Tea shop closed by protest booms online

A former City worker’s ethical tea company has become a huge success, despite being put out of business a year ago.

Daren Spence, 38, co-owner of We Are Tea, is expecting a turnover of £1.1 million and growth of 300 per cent this year from his online company which sells whole-leaf tea sourced from farmers in India and China.

Last year he was forced to shut his tea shop near St Paul’s Cathedral after protesters from the Occupy movement blocked customers from visiting. Mr Spence believes they thought his independent shop was a large chain like Starbucks.

The business, owned by Mr Spence and his wife Suzanne who live in Queen’s Park, has been redeveloped into an online shop, with their products stocked in Tesco.

He said: “We used all the experience and credibility we gained in the tea shop to good use for the online store. Luckily, we had some loyal customers who supported our journey.”