Tea-rific Ambassadors

Stephen Twining

Job Title: Director of Corporate Relations

Tell us about your role at Twinings and what you do.
I am a global brand ambassador for the company, and support our markets in gaining media coverage. Explaining to retailers and out of home customers the difference between our teas and tea in general. Increasingly talking about our blending skills for Infusions.

Tell us a typical day in the life of your role.
There really are not any typical days!

What do you love about your job?
The variety of things I get involved in, and working with the different teams around the world. When I hold consumer tastings, seeing people faces light up when they discover a new tea.

What made you choose your career?
When I was 8 years old, I conducted my first tea tasting for my class mates. They were amazed by the variety of different tastes, so I thought I would teach the world about tea and infusions.

Name two traits to describe yourself?
I enjoy working with and meeting people, and I have a great passion for our products.

What's your favourite country you’ve visited?
I have been lucky enough to visit over 50 countries, but my favourite journey is always the one that takes me home.

What's your favourite tea?
It changes by the hour, as different teas suit me at different times of day.

What's your favourite product?
I love several of our Cold In'fuse range, and especially the Passionfruit Mango and Blood Orange with fizzy water. Lemon and Ginger is a perennial favourite as is Blackcurrant, Gingseng and Vanilla.

Meet the 216 Strand Team

Our highly-trained staff are here to advise you on all thing’s tea!

Natalia Dabrowska

Role: Twinings Strand Flagship Store Manager.

How long have you been with Twinings?
Since early 2011 – that is pretty long but I love every minute of it.

Which tea could you not live without?
Assam – my morning wake-me-up tea, my lifesaver and a tea fit for any occasion. But I also like the whole range of teas that come in our Superblends range - they are created with the specific aim to fit in with our personal wellness. At the moment my favourite is `Focus`.

How have your tea habits changed over the years?
Absolutely! Working with Twinings is like working in `tea haven`, you’re spoiled for choice. I used to drink only black teas and only a few herbal infusions, but now I love white and green teas and love to mix different flavours.

What’s your top tea tip?
Don`t be afraid to try something new – so often we stick to our favourite tea and never try anything new – be adventurous!

How do you relax?
With a cup of Twinings whole-camomile-flowers infusion and a good book.

Julia Hutchings

Role: Senior Brand Ambassador.

Tell us about your role at Twinings and what you do? I work in the Twinings Strand shop providing Masterclasses to the public and I provide all in store training to our team. 

How long have you worked at Twinings? I first joined Twinings in June 2014.

Tell us a typical day in the life of your role? Every day can be so different, depending on the customers that come in to the shop and what sort of tastings we are providing. For example yesterday morning I had a tour group of 17 students from America, for a private shop tour and tasting before the shop even opened!

What do you love about your job? I really love tea and It makes me really proud to represent Twinings as a company particularly through masterclasses to the public.. I take real enjoyment in talking to people about tea and I truly believe that everybody loves tea and if not - they haven't found their perfect tea yet.

What made you choose your career? I originally worked in a company selling fountain pens and handbags and was recruited by Twinings. Now I can't imagine my life without tea!

What do you think are the best skills that you bring to your job? I bring a genuine passion and interest in tea. I am always looking for more historical facts or information to bring to the team and to share during the masterclasses. 

Name three words that you would use to describe you. Obsessed with tea.

How do you think your colleagues would describe you? Passionate, energetic and knowledgeable.

What's your favourite country you’ve visited? I had the opportunity to go to Sri Lanka with Twinings in 2017 and that visit really impacted me in a huge way. I was able to see tea plants for the first time and the knowledge I gained from that trip is something I bring to every masterclass I have the pleasure to host.

What's your favourite tea? I cant choose a favourite, so I would say Tie Guan Yin Oolong, Chakra Silver Tips and Lady Grey. 

What's your favourite herb? Camomile and Lemon Verbena.

What makes you one of Twinings Wellbeing Experts? I have always had a keen interest in wellbeing and I have seen how this can directly impact peoples lives. Eating healthily and using traditional remedies to support you can make a huge difference. Twinings are on a wellbeing journey themselves at the moment and the new products that they are producing is opening my eyes up to all the different herbs that the world has to offer and I am enjoying learning all about them. 

Alessandra Rovetta

Role: Brand Ambassador.

Tell us about your role at Twinings and what you do? I love making our customers feel pampered and through my service and attention to detail, hope to create memorable brews and ensure our sessions are practical and engaging.

How long have you worked at Twinings? I joined the Home of Twinings in February 2022.

Tell us a typical day in the life of your role? Every day could sound pretty much the same – caring our customers, managing the tea bar and tastings – but there is always something exciting and challenging that makes different every single day.

