BUSHELLS has a long tradition of bringing people together for a good chat over a great cuppa since 1883, and proud to be a familiar icon that not only Australians but a relatively large number of Pacific Islanders have grown up with — a delicious taste of home.
A family affair
It all began with Alfred ‘The Tea Man’ Bushell. An enterprising fellow, Mr Bushell was a tea dealer who moved up to Brisbane in 1883 after the death of his wife, Agnes — a daughter of the famous Brooke tea family. There he opened his very first tea shop, selling his own distinctly delicious, full-flavoured tea. He was on to something as word quickly spread about this smooth over-the-counter brew, and business boomed.
A family business, Alfred’s sons Walter and Phillip took his tasty tea to Sydney to trade as Bushells and Company — the Tea Men. Quickly, they expanded from a roadside stall to selling tea wholesale, to become Australia’s very first tea company, with their first Melbourne branch opening soon after.
Team Bushells band together
After Alfred’s death in 1910, Bushells Ltd was registered as a public company — and rapidly expanded into Western Australia, Tasmania and South Australia. This quick growth led to cash flow problems however — and the bank was unwilling to help.
Phillip was worried, so he brought his staff together to share the situation and his fears. But, the Bushells community spirit was strong: employees chipped in from their own finances to help, opting to be paid back in shares rather than cash – ending up very well off.
An Aussie icon
In 1920 Bushells bought land in todays ‘The Rocks’ area of Sydney. Here they built a seven-storey factory that housed progressive new blending and packing methods, plus Bushells HQ. The building remained with Bushells for more than 40 years, and is still an iconic part of Sydney’s story today.
Bushells continued to boom — moving into New Zealand in 1937 by personally offering every housewife on the electoral roll a half a pound of tea, free. The generosity paid off — as Bushells became a huge player in the NZ tea market.
Fiji story
So why choose Bushells when there are so many options available in the local market? Apart from the original aroma and great taste which cannot be found in any other brand available, Bushells has been part of a very worthy cause in Fiji since 2006.
“All lot of our customers may not realise, but every cup of Bushells tea helps to fight the battle against cancer,” Motibhai Group marketing manager Abraham Gomes says.
“Our annual campaign known as Bushells Fiji’s Biggest Morning Tea (BFBMT) has effectively helped thousands of cancer patients in the country through a strong partnership with the Fiji Cancer Society,” Mr Gomes adds.
“So the next time you are at your favourite supermarket or grocery store, remember to pick only Bushells for great taste and your support towards a noble cause simultaneously.”
The Bushells brand is now owned by Unilever — a multinational consumer goods company and distributed in Fiji by Motibhai Group, touching your lives with quality products.
