Oliver Pluff & Co. invites customers to “sip a cup of history,” as it honors and celebrates early American beverages – the teas, coffees and toddies that were enjoyed during the U.S. colonial era and the American Revolutionary War, and by the U.S. founders.
Charleston, S.C.-based Oliver Pluff & Co. began in 2009, but it was purchased by Darren Hartford, owner and tea blender, in 2018. Prior to the purchase, Hartford had a 28-year career in the United States Air Force. Now, in his retirement, he runs Oliver Pluff & Co., which offers a variety of teas, coffees, toddies, wassails, and sangria mixes, among other products – all mixed with a bit of history and a modern approach.
World Tea News spoke with Hartford to learn more about Oliver Pluff & Co. (the company is exhibiting at World Tea Expo 2024) and to discover some of his secrets to success, as well as his thoughts on tea trends, the next generation of tea drinkers, and how to make people feel welcomed to the tea community and along their personal tea journey.
Question: Hi, Darren. Thanks for your time! How did Oliver Pluff & Co. get started? You went from the U.S. Air Force to the tea and coffee industry, right?
Answer: Oliver Pluff & Co. began in 2009. I purchased the company in 2018 following my retirement from the Air Force, and the original owner decided to move on from the company. I had spent 28 years in the Air Force, flew large airplanes and had the privilege of leading some amazing organizations. I was looking to do something different in my retirement. My wife loved the Charleston area and decided we would settle here. I looked around at a couple of different opportunities and really fell in love with the story, branding, the products and the potential of Oliver Pluff. I have learned a lot about tea and coffee along the way.
Question: What can you tell us about Oliver Pluff & Co. overall?
Answer: Oliver Pluff is about telling the story of early American beverages – the teas, coffees and toddies the founding fathers, and mothers, enjoyed. We answer the questions, “What types of tea were thrown in the harbor during the Boston Tea Party”… and “What did they drink after?” We have a full line of teas, a variety of plain and flavored coffees that we have roasted especially for us, several blends of cacao [the shell of the cocoa bean] as well as spiced blends for cocktails, our Toddy and Wassail mixes. Wassail being mulled cider and wine spices. We try to tell the story behind our products. For example, did you know cacao was a favorite breakfast drink of Martha Washington?
Question: How did the name Oliver Pluff & Co. come about?
Answer: I would love to tell you a story of a revolutionary war era tea merchant who ran a small tea shop in downtown Charleston… but it would be a story. The truth is a little simpler – “Oliver” to sound British that most Americans associate with tea. “Pluff” is a tip of the hat to the low country of South Carolina, where the company is located. When the tide goes out of the marshes, pluff mud is what they call the quicksand-like mud that is left.
Question: Why did you decide to focus on both tea and coffee?
Answer: It is about the story of the 1500s to 1600s. Coffee, chocolate and tea were all “discovered” by Western Europeans about the same time. Explorers brought back these new and exotic products they found on their travels. By the time of the American Revolution, these products were in as much demand in the colonies as they were in England.
Question: Based on your experiences in the military, do you think tea is popular with soldiers, or are they mainly a coffee crowd?
Answer: The military reflects our society, so coffee is more popular. In my career, I found that while coffee was the caffeine drink of choice when I first joined, by the end of my career, many of the young airmen would use energy drinks and other ready-to-drink products they could store and take with them.
Question: What can you tell us about the various products that Oliver Pluff & Co. offers? And what are some of your best-selling teas or other products right now?
Answer: We offer the five tea blends that were thrown overboard during the Boston Tea Party, but we also offer classics like Earl Grey, English breakfast, oolong and Darjeeling. We also offer a wide selection of flavored fruit teas and iced and cold brew teas that fit with our southern roots. In the past couple of years, we introduced a blend we call Whiskey Rebellion Tea. The label tells the story of the 1794 whiskey rebellion and is a blended tea that’s aged in a whiskey barrel, so it picks up the aromas and flavors of the whiskey and is one of our best sellers. We just introduced a Ginger Peach tea that we blend and flavor in-house. Our Hot Toddy blends are great sellers in the 4th quarter, so we introduced a couple of new blends of toddy mixes to be consumed cold and we call summer toddies. I was inspired to make the Spiced Hibiscus Summer Toddy blend by the local Gullah-Geechee culture and their use of hibiscus, which is a great summer drink. During the holidays, our absolute best seller is our Cinnamon Orange blend that we create in-house.
