About Us
The idea...
Not Before Tea was created by Henry Patterson when he was nine. He liked the sound of the sweets and games his parents and grandparents enjoyed as children, so he decided to open his own shop based on their childhood memories.
He called it Not Before Tea, which is what grandmas always say when children ask for sweets.
Henry didn’t want to run the shop on his own, so he imagined some friends. Mrs Pinny runs the shop, Sherb is an owl who lives in the rafters and Pip is a cheeky young mouse who lives in a matchbox behind the counter. These characters were the basis for his first book Pip Gets A Job.
The next step...
Now 10 years old, Henry is very hands-on with the business.
He designs all the new products and writes the books. He believes that no one knows what children like better than a child.
Henry even visited the label manufacturer to ensure that the new labels were not the “scratchy type”.
He was lucky enough to spend time with Richard Branson to learn how to grow his business in the right way (and enjoy himself as he does it!).
Photo (right):
Richard Branson asks Henry to sign his copy of Pip Gets a Job
Bringing Not Before Tea to life...
On 27th September the shop in Henry's book came to life! Not Before Tea, Buckingham opened its doors.
A family business...
It is very much a family business with his mother, Rebecca, running the online sales business and his father helping with spelling and punctuation of the stories.
Ethical products...
All our own brand products are lovingly printed and made in England.
The book is printed and hand bound in Hertfordshire, the aprons are printed in a mill in Lincolnshire and the complete range of cotton and silk products are made in Birmingham.
Other products are hand picked by Henry and Rebecca, who have paid careful attention to the quality and place of manufacture, ensuring that it is 100% ethically produced.
'We set out to ensure that 90% of all our products are designed, printed and
manufactured in England and have very proudly achieved this'
More than just a brand...
- Not Before Tea is not simply a children’s brand. The Adventure Club, which is free to join, inspires adventure and creativity with monthly missions. Rebecca wanted to create a blend of Take Hart, Blue Peter and Brownies and Cubs.
- NBT News will educate children about British wildlife, giving an insight to the habitats of the real animals from the book.
- Finally, Henry’s Blog reviews days out, toys and books, providing useful advice to grown-ups about the things children love.
A special thanks...
We are very fortunate to have partnered with one of the leading photographers in the UK, Kate Hopewell-smith. Kate has the unique gift of being able to capture children, simply being children.
"I adore working with children. The sheer energy, joy and innocence of childhood is something I will never tire of" she explains.
To see more of her work please visit: www.katehopewellsmith.com