Emilie Holmes

Having bored her friends for years about wanting to bring better cups of tea to London, Emilie Holmes finally decided to do something about it. With plans to convert a 1974 Citroën-H van into a mobile tea bar, she took the idea to crowdfunding platform Kickstarter, 372 backers made that dream come true. Each of their names are still displayed proudly on the back window of that van, which the backers also affectionately christened 'Watson'. The first cup of tea was brewed in Shoreditch on the 3rd December 2012. Many years later and thanks to the support of many wonderful customers, friends, partners and suppliers, her company, Good & Proper Tea has grown to a flagship Tea Bar, an online store, a growing network of cafe and restaurant partners - and of course the van too lives on.