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Professional Spotlight
Cultivating a Unique
Company Culture
Mike believes that the secret to Bird
& Blend's success lies in its people.
"We're a team of tea geeks,
dreamers, and doers. Our culture is
open, supportive, and a bit quirky—
just like our blends! We encourage
everyone to bring ideas to the table,
take risks, and have fun."
He emphasises the importance of
diversity and inclusion. "Tea is
universal—it brings together people
from all walks of life. We want our
team and our community to reflect
that."
The Bird & Blend tea Innovation at the Heart
wall of flavours
of the Brand
Mike is quick to acknowledge that
innovation is the lifeblood of Bird &
Alongside experimenting with tea blends, Blend. "The tea market in the UK is
Mike & his partner were attending local centuries old, but that doesn't mean
markets to build the brand. Living on the we can't reinvent it. We're constantly
south coast of England allowed them to look experimenting with new flavours,
for their first retail premises. Their first shop seasonal specials, and limited-edition
was in North Laine, Brighton.
blends."
Building a Community of Some of Bird & Blend's most popular
Tea Lovers creations include 'MojiTEA' (inspired
by the mojito cocktail) and
One of the defining features of Bird & Blend 'Gingerbread Chai'. "Our team loves
is its passionate community. "Tea has always to push boundaries. Sometimes a
brought people together," says Mike. "But we blend won't work, and that's okay—
wanted to push that further. Our stores aren't it's all part of the process. The
just shops—they're spaces for people to important thing is to have fun and
discover, learn, and play with tea." keep evolving."
The company's in-store events, tasting
workshops, and interactive blending sessions
have become legendary among tea fans. Mike
explains, "We invite our customers to create
their own blends, ask questions, and be part
of the process. That's how you build loyalty—
not just by selling a product, but by inspiring
curiosity and connection."
JULY/AUGUST. 2025 | ISSUE 43
