Good & Proper

EMILIE HOLMES

Having bored her friends for years about wanting to bring better cups of tea to London, Good and Proper founder Emilie finally decided to do something about it. With plans to convert a 1974 Citroën-H van into a mobile tea bar, she took the idea to crowdfunding platform Kickstarter, and 372 backers made that dream come true. Each of their names are still displayed proudly on the back window of that van, which the backers affectionately christened ‘Watson’. The first cup of tea was brewed in Shoreditch in December 2012. Many years later and thanks to the support of many wonderful customers, friends, partners and suppliers, Good & Proper Tea has grown to a flagship Tea Bar, an online store, a growing network of cafe and restaurant partners – and of course the van too lives on. An imported culture of skinny lattes and frappucinos-to-go has meant coffee has dominated our high streets. And yet, though tea has remained the nation’s favourite hot drink, the quality on offer when we are out and about is more often than not distinctly average. “That’s what I wanted to change, by offering fellow tea-drinkers the same quality experience that my coffee-junkie friends currently enjoy. A Good & Proper cup of tea….finally.”