A tea and coffee company in Woolwich has invested in new coffee equipment following a £500,000 loan from Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking.
Drury Tea and Coffee, based in the Royal Arsenal development in Woolwich, was established in 1936 by three Italian brothers.
Almost 80 years later, Drury has stood the test of time and remains in the family with the third generation of Olmis running the business.
The company successfully produces more than 16 different espresso blends, many blended and single-origin coffees and 120 different types of tea for a broad customer base – from top Michelin starred restaurants to hotels and coffee shops across the country.
In order to improve efficiency and increase capacity, CEO of Drury Tea and Coffee, Dino Olmi approached the company’s long-term banking partner, Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, to secure a £500,000 loan.
Following the loan, the company is now the proud owner of a new £1m coffee roasting and packing plant, which has helped increase capacity over threefold.
As a result of the expansion, new business has continued to increase, with the family firm expecting a substantial increase on last year’s £4m turnover.
The company is also looking to hire new employees to help support its growth and meet its growing demands
Olmi commented: “As a family business it’s so important to us that everyone we work with shares our values and our long term vision that is heavily grounded into the company.
“We’re a close knit team and are immensely proud of our heritage. We’ve been banking with Lloyds for nearly 50 years for good reason, and really believe they understand our business ethics and goals.
He continued: “The addition of the new coffee roasting plant marks an exciting time for us. It enables us to increase our capacity and gives us the benefit of being able to access new markets and increase our market share. The support of the bank has been instrumental to us throughout this process.
“Things are really moving up a gear this year, as we have just secured further funding from Lloyds to purchase a second pyramid tea bag machine from Japan to increase our tea production further.”
Andrew Watts, relationship manager at Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, added: “As a nation of tea and coffee drinkers, it’s important to us that we support our local companies and help this industry grow.
“Drury Tea and Coffee is a great example of an ambitious and highly successful family-run company that started out as a small venture.
“Investing in new machinery is a great way for a business to increase services and help day-to-day operations run much more smoothly. Working with growing businesses like Drury Tea and Coffee is something we are passionate about and we have a range of tailored funding packages and support services designed to help small enterprises expand even further and achieve their ambitions.”
