It is with a very heavy heart that we have taken the difficult decision to permanently close our retail shop in Covent Garden.

Since our business was founded by my grandfather and his two brothers in 1936, Drury have always had a retail presence in central London and so we do not take this decision lightly at all.

However, it is a fact of life that with the changing shopping habits of UK consumers and the devastating impact of the Covid 19 pandemic on the retail industry, the future of specialist shops like ours is uncertain and difficult.

Many of you will know that Drury are a key supplier of tea and coffee to the UK hospitality industry, and we must now focus our efforts and resources on this part of our business together with our online shop, in order to continue providing the very best products to both our retail and commercial customers.

We have already moved our retail division across to our head office in the Royal Arsenal, and we are continuing to make every effort to improve and enhance our online shop to make ordering easier and more efficient. However, we do not intend to be an internet-only business. Drury always has, and will continue to be, a family business and this is reflected in the attitude and integrity of all my colleagues, particularly in the retail division. I know that many of you have spoken to Karen, our shop manager, on the telephone over the past few months and it has been particularly gratifying for me to hear the warmth and engagement in her voice (we occupy adjacent offices) as she greets old customers on the phone.

We are working hard on savings in other areas of the business with the hope that all of Karen’s colleagues will have a place with us as we grow our retail business online. With the fantastic support we’ve had from customers both old and new since March 2020 this is looking more like a probable outcome, rather than a vain wish.

I know from the messages of support and concern we’ve received during this terrible pandemic that many of you will be very upset to read these words, but please believe me when I say that it is by far the hardest decision that I’ve had to make in my 32 year career with Drury Tea & Coffee. However, above everything else it is my duty to ensure that our 84 year old family business carries on, and continues to supply Britain with the very best tea and coffee it can. In order to do that we must take this next step, however difficult it is.

Should any of you wish to contact me regarding this please do not hesitate to email me on marco@drurycoffee.com or write to me at:

The Drury Tea & Coffee Company Ltd,
46/47, iO Centre, Armstrong Road,
Royal Arsenal Riverside,
London, SE18 6AT.

With many thanks for your continued support,

Marco Olmi

Managing Director

Drury have launched our catering cartons of 100 bags to retail customers. Made with real leaf tea and infusions our biodegradable pyramids really are completely delicious and with all 35 varieties now available in boxes of 100 (saving you a minimum of 4 pence per bag) there’s no excuse not to get stocked up.

Brewing Bundles – spreading the joy of tea and coffee.

Introducing our great value tea and coffee bundles – a fantastic way to enjoy (or share) the joy of our delicious teas and coffees while you’re stuck in the house. We’ve put together some of our most popular products and bundled them up with some hardware and treats, and then applied a fabulous discount to make them more accessible than ever.

You can order one for yourself, or if you know a friend or relative that’s missing out on a splendid cup of tea and coffee during this difficult time why not gift it to them, simply select a different delivery address during checkout.

Please browse our selection below and happy brewing!

Have you tried our delicious new one cup coffee bags yet? They’re just like a tea bag, except with coffee! Available as a Rainforest Alliance certified Arabica and a Swiss Water Process decaf, we’re supplying them to top quality hotels and luxury B & Bs across the country.

• Rainforest Alliance Certified Arabica Coffee
• Swiss Water Decaffeinated Coffee

Available in:-

• 15's Acetate Boxes ( Both Blends )
• 50's Bulk Pack ( Rainforest Alliance Arabica Only )

Click here to see all products

With Christmas drawing nearer, our tea department has once again started to blend our fantastic Christmas Tea pyramid tea bags. Apple, orange and Christmas spices enhance the finest black tea to create a warming, festive tea perfect for cold days this holiday, with scents of cinnamon and cloves to get all into a merry mood.

This year we have created a brand new Drury Christmas Tea cocktail: Christmas in Manhattan. Infuse American bourbon with our Christmas Tea and mix with sweet vermouth and orange bitters for your own fairytale of New York. Impress family and friends with this sweet and spicy festive cocktail.

Christmas in Manhattan

45ml Bourbon infused with Drury Christmas Tea

45ml Sweet Vermouth

dash orange bitters

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake vigorously. Serve in a cocktail glass with a cocktail cherry.

To make Christmas tea infused bourbon: Infuse two pyramid tea bags in 250ml bourbon for 60 minutes. Squeeze tea bag well and discard.

Drury Blend 33 is a delicious hot chocolate drink that’s made with 33% cocoa solids for a truly luxurious treat.It’s designed to be prepared with hot milk for a really rich flavour and texture, and it’s suitable for vegans (using soy or almond milk) and coeliacs.

It’s that time of year when we start blending our delicious Christmas Tea pyramid tea bags. A mix of the finest black tea blended with apple, orange and Christmas spices, it is warmly aromatic and spicy, with the rich scent of cinnamon and cloves.

Our Christmas Tea pyramid tea bags don’t just make a great cup of tea, they also help make the perfect Christmas cocktail. All you need to do is infuse one Drury Christmas pyramid teabag in your chosen spirit for at least 60 minutes, then squeeze the teabag well and discard.

This year we have once again teamed up with our friends at Artis to create two festive cocktails. Served in their gorgeous Libbey vintage 1924 glassware, we think either of these would make the perfect tipple to serve at any Christmas party.

SAINT NICK’S SIDECAR

This is a take on the famous Sidecar cocktail

2 measures Christmas tea-infused brandy

1 measure Triple sec

1 measure Lemon juice

Method: Shake all the ingredients with ice and serve in an ice-filled vintage 1924 cocktail glass. Garnish with a dehydrated orange slice.