Question: How important are beverage trends to Oliver Pluff & Co.?
Answer: Basing the brand on history gives me the freedom to keep telling the story of early American beverages and perhaps ignore trends. I did introduce matcha tea to the product line a couple of years ago, but I used the product to highlight the story of where matcha came from. I am tracking the trend of cocktail mixes products, but really for my company, it is about telling the history of the product where we can. So, staying true to the brand becomes more important than chasing any specific trend.
Question: How can the tea industry attract the next generation of tea drinkers, in your opinion?
Answer: If you look at what has been happening with bourbon, coffee, cigars or wine markets, the same opportunity exists for tea. A lot of people want to become connoisseurs of products they enjoy. They want to explore a topic, discover how terroir impacts flavors, and discover new providers and new blends. But we have to lower the barrier to entry. People want to know the story of their products, but they don’t want to be told they are doing it wrong. I think sometimes we are the worst enemy in getting people to try tea.
When I grew up, my family probably had the same box of tea bags in our house for over 15 years. My family did not know how to brew it or its shelf life. When I was flying for the Air Force, I drank bad coffee all over the world – mostly of my own making. I think as an industry, we need to capitalize on people looking for the health benefits of tea while also making it easy for them to learn. Don’t worry about proper tasting procedures or looking down at people who use tea bags or the horror of a Keurig tea pod. Just encourage people to discover what they like. Show them the basics while also encouraging them to explore different blends and types. If someone wants to put honey and cream in their tea, great! Leave their tea bag in a cup… awesome! Drink nothing but herbals, don’t correct them when they call it a “tea” but ask what they like about it. Welcome them on the tea journey. We need to share the story and the flavors.
Question: What were some of the biggest challenges you faced when you launched your business, and do you have any advice for tea entrepreneurs and those just starting out?
Answer: For anyone starting out, either starting a business or buying a business, I strongly recommend you understand why you are doing it. Not just to “make money.” Being a small business owner takes a lot of work. If you don’t know what is truly motivating you, and focus on it every day, it can be easy to lose sight of the fun parts of creating something. While you must understand and know all parts of your business, if you find the part of the business that you struggle with, I recommend you hire or outsource those areas to people who are good at it. Also, connect with your local business community. It can be lonely owning a business. Find a community to seek advice from or just vent to. If you go outside of the tea community, you don’t need to worry about sharing secrets with the “competition,” but you might be surprised how much overlap there is in small business struggles.
Question: What’s the secret to your success?
Answer: I think Oliver Pluff is most successful when we stay true to our branding, and tell the story of early American teas, coffees and toddies.
Question: Does Oliver Pluff & Co. offer wholesale opportunities for retailers? And how do you support those retailers?
Answer: Yes we do! You can find us on Faire [Faire.com/direct/OliverPluffCompany], as well as contact us directly at [email protected]. Someone on my team would be happy to talk to you about retailing tea products, send you a sample to try or just share some tea.
Question: In terms of marketing efforts, what’s been the most successful for your business?
Answer: Two things. First, I found a great e-commerce marketing team to handle my social media and web advertising. Second, I embraced the changing wholesale marketplace and joined a couple of online wholesale marketplaces to go beyond just the traditional in-person wholesale markets. I joined those markets in the year prior to COVID-19 and they have paid off.
Question: Thanks for your time! Last question: What do you want the tea community to remember about Oliver Pluff & Co.?
Answer: Oliver Pluff and Company tells the story of early American teas, toddies and coffee. So, share a cup of history with Oliver Pluff.
To learn more about Oliver Pluff & Company, visit OliverPluff.com.
Don’t Miss the Weekly World Tea News eNewsletter! Get your free subscription, if you’re not already subscribed, by clicking here.
Plan to Attend or Participate in World Tea Expo, March 18-20, 2024
To learn about other key developments, trends, issues, hot topics and products within the global tea community, plan to attend World Tea Expo, March 18-20, 2024 in Las Vegas, co-located with Bar & Restaurant Expo. Visit WorldTeaExpo.com.
To book your sponsorship or exhibit space at the World Tea Conference + Expo, or to enquire about advertising and sponsorship opportunities at World Tea News, contact:
Ellainy Karaboitis-Christopoulos
Business Development Manager, Questex
Phone: +1-212-895-8493
Email: [email protected]
Also, be sure to stay connected with World Tea Expo on social media for details and insights about the event. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.