Tea Academy launched by Suki Teahouse in Belfast

Ireland's first Tea Academy has been established by award winning boutique blender Suki Teahouse in Belfast. The innovative academy is part of a £250,000 investment by the successful tea company to meet the growing demand, especially outside Northern Ireland, for its wide range of teas and infusions.

The company is also introducing new blending and packaging equipment as part of the investment programme.

The specially developed workshop and demonstration tasting laboratory are being used by the company for business customers including delis and chefs to learn more about teas and infusions and to work with Suki in creating bespoke blends.

Oscar Woolley, Suki Teahouse managing director, says: "The introduction of the Tea Academy is a logical extension of the work we've been doing over recent years to brief chefs and staff in delis, independents and cafes about what sets our tea and business approach apart from competitors.

"We are developing a series of courses in-house in Belfast and will be offering opportunities to customers in both retail and foodservice to learn more about teas, tea growing and our developing portfolio of teas. We will also work closely with them in creating blends with them to meet the growth in demand for different teas.

"This is also an ideal way for us to extend our relationships with customers and gain feedback that will enable us to respond fast to market trends. Our flexibility, versatility and response times will also be improved by the new production equipment being installed and by an extension of our warehouse," he adds.

The company, established by Mr Woolley and business partner Anne Irwin, has experienced steady year-on-year growth since its formation in 2005, saw sales, including internet business, rise by 25 per cent, last year.

Around 80 per cent of sales for its existing portfolio of 45 teas comes from customers outside Northern Ireland. The quality and variety of Suki's teas have produced a series of awards including Great Taste Awards from the UK Guild of Fine Food. In addition to sales in Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland, Suki exports team to Japan, Poland and Africa.