Supplier Spotlight: New Forest Tea Company

Posted on by Adam Page

We got “the tea” from one of our local suppliers which launched in lockdown and continues to “pour out” success.

Sorry, we’ll stop with the tea puns!

We caught up with Lyndhurst-based New Forest Tea Company to talk about what it was like starting a business during a pandemic and their secret to success.

Put the kettle on!

New Forest Tea Company started in 2021 during lockdown, but the owners Ian and Kelly ran two successful tea lounges in Lyndhurst for 10 years. They also work alongside their faithful pet dog Gracie who has the very important title of Head of Tails and Barketing!

“We had a clear plan of what we wanted to achieve from the start” Ian said. “although we have maintained our core approach we have evolved to add new elements to the business such as our travelling tea chest.”

Gracie oversees all tails and barketing!

Those living locally to the New Forest may well have seen the tea chest at several fairs and festivals – and that means Ian and Kelly can bring great tasting tea, wherever you may be!

And, it’s not just getting outdoors the New Forest Tea-m love to do, but they love to play their part in keeping all that air fresh too. The company is extremely aware of its environmental footprint – one of many reasons why they make such great suppliers to Welcome stores.

“Our main focus in addition to quality products is to make sure we “Leave no Trace”” Ian explains. “With this in mind all our tea pyramids are made from plant based material, are plastic free, compostable and are pressure sealed thus ensuring a minimal environmental impact.

“Plus, the outer packaging is also home compostable once the labels are removed. All our teas are ethically sourced and we pride ourselves on the fact that our tea pyramids contain the same quality tea as our loose leaf collection offers. As a family run, New Forest business we also offer high quality customer service along with free local delivery.”

For a company that started up during the 2021 lockdown, the New Forest Tea company has gone from strength to strength – and secured its first accolade at the New Forest Brilliance in Business Awards.

Ian said: “We were delighted to be voted as Best New Business after just 6 months of trading. We also came second at the Local Producer area in the New Forest Show with our tea chest.”

On working with Welcome stores, Ian added: “We have also been delighted to be stocked and served by numerous New Forest businesses and beyond. The support that Welcome shows for local businesses should be a model for all local supermarkets as it allows customers to see that local suppliers do it best!”

The New Forest Tea Company has kindly offered Welcome stores customers a discount on online orders – simply head to newforestteacompany.com/shop and when you get to the checkout enter welcome10 as a promo code.

Keep an eye out for the new 12th blend going live in September – we’ll certainly be enjoying a cup or two!

Supplier spotlight: New Forest Fruit Company

Posted on by Adam Page

It’s June! And the time is “ripe” for soft fruits. In our latest supplier spotlight, we spoke to East Boldre’s New Forest Fruit about sustainability pledges, technology-firsts to introduce new ways of farming using traditional methods, and even robot pickers.

Nestled in the heart of the beautiful New Forest National Park, there is a special kind of fruit farm, aptly called New Forest Fruit. The farm is situated over three sites which span eighty hectares.

CEO Sandy Booth

New Forest Fruit is now in its thirteenth year of trading

The main crop is strawberries, which are sold to leading supermarkets, local farm shops, restaurants and greengrocers. A small amount of raspberries and blueberries are also grown, but these are only sold locally. The company is led by owner Sandy Booth who has been involved with NFF since 2008, fully taking over as CEO in 2018. Sandy’s team consists of several close-knit departments that cover every aspect of the business and give the company the feel of being family-run.

Like many businesses, the New Forest Fruit farm is embracing technology

It became the first company in the UK to be involved in trials of traceability technology – a process that allows businesses to track food at every single stage of the production process. They also use robots used to apply a UV treatment for mildew at night. Not only is technology being used to improve and enhance the soft fruit but it’s also helped address other areas of the business too.

New Forest Fruit is trialling robot pickers!

It means the fruit can be picked at the perfect time, and the business isn’t hindered by labour shortages – something else that affects so many fruit farms like theirs. Being a home-grown British fruit farm, the team at New Forest Fruit takes its eco-friendly pledge very seriously. The company recently produced a sustainability report to highlight all the measures implemented to support this.

The environment is at the heart of all the decisions made

Some of these measures include a management system for all the hedgerows on the farm so that wildlife corridors are maintained and can provide shelter. This includes laying 240m of hedgerow this year. There are also bat and bird boxes around the farm. This season there have been 3000 apple trees planted to promote the biosphere in and around the farm. Three on-site reservoirs to ensure it uses its water supply, which limits the amount that’s taken from the rivers. Plus, rain gutters on the strawberry tunnels feed directly back to the reservoir. The farm uses Integrated Farm Management, which is marrying traditional techniques of farming with the latest innovations and enabling a whole farm approach.

Plus a brand new product has been launched this month that uses any second-class fruit which is turned into a delicious ‘pulsed’ dried strawberry snack! Pulsed dried is special as these berries will rehydrate when added to a glass of champagne, sparkling wine or gin & tonic. They also come in compostable packaging.

Photo credit: Monika Grabkowska

These are available to buy in Welcome Brockenhurst and more information is available at newforestfruitsnacks.com

If that wasn’t enough, the farm has also invested in three electric vehicles and two electric forklifts. Some on-site solar panels provide electricity to the Packshed and they recycle and reuse everything they can – all the coir from the strawberry crops is reused for the early-season asparagus.

What is the best thing about working with Welcome Stores?

“Welcome genuinely champions other local businesses and has created little hubs across the forest for people to access local produce. Also, their business values regarding sustainability and the environment align with the values held at NFF. Both businesses want to protect the environment.”

You can find New Forest Fruit’s juicy, perfectly ripe sweet-scented strawberries & also the brand new Pulsed Strawberry snacks on sale at your local Welcome store. You can also learn more about New Forest Fruit on newforestfruit.com or newforestfruitsnacks.com.    

Could you volunteer your time?

Posted on by Adam Page

Time. It’s underrated, but as a commodity, it’s our most precious supply – and just like any commodity, it can make all the difference to those who need it most.

We loved our volunteering time at Mayfield Nurseries recently, organised by our charity partner, Solent Mind (you can read more about it here) but we also like to make sure we are supporting our local communities in every way we can.

This Bank Holiday Monday has been given as extra time off, in the hope it will be given to community projects that really matter. Of course, this doesn’t have to be a one-off, the hope is that people may enjoy volunteering enough that they want to do it more frequently.

So here’s three tips from us for any first-timers out there willing to give it a go!

1. Choose something you enjoy

Do you love animals? Are you a keen gardener? Like to run? There are jobs out there for everyone and a great place to start might be your local community notice board – we have them up in our Welcome Stores – or check out your local social media pages. 

You could also ask around your neighbours or put a post in a Facebook group or Nextdoor online notice board, to see if anyone can recommend someone who is looking for someone just like you!

2. Use it as a chance to upskill

If you’re feeling brave, why not try something new and learn something new? You might pick up a handy crafting skill, improve IT knowledge or customer service, which you can then add to your CV or use to improve your existing job skills.

3. Bring your friends – and find new ones!

Many volunteers have said they get a great sense of belonging from their volunteering projects and tend to make some great new friends. Not only is it a great way to broaden your social circle, you can find like-minded others who might be interested in pursuing other interests with you – even if that’s a coffee and a nice walk out in the countryside somewhere!

We hope you have a great Bank Holiday, whatever you choose to do! Don’t forget to send us your pics and tag us on our social media pages – and make sure you pop us a follow while you’re there!