Small business brews up success with big flavours

Fortnum & Mason pick up ‘wonderful’ drink for their tearoom

“IT’S NOT all doom and gloom for small businesses” says local West Drayton business owner John Wombwell.

John runs a Thai tea business called Daokrajai Lanna Fine Teas which he says recognises the true power of Thai tea.

Working directly with a tea-growing estate in Thailand, John sells his tea worldwide and has started making waves across the globe.

John last spoke to the Uxbridge Gazette in early 2015, when his business was in its infancy, so we caught up with him to see how Daokrajai Lanna is getting on.

“It’s been a rollercoaster of a year and as with any start-up it’s all out of my own pocket. There have been dark days and good days but overall it has been a success.”

John says that Daokrajai Lanna has already made a massive impact on fellow tea lovers in the past year, with a big interest at events such as Taste of London and the Thailand Festival. “There was a lot of interest so I sent an email to Fortnum & Mason. It had been two weeks after sending them samples so I gave them a call to see how things were going and he said the tea was wonderful and that the tea will start being served.

“This is such a nice feather in my cap and conversation has already started regarding quantities in store.”

The Thai tea selection will soon be sold on shelves in Fortnum & Mason and in the tea room. James Jobling, head of tea at Rington’s,