What do you love about your job? I adore sharing my passion for tea with all the people I interact with on daily basis, creating an inclusive environment where they feel welcome. And the constant desire to improvement, getting to meet and speak with interesting and inspiring people.

What made you choose your career? Smitten by Britain and a truly love for tea got me into the UK tea industry.

What do you think are the best skills that you bring to your job? The wisdom, that comes with experience. Communication, that means active listening as well as frankly speaking. And fantastic teamwork.

Name three words that you would use to describe you. The first three adjectives that come up to describe myself are kind, organised and proactive.

How do you think your colleagues would describe you? I would say welcoming, enthusiastic and sweet.

What's your favourite country you’ve visited? Italy, of course! It flaunts the most astonishing cultural treasures and magnificent scenery, mesmerizing you completely from North to South. Italy is just amazingly gorgeous, not only incredible architecture, art, history, literature, poetry, music - and all this going on for centuries – but also great food and fabulous, creative people.

What's your favourite tea? This is a hard question because I pick tea based on what state I want to be in, body feelings, season and weather, moment of the day etc. So I would say my favourite tea is the one I haven’t tried yet! However, if I could only have one type of tea for the rest of my life, I would choose a Darjeeling.

What's your favourite herb? The Nanah mint, full of flavour, intensely aromatic and sweet, superb for cold brew Moroccan mint tea and as a condiment in many vegetables recipes.

What makes you one of Twinings Wellbeing Experts? Putting the customer at the centre is the first step to human-friendly health and wellbeing, which include having good mental health, high life satisfaction, a sense of purpose, being socially connected and ability to manage stress. As people seek new ways to learn about and take responsibility for their health, I offer the support they need from every facet of society, using empathy, ethics, resilience, respect and transparency. There is so much good stuff to share about small lifestyle changes that can make a big difference to how look and feel.

Angelo Tantillo

Role: Brand Ambassador.

Tell us about your role at Twinings and what you do? As Twinings Brand Ambassadors, it's our responsibility to create a warm and comfortable space for customers to learn about our history and our range. It's our job to create a connection and a memory that makes them want to come back. 

How long have you worked at Twinings? I started in December 2021.

Tell us a typical day in the life of your role? Depending on the day, I start with making sure that the shelves are restocked and the products are displayed nicely and then I set up the tasting bar in order to have tea ready for the first customer of the day. Then the doors open and it's showtime! Three days a week we run Masterclasses and Bespoke Blending Sessions so on those days we need to make sure that the tasting room is ready. It's a bit like setting up a stage. 

What do you love about your job? Sharing my knowledge with customers at the bar, brewing teas for them and let them know about our range and history.

What made you choose your career? I'd say that this career chose me! I have a background in acting and food and storytelling are my favourite things. A job like this allow me to combine them and I love it!

What do you think are the best skills that you bring to your job? A talent for storytelling. A quite solid history of customer service. 

Name three words that you would use to describe you. The million dollar question: "whimsical, team player (I know these are two words), loyal". 

How do you think your colleagues would describe you? Intelligent, funny, elegant, eccentric, energetic and considerate.

What's your favourite country you’ve visited? Portugal.

What's your favourite tea? Tie Guan Yin Oolong. The aroma reminds me of my grandparents balcony.

What's your favourite herb? Sideritis scardica (Mountain Tea), Spearmint, Rose… I can't choose one. 

What makes you one of Twinings Wellbeing Experts? The idea that mental wellbeing and physical wellbeing are very much connected and the strong will to learn everything I can about the benefits of teas and tisanes so that I can share my knowledge with my customers. And to practice what I preach! 

Liam Rose

Role: Brand Ambassador.

Tell us about your role at Twinings and what you do? As a Brand Ambassador my role here at the Twinings Strand store is to match customers with their perfect tea, to provide new tea experiences to those seeking to broaden their tea horizons and teach the Masterclasses.

How long have you worked at Twinings? Since July 2021.

Tell us a typical day in the life of your role? First my colleagues and I set up the shop and, once we're open, we help customers find the products they are after or find them new teas and infusions they may not have even heard of yet. 

What do you love about your job? The variety of teas we work with and the depth of their history fascinates me. 

What made you choose your career? The working environment that surrounds tea is one of relative calm and relaxation so, while the store can be very busy, there is always a moment for calm and a cup.

What do you think are the best skills that you bring to your job? I am a very organised and detail focused individual, my love for systems and clarity is one I hope benefits my work ethic. 

Name three words that you would use to describe you. Organised, interested & open. 

How do you think your colleagues would describe you? Always happy to listen. 

What's your favourite country you’ve visited? Iceland, I took a week long trip to hike the mountains and waterfall around Reykjavik and those memories have certainly stayed with me.

What's your favourite tea? Long Jing, or Dragon Well green tea. It's a beautiful, pan-fired green tea from Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province, China. I lived there for 2 years and it left an impression on me.

