Member Article

Northumberland Tea bag new Tesco contracts in the North West

Jack Charlton-backed Northumberland Tea have secured further shelf space in 38 of Tesco’s North West stores, just weeks after launching.

Bill and Helen Logan’s brand, which featured recently on Bdaily, now sell their special triple blend of Assam, Kenyan and Sri Lankan (Ceylonese) teas in nearly 250 major high street and smaller independent retail outlets.

The pair created the brand to raise money for the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation.

A percentage of the profits from the sale of every box of 80 teabags sold goes’ to the cancer charity based at Newcastle’s Freeman Hospital.

Bill Logan said: “We are thrilled to be extending Northumberland Tea’s reach over the Pennines to the North West, particularly with the brotherly Charlton connection with Jack fronting the tea brand and Bobby having played for Manchester United, and the great affection we know there is everywhere for the late Sir Bobby Robson and his foundation which is doing so much to help fight cancer.

“Both Helen’s parents died from cancer and her father Michael took part in the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation cancer trials before sadly passing away at the age of 70 in 2011, so it is a charity we feel very close to and are honoured to support through sales of Northumberland Tea.”

Helen, 45, and Bill, 56, who live just outside Corbridge, Northumberland, added: “We were delighted to get into 66 North East Tesco stores in mid-February and hadn’t anticipated seeing the tea rolled out across Cumbria, Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Cheshire less than a month later.

“But it has, which shows not just the strength of the Northumberland Tea brand but the quality of the product too. We want to see Northumberland Tea become as big as Yorkshire Tea here in the UK and the Tesco tie-in is a fantastic start to achieving that dream.

“We are exceptionally pleased that Tesco has chosen to work with us and to stock our tea.”

The couple, who used to run a chain of coffee shops across the North of England, have also added a number of new independent outlets to their growing portfolio of stockists in the last few weeks, including Allendale Co-operative, The Lavender Tearooms at Etal Village, New Market Nibbles and The CurlyFarmer, both Morpeth, and The Old Stables, Alnwick.

It takes the number of stand-alone shops, cafes and restaurants between Berwick and Harrogate now carrying the tea to 141, with more expected to come on board in the coming weeks.

The Tesco link-up marks the biggest deal yet for the Logans’ beverage, which is marketed under the taglines ‘The best cup since 1966,’ alluding to the part Jack Charlton played in England’s famous World Cup win, and ‘Made for Northumbrians…and tea lovers everywhere.’

Helen added: “Tesco recognises that we are passionate about producing the freshest and highest quality product and that people do want to support local and ensure there is a thriving local economy.”

The couple are now working on perfecting a new Early Grey blend – the great British reformer’s ancestral seat was at Howick Hall near Alnwick, Northumberland – with a view to launching it onto the market this summer.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .