Womenpreneur creates New Age Beverage Brand

Vallabhaneni Vidyalatha is the brains behind 100 varieties of tea and 25 varieties of coffee of unique blend and aroma. Her beverages are quite a hit in India and abroad.

Hyderabad: Ginger, masala, cardamom, these are the everyday tea flavors that people prefer. Why not make a healthy tea to suit everyone’s taste, thought a budding entrepreneur. She traveled all over the country and collected variety of tea leaves. After many hardships, she realized her dream. Vallabhaneni Vidyalatha is the brains behind 100 varieties of tea and 25 varieties of coffee of unique blend and aroma. Her beverages are quite a hit in India and abroad.

"I wanted to make natural and chemical free tea available to everyone. I don’t drink tea or coffee. Everywhere I go, I would search for alternatives to tea and coffee. I was born in Mantralayam in Kurnool district. I always wanted to achieve something, create a brand of my own. After completing MBA in HR and MA in Industrial Psychology, I started a job at a private company. I moved to Hyderabad after marrying Naveen, a software engineer. Then came Advith. I was keen on achieving something before I turned 30. My husband encouraged me in my endeavors", said Vidyalatha.

"I had a passion for beverages and trying out new flavors. I wanted to create different styles of tea that would appeal to the young and old alike. My idea was to make these beverages healthy too. I had been working in the HR department for eight years by then. I began my tea research while continuing my job. I visited almost all the tea estates in the country and got an understanding of the weather, crop, differences in taste and the process of tea manufacturing. I tasted foreign varieties too. A year later, in 2017, I launched my brand Brews & Blends. I felt the need to upgrade my skills. So, I joined the Tea Sommelier program at Asian School of Tea", added Vidyalatha.

"I would give the tea samples that I developed to friends, and make changes as per their feedback. If nothing worked out, I would try a different formula altogether. This way, I kept going at it for a year. I left my job to take this up full time. It would take a month and a half to create a new variety of tea. I source raw material from Darjeeling, Assam and Kangra estates. I started Brews & Blends with 15 types of tea", said Vidyalatha.

"Within seven months, I managed to introduce five different types of coffee to my brand. I keep experimenting from time to time. We now offer 100 varieties of tea and 25 varieties of coffee. We offer milk, water based and wellness teas. Berry and almond float teas are another specialty. And then we have blooming tea, where the tea bloom unfurls into a flower. Cold brew, instant, filter and readymade decoction are our top varieties in coffee", shared Vidyalatha.

"Though we pay money in advance, tea estates would delay sending the stock or cheat us. All of this is a part of business. Sales dropped during Covid-19. I had no salary or income from business. I felt that I should not have ventured into business. But people became more health conscious during the pandemic. Seeing this as an opportunity, I started making herbal teas, which were a hit. We make good profits during Dasara and Deepavali every year. Leading corporate entities give our products as gifts to their employees. We sell online on our website as well as on Amazon. Our products are also available at wellness centers. I started from scratch and reached a revenue of Rs 20 lakh. We have 20 staff working for Brews & Blends. We employ more staff during on-season, where we see a turnover of Rs 70 lakh. We export our beverages to the US, Australia and Dubai", said Vidyalatha.

"My husband and I share household work. I try to strike a balance between professional and personal life. Having Microsoft as one of our clients, getting into the final list of Pink Power Award from among more than 100 women entrepreneurs, are an icing on the cake. My target is to establish our outlets all over the country. Painting and dance are my stressbusters. I believe in giving back to the society. I collaborated with Earthlinks NGO, where I contribute my part to the environment and girl child’s education. I tell young girls to achieve their dreams with proper planning and research", added Vidyalatha.