The Rare Team

About what we do 

We are a small, highly dedicated team working out of a Georgian townhouse in Farringdon, London. Rare Tea doesn’t have a physical shop or storefront. Through our website, we offer global access to the best tea in the world.

We supply tea to the world’s leaders in hospitality and directly to your door.

We build the route to market for our farmers - often based in marginalised and hard to reach gardens. We work outside the commodity markets of brokers and auctions in a rather revolutionary direct trade model. Rare Tea champions responsible and ethical relationships across our partnerships, replacing industrial tea bags, waste, and exploitation with the highest quality leaves.

Our ambition is to live and work in a world that appreciates the people and craft that make great tea, in the same way fine wine is valued. We hope to lead the way, not just for loose leaf tea appreciation, but in how we value tea communities behind these lovely leaves. In this way, we hope tea gardens will flourish like vineyards and tea communities will not just survive but thrive. 

Meet the team

CEO and Founder (Glorious Leader)

Henrietta Lovell

Trailblazer.  Author.  Businesswoman.

Champion of tea and the people who grow it.

Doesn't take no for an answer.

Favourite Tea - can't choose (they're all like children to her).

Follow her on Instagram

Finance Director

Louise

Mom to 3 little boys so permanently exhausted.

Loved scuba diving PC (pre-children).

Favourite Tea - Silver Tip White Tea

Chief Operating Officer

Kathi

German.  Very German.

Favourite Tea - ALL THE OOLONGS

HEAD OF SALES

Jack

A sea-urchin diver in a previous life.

Keen practiser of "Acro-Yoga", whatever that is.

Has a very itchy dog, Spyro (who occasionally joins us in the office).

Favourite Tea - Nepali Himalayan Spring & Tarry Lapsang Souchong

Bookkeeper

Beena

Actual number wizard; can reconcile most transactions with her eyes closed.

Holds record for longest Rare Tea commute.

Favourite Tea - Rare Masala Chai

CTO (Chief Tea Officer)

James

Builds computers and servers in his spare time.  Occasionally cycles across countries for fun.  Likes the kind of music that makes your Gran scared.

Was made to make tea for Henrietta on his first day (has never forgotten the terror).

Favourite Tea - Rare Chinese Keemun

Operations & Logistics

Will

Will likes nothing more than playing the sax with no-one around and drinking mild ale (not at the same time, although that would be impressive.)

Also enjoys reading ridiculous comics, baking bread, eating bread.

Favourite tea - Silver Tip White

Sales & Development

Maxwell

Very good at watching films. Big fan of fish & chips, and swimming whenever the opportunity presents itself. Spends most of his money following Cambridge United up and down the country, for his sins. 

Frowns whilst cooking.

Favourite tea - Rare Pipachá Oolong

Social Media & Marketing

Ian

Artist (and vampire) in residence.

Fancy collaborating with us? Get in touch directly with Ian at id@rareteacompany.com

Favourite tea - Waikato Black

Customer Service // Sales & Development

Stella

Multi-faceted customer support and sales dynamo.  She even has her own podcast where she interviewed Henrietta.

If you ever want to hear passion, just ask her about ice-cream (after tea, of course)...

Favourite teas - Sunset Oolong and Hojicha Toasted Matcha.

Customer Service // Operations

Thomas

Is Thomas the nicest person in the world?  Maybe.

Does Thomas listen to offbeat Japanese jazz fusion funk guitarists?  Sometimes.

Is Thomas really really good at Customer Support and Operations? Definitely.

Favourite teas - Da Hong Pao and Golden Lily Milk Oolong?

Customer Service

Grace

Incredibly Northern, but clearly happy to eschew Yorkshire tea for the rarer varieties.

Grace has the most wonderful ability to make anything sound like a double entrendre with absolutely no intention.

Favourite teas - Sunset Oolong and Honeybush.

Customer Service

Allegra

Part of the rock-solid customer support foundations at Rare Tea, with a side gig in design too.

Spent her childhood in India so very well-versed in all things tea, even before she started.  Allegra is doing an MA in Psychotherapy as well as holding down a full-time job - phew! 

Favourite tea - Bhutan Black