Take a leaf from this home-grown gourmet tea brand

To most, it's a comforting beverage to pair with freshly baked scones. But a lot of thought has actually gone into each cup of tea from Tea Ideas.

Instead of teabags, for instance, the brand uses innovative non-drip "wands" made of fully recyclable food-grade aluminium foil.

Its Gyokuro green tea is sourced from a Japanese farm that shares Tea Ideas' passion for sustainability, where solar energy is used to power the farm and tea leaves are recycled as compost.

It is no wonder that Tea Ideas achieved a Distinction in last year's Brands For Good 2020 awards, under the Business For Good category.

Interestingly, the company had a serendipitous start. After more than a decade in the banking industry, founder Jacinta Ong, 44, decided to pursue something different: selling healthy gourmet tea.

Tea Ideas takes pride in the quality of its products. Its antioxidant-packed Gyokuro green tea, for example, is offered in powdered form instead of loose leaf, as this concentrates both its taste and nutritional benefits.

This reputation for quality draws customers, even though Tea Ideas, which has two outlets, has not done any advertising since it opened in 2012. Instead, it generates 90 per cent of its sales through roadshows.

No one is 'left behind'

Tea Ideas' operating model would have continued to work well for Ms Ong and her husband, Albert Tan, who is also the brand's co-founder, if not for the Covid-19 pandemic and its impact on Singapore's retail sector.

Yet, while the couple realised the need to "accelerate the digitalisation of the company", they were also concerned that the business transformation would pose a challenge to their staff, whom Ms Ong worries will be "left behind". This group of employees had joined the company's tea appreciation workshops several years ago - they enjoyed the experience so much, they had accepted full-time positions at Tea Ideas.

Today, this "founding" team continues to work at Tea Ideas, where every individual is welcome, regardless of his or her age. Except for one team member, who is 57 years old, the rest are all above the age of 60.

Ms Ong says: "I didn't want to push them too hard. It was important that we pace the changes and ensure that every step is explained to all of them." This "slow and steady" approach worked. Tea Ideas has now trained every member of its team on how to handle cashless payment and electronic point-of-sale systems via mobile apps.

While most companies find people to fit their jobs, Tea Ideas does it the other way round: shaping jobs to suit its people.

You won't find large-sized 1.5-litre kettles at Tea Ideas as they are too heavy, when full, for the elderly employees to manage. Instead, appliances tend to be smaller. Also, lightweight trolleys are used for transporting items on the shop floor.

During the phase two reopening, working hours were adjusted for these staff - as they belong to a segment vulnerable to the coronavirus - so that they could avoid the peak hour commute.

Recognising her team's efforts

Ms Ong hosts quarterly dinners and alcohol-free "happy hours" to bond with her small and tight-knit team.

The company's values, she says, are "authenticity, creativity and tenacity". With those in mind, she created the Celebri-Tea Awards to celebrate her staff's "unique strengths and contributions".

The awards, which are handed out on special occasions, take on a humorous tone. "Doesn't Want Frontline Job Initially, Now She is Ms Vasantham!", says the engraving on one trophy. An award for the cool cucumber of the team says: "Steady Pom Pi Pi", while another award lauds an employee's transformation from "Being a Cocoon to Being a Beautiful Butterfly - Able to Demo Tea Confidently to Customers!"

There is always something brewing at Tea Ideas. In the works are diabetic-friendly cookies and portable nitro cold-brew tea and coffee. For its staff, Tea Ideas is exploring a senior-friendly app that can help it organise work schedules while allowing employees the flexibility to attend to personal commitments.

https://www.brandsforgood.asia/tea