbours, as they prettied their gardens.
The future for SUKI looks bright – we plan to pick up where we left off with our trade and wholesale customers before lockdown. Our focus will continue to be looking after our customers and delivering on our promises to ensure customer confidence.
Challenging the norm
With over 15 years’ experience at the traditional end of the tea market, we decided we had the vision, the curiosity and the confidence to explore new tea experiences. We are now taking on the country’s favourite fizzy drinks brands with the launch of two new sparkling iced teas – SUKI’s Sparkling Tea Infusions, available in ‘Black Tea and Peach’ and ‘White Tea, Apple and Elderflower’ flavours. We like to see ourselves as a company challenging the norm.
Our sparking teas are made using real brewed leaf teas with no essences, no extracts, no artificial flavourings and no added sugar. The varieties are created using hand-picked tea leaves, botanicals and natural fruit juices. They make great cocktail mixers and we’ve come up with some super easy recipes that you can try at home – we all know that no sunny evening in the garden is complete without a cocktail in hand. Enjoy!
‘Teaquila’ Elderflower Fizz
Sparkling tequila – what’s not to like? Combining a squeeze of zesty lemon with punchy Tequila and the more mellow notes of apple and elderflower makes TEAquila Elderflower Fizz the perfect Summer cocktail.
Ingredients
125ml SUKI Sparkling Tea Infusions – White Tea, Apple & Elderflower
35ml Tequila
1 Lemon
Ice
Method
Pour 35ml of tequila into a glass of cubed ice
Squeeze your lemon into the glass
Top up with SUKI Sparkling Tea Infusions – White Tea, Apple & Elderflower
Garnish with a fresh lemon slice and enjoy
White Tea Apple Spritz
To elevate a glass of your favourite white wine, add a top-up of sparkling iced tea. Not only is the combination exceedingly easy to execute, but also altogether delicious – think a spritzer, with a twist.
Ingredients
SUKI Sparkling Tea Infusions – White Tea, Apple & Elderflower
White wine
Lots of ice
Method
Add ice to a chilled glass
Pour 200ml of white wine
Top with SUKI Sparkling Tea Infusions – White Tea, Apple & Elderflower
Whiskey Black Tea Punch
Whiskey Black Tea Punch is a sophisticated cocktail that’s an absolute treat for the palate. Adding SUKI Sparkling Tea Infusions in Black Tea and Peach to an Irish Whiskey such as Bushmills Black Bush highlights the rich flavours in the whiskey and finishes the experience with a satisfying fizz.
Ingredients
Ice
250ml SUKI Sparkling Tea Infusions – Black Tea and Peach
50ml whiskey – we recommend Bushmills Black Bush
Peach slices
Method
Add ice to a chilled glass
Add 50ml whiskey
Top with SUKI Sparkling Tea Infusions – Black Tea and Peach
Add peach slices, sit back and savour
Oscar Woolley is the co-founder and commercial director of SUKI – Tea Makers. Find out more at suki-tea.com or @sukitea /@sukisparkling.
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