What's your favourite herb? I love the aroma and smoothness of lavender when combined with a deep black tea. 

What makes you one of Twinings Wellbeing Experts? Part of the training we go through here at the Strand is to impart to us the importance of wellbeing and the helpful effects of the many and various components in our blends. 

Rachel Crane

Role: Brand Ambassador.

Tell us about your role at Twinings and what you do? I work as a brand ambassador, my job is to provide all the help and knowledge I can to give our customers a great, personalised experience!

How long have you worked at Twinings? Since October 2022. 

Tell us a typical day in the life of your role? I begin the day by setting up the tea bar- this involves picking out the teas our customers will get to try, brewing them up to perfection, and a quick revision of each tea to make sure I can answer any questions. Later on, I will check our store and restock to make sure the shelves are as beautiful as possible!

What do you love about your job? I love getting to meet other people interested in tea! Being able to help someone discover a new love or to simply direct them to an old one is a real pleasure. I also love getting to learn from my colleagues, they have so much experience that I can learn from and our team is so passionate and supportive.

What made you choose your career? I originally wanted to work for Twinings because I love history and have a lot of respect for the brand. What has kept me in this career is a growing love of tea, a lovely team, and an exciting workplace!

What do you think are the best skills that you bring to your job? I love things to be organised efficiently (a great skill for keeping a shop tidy), and I love talking about things I’m passionate- luckily for me these align with the history of Twinings and tea!

Name three words that you would use to describe you. Cheerful, Friendly, Helpful. 

How do you think your colleagues would describe you? I’ve been told by my colleagues that I always have a smile on my face!

What's your favourite country you’ve visited? Probably Italy, I visited Rome and it was the most magical, welcoming city (with endless gelato!). 

What's your favourite tea? I love anything light and floral, at the moment, my favourite is Fujian Jasmine Green. 

What's your favourite herb? Rose! I don’t think there’s a single tea I wouldn’t be happy adding rose to! 

What makes you one of Twinings Wellbeing Experts? My background is in Global health, and so combining my previous studies with everything that Twinings has taught me about herbs, tea, and taking a moment of calm, I feel confident in our wellbeing range and goals!

Gillian Duckworth

Role: Admin & Engagement Coordinator.

Tell us about your role at Twinings and what you do?  I’m the Admin and Engagement Coordinator for the Strand and I look after all things back of house, from stock management to health and safety. 

How long have you worked at Twinings? I started in March 2022. 

Tell us a typical day in the life of your role? My role is really varied and there’s always something new to get my teeth into. It could be stock ordering, planning new shelf displays, analysing sales, helping source new products – the list goes on! The goal is to make life as easy as possible for everyone in our store.

What do you love about your job? Other than the proximity to so much delicious tea, I love getting to work so closely with my fab team and seeing what amazing experiences we can create in-store together.

What made you choose your career? I’ve always loved tea, so when an opportunity came up to work with Twinings, how could I say no! 

What do you think are the best skills that you bring to your job? I’m organised and adaptable. No two days are the same in this role, so you’ve got to be ready to tackle the unexpected.

Name three words that you would use to describe you. Kind, trustworthy & fun

How do you think your colleagues would describe you? Always looking to bring good vibes. 

What's your favourite country you’ve visited? Thailand – I love the culture, the pace of life and how friendly everyone is. You can’t go wrong with Thai food either.

What's your favourite tea? I find a cup of The Full English is the best way to start the day and then I love SuperBlends for the afternoon, Balance and Cool Moments are my favourites.

What's your favourite herb? Lemon Verbena.

What makes you one of Twinings Wellbeing Experts? There’s so much to learn about the role of tea in wellbeing and the Twinings team has such a wealth of knowledge. I’m at the beginning of my exploration into wellbeing but can’t wait to see what I discover.

Rosie Bonser

Role: Brand Ambassador

Tell us about your role at Twinings and what you do?  I am lucky enough to be a Brand Ambassador, which means I get to spend my days interacting with, learning from, and spreading knowledge about, all the lovely teas and infusions we stock here at Twinings.

How long have you worked at Twinings? I joined the team in March 2023.

Tell us a typical day in the life of your role? There are numerous positions that must be taken up each day, and ambassadors make sure that we share these jobs between us as fairly as we can. So, one day I could be arriving early to accept and unpack one of our deliveries, and the next day I could be at our tea bar helping our customers find their next favourite brew! No two days are the same.

What do you love about your job? First and foremost, the tea! Though, this is closely followed by the culture here at Twinings. I love that I get to work alongside a great group of people who are just as passionate as I am, who I learn from every single day.

What made you choose your career? I have always been passionate about tea, both as a drink and as a cultural icon. So, when I was looking for an industry that I could wake up every morning excited to work in, tea was an obvious choice! Now I get to indulge my love of all things tea on a daily basis.

