Global London

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  Michael Victoros

  Cofounder, Tea Tease
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  Michael Victoros

The challenge

Before joining the Global London Programme, Tea Tease faced several key challenges:

• Funding: limited capital slowed the company's growth and restricted its ability to expand production, marketing and distribution efforts.
• Market entry: competing in retail markets dominated by established brands made it difficult to secure partnerships and retail space.
• Lack of mentorship: without industry mentors, navigating the complexities of scaling and international expansion was challenging.

How Global London helped

For Cofounder Michael Victoros, Global London provided invaluable support, highlighting the following aspects of the programme:

• Personalised support through one-to-one sessions: this provided guidance tailored to the business’ needs and helped clarify strategies for market entry.
• Attending insightful workshops and trade missions: one of these was to Amsterdam, where Michael gained a firsthand introduction to the foodservice market and connected with key industry contacts.

Our impact

“Overall, the Global London Programme has equipped Tea Tease with the tools and connections essential for scaling and exploring new markets” said Michael.

Specifically, since joining the programme, the company has implemented several strategic changes:

• Refined market entry strategy: focused on targeting specific European markets, beginning with the Netherlands, leveraging insights gained during the Amsterdam trade mission.
• New retail partnerships: initiated discussions with potential retail and distribution partners to expand our presence in both the UK and Europe.
• Brand positioning and marketing: adjusted branding to emphasise the company’s unique cultural blends, setting it apart in the competitive tea market and appealing more directly to international consumers.

These changes have set a clear path for growth, preparing Tea Tease to scale effectively in new markets.

Kwerky 

Kwerky, a product by The Good Pea Co., is a powdered blend of oat and pea protein that can be used as a milk alternative in hot drinks, smoothies and cereal bowls.

It is designed to be environmentally friendly, because it’s sold as a powder in pouches, it is lighter and easier to store and transport than regular milk cartons. Each 1kg pouch can produce 10 litres of milk, which helps reduce carbon emissions during production and transportation.

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  Nikki Garg

  Cofounder & CEO, Kwerky
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  Nikki Garg

The challenge

Before participating in the programme, Kwerky was dealing with a manufacturing issue it had encountered with its existing product range, while simultaneously launching a new product range.

It also had limited experience in the food and beverage industry, and particularly in expanding overseas. To help it overcome this hurdle, it needed to seek the advice of business advisors and mentors.

Kwerky Cofounder Nikki Garg was participating in Buy Women Built, an initiative for female founders run by Newable and JP Morgan, and a fellow member introduced her to the Global London programme.

How Global London helped

Through Global London, which provides tailored advice to London-based businesses looking to break into the international market, Nikki met business advisor Paul Heritage.

“Not only did he have a wealth of experience in branding, launching new products, and managing teams in the food industry, but he was also always on hand to provide much needed advice, either over the phone or in person,” said Nikki.

Ahead of the product launch, Heritage helped Kwerky:

• Refine its brand proposition.
• Communicate the product to new and existing customers.
• Advise on the design of Kwerky’s packaging.
• Helped the brand source a great and affordable venue for the launch event.
• Voted for Kwerky to attend a trade mission to the Netherlands that allowed it to connect with potential export partners and gain insights into the Dutch market.

Our impact

As a result of participating in Global London, Kwerky has been able to nail down its brand values and proposition and to ensure that these ideas remain at the heart of every decision it makes.

Finally, when Nikki became a finalist in the JPM Founders Forward Perfect Pitch programme, Paul helped her hone her pitch and, ultimately, win the event.

Nikki said “Paul has been a great sounding board and advisor and challenged us to think deeper and more strategically. This has meant that we truly are a purpose-led business that focuses on impact, as opposed to just selling a product.”