Conduct your business meetings over a cup of tea

The days of sitting around a large table in a conference room are a thing of the past, as an increasing number of businesses decide to make their meetings a little less formal.In fact, the trend of informal meetings is becoming so prominent that many hotels have seen a rise in the number of people discussing the latest goings on over a cup of tea.Well this is certainly the case for our British cousins, at least, as the UK Tea Council explains that the humble surroundings of tea shops and hotels are finding favour with business people.Ben Purton, food and beverage manager at the Royal Horse Guards Hotel in London, is one of those who has witnessed this trend lately."We've hosted all-day meetings where the client has asked us to bring out something 'quintessentially British' so we roll out the afternoon tea guns, so to speak," he explained.Of course, no cup of tea would be complete without a sweet treat to go alongside it, so Mr Purton serves sliced scones with jam and cream already spread on them to avoid too much mess."You can still provide guests with the 'theatre of afternoon tea' whether it's in a 45 minute sitting or over two hours," he noted.The food and beverage manager explained that some guests will want to experiment with different varieties of loose leaf tea, while others will be keen to stick to what they know.As a result, it is becoming increasingly important for hotels and cafes to invest in top quality wholesale tea - especially if they are hoping to secure repeat visits from corporate customers!Discuss the types of tea you want to use impress your customers with your wholesaler and you could find that your business is taken to a whole new level.