What do you think are the best skills that you bring to your job? Definitely my people skills. As someone who is naturally sociable as well as experienced in public facing roles. I have a knack for asking the right questions to quickly build up a great understanding of our customers’ individual needs and give them the best experience possible.

Name three words that you would use to describe you. Chatty, positive, and passionate.

How do you think your colleagues would describe you? I asked some of my colleagues, and they described me as someone who is cheerful, stylishly vintage, and someone who loves a natter!

What's your favourite country you’ve visited? Madeira. I went on a walking holiday there a few years ago and was captivated by the wild beauty of the island. The stunning Levadas that tangle their way through the scenery are as impressively engineered as they are pretty to look at!

What's your favourite tea? Keemun Mao Feng, without a shadow of a doubt. The dry-sweet astringency of the aftertaste always keeps me coming back for more! If I could only drink one tea for the rest of my life, this happily would be it.

What's your favourite herb? As basic (and in keeping with my name) as it may be, Rose. I love the nostalgia of its perfume and the delicate lightness of its flavour – especially when iced. The aroma of our ‘balance’ superblends infusion and reminds me of summer day trips to National Trust gardens with my Nana and Granddad, and that always brings a smile to my face.

What makes you one of Twinings Wellbeing Experts? As someone who lives with a chronic health condition I am extremely aware on how important taking holistic approach to both mental and physical wellbeing is, and how even the smallest change can make a big difference. This personal experience, combined with the fabulous training we receive here at Twinings, gives me the expertise I need to help our customers find the perfect new tea or infusion to complement their daily routines.

Pei Wu

Role: Brand Ambassador.

Tell us about your role at Twinings and what you do? My role is brand ambassador, I help people enjoy their time and fall in love with tea.

How long have you worked at Twinings? I joined the strand team in August 2022, so around a year. 

Tell us a typical day in the life of your role? Making sure the shop is tidy, tea is served and everyone can find the tea they love.

What do you love about your job? I spend all day surrounded by tea lovers. 

What made you choose your career? Tea has brought me many great memories involving my friends and family.

What do you think are the best skills that you bring to your job? I brought my creativity, curiosity and multiple languages!

Name three words that you would use to describe you. I am calm, thoughtful and open-minded.

How do you think your colleagues would describe you? A little quirky.

What's your favourite country you’ve visited? Berlin, the first country I travelled alone, I enjoyed the whole journey, alone but not lonely.

What's your favourite tea? Oolong tea. Always brings back sweet memories of my family back in Taiwan.

What's your favourite herb? Hibiscus reminds me of my grandmother’s house. She has a whole fence covered in wild hibiscus.

What makes you one of Twinings Wellbeing Experts? My ability to empathise and my attention to detail makes me a Twinings Welling expert.

Makenna Crackower

Role: Brand Ambassador.

Tell us about your role at Twinings and what you do? As a brand ambassador at Twinings, I’ve found that each day presents different opportunities and each customer has a unique perspective. I help customers select the perfect tea to take home, whether they are a tea-ficionado or have never tasted tea before.

How long have you worked at Twinings? I have been working at Twinings since March 2023.

Tell us a typical day in the life of your role? Whether it’s setting up the tea bar for folks to try a new brew, or restocking the shelves, there’s always something to do at 216 Strand.

What do you love about your job? I love that I get to interact with people from all over the world who visit our famous shop, and connect with them over something we all love, no matter where you come from: tea!

What made you choose your career? I love that I get to interact with people from all over the world who visit our famous shop, and connect with them over something we all love, no matter where you come from: tea!

What do you think are the best skills that you bring to your job? I’ve always loved listening to people’s stories, and I do that with our customers every day at Twinings. Whether they’re from around the corner or across the world, I’m always curious to hear what brought them to the shop and what adventures they’ve had along the way.

Name three words that you would use to describe you. Smart, friendly, and adventurous.

How do you think your colleagues would describe you? American! (Just kidding). I think they would describe me as funny, curious, and eager to learn.

What's your favourite country you’ve visited? Probably Germany. Home to beautiful forests and lakes, a fascinating history, and incredible cake!

What's your favourite tea? Very hard to pick only one. Either the Darjeeling Castleton Moonlight Oolong, with its soft peachy notes, or the plummy Earl Grey, which has quickly become my go-to afternoon beverage. 

What's your favourite herb? I love lavender not only because of the colour, but because of its wonderful softness, scent, and ability to relax the body and mind.

What makes you one of Twinings Wellbeing Experts? I’ve always been interested in wellness, and I believe the key to a healthy body and mind starts with the daily habits we practice every day. I help our customers select a tea that can promote steady energy, restful sleep, or a functional metabolism, no matter what their daily lives may look like.

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