Zest Food Partners announces partnership with Tea Joy bubble tea

Zest Food Partners has announced a new partnership with bubble tea brand Tea Joy.

Bubble tea (or Boba tea) originated in Taiwan in the 1980s, and the bubble tea trend took hold in the UK in 2011. The UK bubble tea market is set to grow at 8.5% compound annual growth rate over the next 10 years. This represents 50% growth in the size of the market over the next five years and 225% growth over the next decade (Persistence Market Research).

Zest Food Partners will be working with Tea Joy to drive its strategy and will target key outlets, including coffee shops, cafés, casual dining restaurants, pubs, bars, quick service restaurants and leisure venues.

Claire Williams, marketing director of Zest Food Partners, said: “Bubble tea is a fun and exciting drink that is growing in popularity, and we’re thrilled to be able to offer the TeaJoy concept to our customers and help them keep popping!”

“Consumers are curious about new trends, enthusiastic to try new things and, with customisation options available, consumers can create their own drinks that are highly Instagrammable and Tiktok-friendly! Perfect for mocktails, cocktails or just a stand-alone bubble tea, the TeaJoy concept is simple, versatile and, with a 70% margin, offers a very profitable opportunity for foodservice operators.”

Ning Ma, founder of Tea Joy, added: “We have huge aspirations to grow the Tea Joy brand and bubble tea category and we are delighted to be working with Zest to unlock the full potential. The team have a lot of experience, great knowledge of the market, and a fantastic network.”