How HotTea Mama secured listings with The Very Group, Springvale Foods and Springvale Foods following their Virtual Pitch

Customer Testimonial

"I’ve really enjoyed the Product Guru pitches – whilst it was intimidating to have to work to short time scales, the virtual training provided was great, and helped me work out the best strategy when talking to the buyers.

Now having a pitch deck has actually been fantastic, and having buyers request samples and winning listings, has really helped me grow in confidence when selling – which I’ve never done before, having a career as a tea buyer before setting up the business."

Bethan Thomas, HotTea Mama.

The award-winning teas produced by HotTea Mama are made in the UK with finely sourced natural ingredients, they are gluten-free and vegan friendly. The natural ingredients in the teas can assist women’s bodies with challenges in pregnancy, breastfeeding, period & fertility, and menopause.
 
HotTea Mama’s products have been on an exciting journey ever since their launch. The brand started selling direct-to-consumer with online channels, including Amazon, quickly growing an audience of loyal customers.

Taking the next step with Virtual Product Pitches

When Bethan and Kate were ready to scale up with HotTea Mama, they found the perfect opportunity with Product Guru to connect with retail buyers, with a view to expand the business and increase sales.
 
Product Guru’s Virtual Pitches offer producers and makers the chance to meet online with retailers, to put their brand in front of buyers and deliver a 7-minute pitch to impress them.
 
HotTea Mama took part in a few virtual pitches with Product Guru, showcasing the brand in different categories. With their unique teas and a winning pitch, HotTea Mama received numerous sample requests from retailers, and they were successful in securing a listing with The Very Group, Medino, and Springvale Foods, with conversations ongoing with several others.

Expanding to other niche markets

B2B marketplaces have been forever growing and evolving, and HotTea Mama has found its place cleverly fitting in a number of different retail categories.
 
Product Guru’s Virtual Pitches operate in a wide array of categories to help suppliers reach the right buyers, who are on the other hand, looking to innovate their range with the right products. The team at HotTea Mama took on the challenge to pitch their bespoke teas in different events, including health & wellness, hot beverages, and self-care products – finding an angle to showcase their products as the right fit for each category.
 
At Product Guru, we are delighted to see this exciting brand getting their innovative products onto shelves and expanding to other markets. Likewise, we are thrilled to see more and more women making the most of HotTea Mama’s healthy teas!

We spoke to Bethan from HotTea Mama about the team’s experience with Product Guru and virtual pitch events.

What can you tell us about your experience with Product Guru and virtual pitches?

"I’ve really enjoyed the Product Guru pitches – whilst it was intimidating to have to work to short time scales, the virtual training provided was great, and helped me work out the best strategy when talking to the buyers. Now having a pitch deck has actually been fantastic, and having buyers request samples and winning listings, has really helped me grow in confidence when selling – which I’ve never done before, having a career as a tea buyer before setting up the business."

What does it feel like to see your products coming to life in the retail world?

"It’s amazing to see our products in well known retailers. They represent 4 years of my life, and are truly like a child to me, so seeing them flourish is great! When we set up the business, we focussed solely on DTC, as we had full time jobs and very young familes, so it was a brilliant way to prove our concept and grow a community. But now we have a team and strong cash flow behind us, growing into the larger retail world is really exciting."

Any tips or advice you could give to other brands pitching their products? 

"Nail your pitch. With a 7 minute pitch, you really have 4-5 minutes max, to allow you to fluff a few lines and then take questions at the end. Working through it, practicing and making sure it has key commercial info for buyers is key. Product Guru have great tips and advice to help you structure it."

We are very thankful to the team at HotTea Mama for sharing their virtual pitch experience and insights. Follow their Instagram channel @HotTeaMama to learn more and stay tuned with all their updates.

At Product Guru we're proud to support a thriving community of independent, challenger brands. Brands across all FMCG, gift, home and specialty categories list products on our online platform and we love to share the stories behind them.