Most drinks brands start in a boardroom. Rootsy started behind a counter.
We're Stuart and Marta, the founders of Strawberry Grove — two independent cafés in Marlow and Lane End, Buckinghamshire. We've been running them for over a decade. We know what it means to stand on the wrong side of a busy service, watch a customer hesitate over the drinks menu, and wonder whether what you're offering is really good enough.
For a long time, our tea wasn't.
Not because we didn't care. We cared enormously about our coffee, our food, our atmosphere. But tea — like most independent cafés — was where we quietly accepted the status quo. A few decent bags, a couple of herbal options, priced low because that felt like what tea was worth.
Then we started questioning that assumption.
The idea behind the pairing
The breakthrough came from thinking about tea the way we think about coffee. A flat white isn't just espresso — it's espresso and milk, in the right ratio, at the right temperature, served with intention. The combination is the product.
So what would that look like for tea?
The answer, for us, was pairing. A premium loose leaf botanical infusion — fruit-forward, naturally caffeine-free, visually striking — combined with a complementary botanical nectar. The nectar adds sweetness, depth and complexity in a way that transforms the drink from a simple brew into something genuinely layered. Something worth £4.50 on any menu.
We developed the pairings over multiple trading seasons at Strawberry Grove, adjusting ratios, testing flavour combinations, watching what customers ordered twice. The serves in the Rootsy range today are the ones that passed that test.
Where the botanicals come from
We source our infusions and nectars from one of Europe's most established botanical producers — a family-rooted operation with decades of expertise in growing, drying and blending botanical ingredients to a consistently high standard.
Every Rootsy infusion is made from whole fruit and botanicals — no artificial flavourings, no shortcuts. The ingredients are what they say they are. Aronia berry, hibiscus, rosehip, elderberry, bilberry, raspberry, rose petals. Grown in Poland, where the botanical tradition runs deep and the production standards are exacting.
The nectars are crafted from pressed fruit juices — cherry, raspberry, wild strawberry — balanced with just enough sweetness to complement rather than overwhelm the infusion they're paired with.
We craft our blends in the UK and dispatch from here. Every batch is traceable. Every best before date is carried from the original production run. We don't cut corners on provenance because our café background means we know exactly what operators need to feel confident putting something on their menu.
The three serves
The Rootsy launch range comprises three Signature Serve Kits, each built around a distinct flavour character:
Scarlet Orchard pairs our Raspberry Botanical Tea Infusion with a Morello Cherry Botanical Nectar. Bold, jewel-toned, and deeply fruity — the one that turns heads on the counter.
Wildflower Press pairs our Rose & Hibiscus Botanical Tea Infusion with a Pressed Raspberry Botanical Nectar. Fragrant and floral, with a bright raspberry finish that keeps it from ever feeling heavy.
Forest Glade pairs our Hedgerow Fruits & Elderberry Botanical Tea Infusion with a Wild Strawberry Botanical Nectar. Earthy and complex, softened by the honeyed sweetness of wild strawberry — the one that surprises people most.
Each kit contains 1kg of infusion and 1L of nectar — enough for approximately 200 serves — along with a branded scoop for consistent dosing and a brew guide for your team.
Why we built it as a B2B brand
We could have sold Rootsy direct to consumers. The serves work beautifully at home.
But we built it for operators first because that's where we come from, and because that's where we think the gap is largest. Independent cafés, boutique hotels, quality restaurants — venues that have already invested in premium coffee and premium food, but whose tea menu hasn't kept pace.
We know what it takes to embed a new drink into a busy service. We know what questions your team will ask. We know what your customers will and won't pay for. We've had those conversations from the other side of the counter for over a decade.
Rootsy exists because we solved this problem in our own venues first — and then decided the rest of the independent hospitality sector deserved the same solution.
Try it before you commit
We offer a sample kit for £25 — two botanical serves, everything included, posted directly to you. It's the best way to understand what Rootsy is before placing a full order.
If you run an independent café, hotel or restaurant and you're curious about what a proper botanical drinks programme could look like on your menu, that's where to start.