Ten or so years ago, if someone asked what type of tea you enjoy, you might have described a simple beverage containing milk and sugar, while debating whether or not a Twix or Hobnob was on the cards. Okay, I’m sure you drank green tea then too, and the classic English tea certainly hasn’t died out either, but Britain’s sacred past-time had barely been tinkered with, let alone expanded upon. Fast forward to 2018 though, and it’s a different story.
With 60 billion (yes, billion) cups of tea consumed in Britain every year, the tea industry has never been shy of consumer uptake, if not addiction, but things have changed in the past ten years. The aromatic industry has exploded with flavours such as Sushi & Spice, Orange & Root, Coco & Joe, and even “The Big Smoke”. They’re not made up, they’re fully available, and yes, The Big Smoke is a black, cloudy tea. They’re also a small taste of what’s available from GIG’s latest Provider, Roqberry.
By what they like to call “blending the rules”, Roqberry are the very definition of tea lovers, creators and innovators. Their exciting array of teas are as incredible as the very names they bestow upon them, and as relative newcomers to the market, their passion and quality of tea is quickly gaining reputation.
In building their brand and sharing teas like ‘S’Mores’ and ‘Jasmine Dragon Pearls’ (we’re intrigued too), we sat down with Roqberry’s owner, Kim Havelaar, to learn a bit more about her growing tea empire and how she’s diversified her employment strategy with temp staff.
Tell us a bit about Roqberry?
Roqberry was founded in London last year to bring big flavour to tea for tea lovers and foodies alike. We pick high-quality ingredients for their distinct flavours. Then we do the blending and packing by hand in the UK. We take inspiration from world cuisine and offer both unique flavoured blends as well as top quality artisan varieties. If you love flavour and appreciate quality, Roqberry is for you.
As a retailer with a strong online base, how important has it been having a physical presence through pop-ups and events?
Our company is all about flavour. At the end of the day, there is no better way for customers to discover that than to taste it for themselves. The immediate and spontaneous reactions you get from customers trying your product is priceless and very fulfilling.
Face-to-face interaction with customers gives you the opportunity to tell the story behind the brand and give them personal recommendations on flavours they might enjoy. Pop-ups and festivals, like the Taste of London we did last month, provide this interaction and allows us to quickly engage with fellow tea lovers.
What sort of staffing challenges do you often face, especially when it comes to events and promotional projects?
Events and promotional projects require extra staff on often an ad hoc and one-off basis and finding the high-quality staff quickly and flexibly can be tricky. With everything else that needs organising for a pop or event, finding services such as GIG, that can provide temporary staff at a moment’s notice, is a huge help!
What drew Roqberry to using GIG specifically?
What I specifically liked about GIG is that my account manager, Tatiana, knew the candidates personally and was able to give me informed recommendations. She was very efficient as a point of contact, following up with myself as well as the candidates to ensure all was running smoothly.
It didn’t happen but if any of my temp staff would have unexpectedly not been able to make it, I have no doubts that she would have sorted me out very quickly.
How was your most recent experience using GIG Seekers?
We recently used a number of GIG Seekers for a well-known food festival in London and both GIG Seekers were great to work with. One Seeker especially, Tugce, was very proactive in offering help where she saw it needed. She had a very positive can-do attitude and made it no problem to stay a bit longer than planned to help with break-down post-event.
Last but not least, what’s in store for Roqberry next?
It’s a busy year ahead as we continue to grow our product collection and physical presence. We have just launched our new range of summer flavours, which are proving to be very popular!
Interested in finding out how flexible, on-demand temp staff can help your business? Get in touch with sales@gigtogig.co.uk learn more.