FOOD + DRINK
REGINALD AMES TO MR AMES
KENT ’ S BEST KEPT SECRET
THE BEST KEPT SECRET IN TEA IS OFFICIALLY OUT . AND GUESS WHAT ? IT ’ S BEEN HIDING RIGHT HERE IN KENT . AFTER 113 YEARS , insideKENT CAN NOW ‘ SPILL THE TEA ’ ON THIS SPECIALIST TEA BLENDER , WHICH IS FAR MORE THAN A STORM IN A TEACUP .
2020 ’ s lockdowns have seen many brand new business ventures unfold , from at-home bread baking kit suppliers to sustainable loungewear brands , the unexpected time on our hands has resulted in many entrepreneurial dreams becoming a reality . Other businesses have had to adapt and overcome , branching out to develop new products to suit an altered way of life , and for some , 2020 ’ s strangeness has been the inspiration behind getting the wheels in motion for beginning something you were always meant to do . This was the case for Reginald Ames Tea Merchants and Brokers , ( www . reginaldames . co . uk ) who have been sourcing , blending , packing and supplying tea to a wide range of customers , including prestigious brands , hoteliers , catering outlets , supermarkets and shop chains , as well as a multitude of independent stores for over 110 years since the company first began in 1909 .
With their knowledge and expertise brewing for all this time and a drop in hospitality venues purchasing tea , 2020 saw the launch of Mr . Ames Tea ( www . mramestea . com ) a collection of the company ’ s nine most magnificent and favoured blends , now available for individual customers to buy directly . This , whether they knew it or not , was in fact perfect timing for Mr . Ames , as according to the UK Tea and Infusions Association ( www . tea . co . uk ) ‘ an independent survey of more than 2,000 adults across the UK , commissioned by the UKTIA ( the UK Tea and Infusions Association ) – the authority on tea – has found that younger adults have rediscovered their love of tea during lockdown ,’ with a whopping 86 percent of adults in the UK now being confirmed tea drinkers . Commenting on the survey , Dr Sharon Hall from the UKTIA , suggested that the ’ feel good ’ factor behind tea was the reason for so many of us upping our tea intake , followed by ‘ hydration and the opportunity to socialise with family and friends ’. This is something that the insideKENT editorial team were able to confirm when we visited Mr . Ames headquarters in Tonbridge .
NICK GANDON
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