A NEW Winnersh-based business is bringing a medicinal herb from West Africa to the UK in the form of tea.
Respite Tea is made from dried Vernonia amygdaliana, commonly known as bitter leaf. It has been used for centuries in West Africa as a traditional remedy for inflammatory ailments and is grown all over the region. It is used like a vegetable in cooking.
Business owner Ngozi Fakeye says that for her in particular it has been beneficial in treating the symptoms of endometriosis. It is a long-term condition affecting women, where tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows in the ovaries and fallopian tubes. It can be hereditary, and symptoms include extremely painful periods. Ngozi uses bitter leaf alongside prescribed and over-the-counter medication.
“It was my Nigerian grandmother who reminded me about the benefits of bitter leaf,” Ngozi says.
“This kind of knowledge gets forgotten or not passed down in second generation immigrant families.”
The idea for the business came after it became more challenging during 2020 to get fresh bitter leaf in the UK. Ngozi and her sister Kate Adetola went in search of alternatives.
“We found a supplier of dried leaves, but it is just not the same using it for cooking.
“So we wondered how we could use the dried bitter leaf and still get the benefits, and we realised that turning it into a herbal tea would be a great solution.
“We were really surprised that it was not already being produced in the UK.”
Ngozi began to research tea production and the food development process needed to bring her idea to market. Respite Tea took 12 months of development and testing before being registered and launched in July. Respite Tea has a range of five bitter leaf tea blends.
“My background is in business development for IT software, so I had some idea of questions to ask about the process,” she explains.
“But I had no idea that I would be able to blend the bitter leaf when I started out.
“The warm blend with chilli flakes is my favourite.”
She has chosen to grow the business slowly, by going to markets and using word-of-mouth. As well as having a small production site in Caversham, Ngozi’s daughter Kishi helps make teabags at home in Winnersh.
Next steps include getting the teabags into local delis and launching an advertising campaign.
“It’s about bringing my heritage and culture to a new place,” Ngozi says.
“And so far, it’s going really well.”
For more information, visit: respitetea.com
