Often acquisition announcements are made with a tinge of sadness due to the resulting change perceived as being negative. Not this one. Hummingbird, an iconic Christchurch brand, has announced it has been sold to The Bell Tea & Coffee Company (BTCC) as of 1 March 2016 and the plan is to keep everything the same, but better!
Hummingbird has always been 100 per cent New Zealand owned and operated and one of the best examples of New Zealand artisan roasters, roasting coffee in Christchurch since 1990. Their roasters have been cupping, roasting and blending for over fifteen years, hand roasting with single-origin green beans. The team is continually looking for new and exciting coffees to add variety and interest to the Hummingbird range. It was also the first company to directly import fair-trade organic coffee into New Zealand, and the Hummingbird brand is the most well known fair-trade coffee brand in New Zealand.
Nick Cowper, GM at Hummingbird comments, “We are extremely proud of the brand we’ve built up over the years and have no doubt that BTCC will do a terrific job taking us to the next level. We know we offer a great brew – as does most of Christchurch – now we get to share it with the rest of country. It’s great to be a part of the next growth phase of our company and join the team at BTCC where things can only get better and all of our staff stay in place.”
BTCC is a market leader in the New Zealand beverage industry, with an iconic and highly recognised portfolio of award winning tea, coffee and coffee equipment brands such as Bell, Twinings, Gravity and Jed’s Coffee. Founded in Dunedin in 1898, BTCC remains 100% New Zealand owned and has evolved over the years driven by a team that is inspired to innovate and lead, while holding fast to their classic Kiwi characteristics.
Mark Hamilton, CEO of BTCC comments, “We are really excited about this announcement – there is such great synergy between the businesses, with both celebrating sustainable growth, success and great reputations over the years. BTCC and Hummingbird have a strong alignment of philosophies around ethical sourcing and making high quality coffee available for all New Zealanders to enjoy.”