WINTER WONDERLAND

A decadent nod to the Brandy Alexander

1 measure Christmas tea-infused brandy

1 measure Crème de cacao

1 measure Single cream

Freshly ground nutmeg

Method: Shake all the ingredients over ice and serve in a vintage 1924 cocktail glass. Top with a dusting of nutmeg.

Our Christmas Tea pyramid tea bags cost £3.95 per 15 and are available now at www.shopdrury.com

Our Christmas Tea Pyramids don’t just make a great cup of tea, they also help make the perfect festive tipple! We’ve teamed up with specialist glass and barware supplier Artis to showcase two seasonal cocktails that will put the sparkle into your Christmas celebrations.

The Yuletide Bramble is made with Christmas Tea infused gin and crème de mûre, whilst A Highland Christmas is a heady mixture of Christmas Tea infused Scotch, Dundee orange marmalade and bitters. Both are truly delicious and have the distinctive taste of the Christmas spices and fruits that feature in our Christmas Tea.

The Yuletide Bramble

1 Drury Christmas Tea Pyramid Bag

2oz Gin

1/2oz Lime Juice

1/2oz Crème de Mûre

1/2oz Simple Syrup

6 Blackberries

Lime Wedge

Infuse 1 Drury Christmas Tea pyramid bag in gin for 30 to 60 minutes, squeeze well and discard tea bag. Muddle 3 blackberries with gin, add other ingredients and shake well with ice. Strain into an ice filled glass and garnish with 3 remaining blackberries and lime wedge.

To purchase our Drury Chrsitmas Pyramid Tea Bags please click link.

A Highland Christmas

1 Drury Christmas Tea pyramid bag

2oz good quality Scotch Whisky

1 tsp Dundee Orange Marmalade

3 dashes Angostura Bitters

3-4oz Club Soda

Orange Slice

Infuse 1 Drury Christmas Tea pyramid bag in whisky for 30 to 60 minutes, squeeze well and discard tea bag. Muddle marmalade with scotch, add bitters and shake well with ice. Strain into an ice filled glass, top with soda and garnish with orange slice.

To purchase our Drury Chrsitmas Pyramid Tea Bags please click link.

For more details of the wonderful range of cocktails glasses available from Artis, please visit www.artis-uk.com

The Drury Tea and Coffee Company, is pleased to announce that it has been accredited as a Living Wage employer by The Living Wage Foundation. A plaque to mark the commitment will go on permanent display in Drury's new premises in Woolwich.

THE LONDON LIVING WAGE

The Company's commitment to pay staff the London Living Wage will see everyone working at Drury - regardless of whether they are permanent employees or third-party contractors - receive the London minimum hourly wage of £9.15, which is significantly higher than the current national minimum wage of £6.50.

The Living Wage is an hourly rate set independently and updated annually. It is calculated according to the basic cost of living using the 'Minimum Income Standard' for the UK and employers choose to pay the Living Wage on a voluntary basis.

NEW PREMISES

The accreditation coincides with Drury's multi-million pound factory and office move. After 16 years in its present home just south of Tower Bridge in London, Drury is moving to new premises in Woolwich, where the local council, Royal Greenwich, is a keen supporter of the London Living Wage movement.

Living Wage Foundation Director, Rhys Moore said: “We are delighted to welcome Drury to the Living Wage movement as an accredited employer. The Living Wage is a robust calculation that reflects the real cost of living, rewarding a hard day's work with a fair day's pay. We have already accredited 1,300 leading employers ranging from independent printers, bookshops and breweries, to well-known companies such as Nationwide, Aviva and SSE. These businesses recognise that clinging to the national minimum wage is not good for business. Customers expect better than that from their suppliers."

The Living Wage plaque was presented to Drury Director, Marco Olmi, by Living Wage Foundation Programme Manager, Emma Kosmin. Speaking at the presentation, Marco said: “We all know how difficult it is in London to make ends meet on just the minimum wage. Our motives are not just altruistic, however. We anticipate that paying a fair wage will help us retain staff and improve productivity."

About the Living Wage Foundation

The Living Wage is an hourly rate set independently and updated annually. The Living Wage is calculated according to the basic cost of living in the UK. Employers choose to pay the Living Wage on a voluntary basis. The Living Wage enjoys cross party support, with public backing from the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition.

The London Living Wage is currently £9.15 per hour. This figure is set annually by the Greater London Authority and covers all boroughs in Greater London. The UK Living Wage for outside of London is currently £7.85 per hour. This figure is set annually by the Centre for Research in Social Policy at Loughborough University.

The Living Wage Foundation recognises and celebrates the leadership shown by Living Wage employers across the UK. There are currently over 1,300 accredited employers. The foundation is an initiative of Citizens UK and believes that work should be the surest way out of poverty.

Drury Tea & Coffee moved into our new roastery and headquarters in Woolwich at the end of June 2015 and what a move it was. It took us six months to fit out the new building and install our new equipment, whilst we also had to keep our existing site in Bermondsey fully operational.

We feel that this move is a significant step forward for Drury Tea & Coffee as we invest in a host of new facilities and initiatives designed to increase our production capacity and enhance our service levels. Highlights of the new factory are:

1. A new 300 kilo Brambati batch coffee roaster which will almost quadruple our capacity to 2 million kilos per year. It's also cleaner and greener than our old roasting plant.
2. We are doubling our coffee bean packing capacity with the installation of a new Technosys bean packer.
3. We have enhanced our tea production facilities with a second Fuso pyramid tea bag machine and enveloper.

Further details and some photos of our new premises can be found at our Facebook page,

www.facebook.com/DruryUK