AN exotic tea business launched by a Newcastle University student has begun to sell its products overseas as they go on to the shelves of Sainsbury's nationwide.

Adam Soliman came up with the idea for Charbrew when he was frustrated at the variety of teas on offer and opened the tea importer and blender in 2009.

Since graduating he has grown the business and won deals to supply 400 Sainsbury’s stores, Lakeland and Booths supermakets as well as independent stores.

“Sainsbury’s is obviously my biggest customer at the moment but I’m now starting to expand overseas. I’m already in stores in North America, France and the Middle East, hopefully that can grow,” said the 23-year-old.

“I spotted a gap in the market for specialist teas and so far it has paid off. It’s hard work though and I am doing absolutely everything – the branding, advertising and sales is a big side of it so I’m looking to expand my workforce.

“Tea is not just a drink – it’s a ritual of life. We drink it when we’re relaxing or as a pick-me-up and it’s always been an important part of my life. This passion has now become a successful business and as a result I’ve tried hundreds of different types of tea. “

Charbrew specialises in unusual flavours with spices and dried fruit added to the tea to create blends including Strawberry Cream tea and Tropical Rooibos, a blend of South African redbush mixed with cardamom, coconut, orange peel and lemon grass.

Soliman began selling his blends of black and herbal teas at farmers’ markets and smaller shops, then in September last year he won contracts to sell the products in Lakeland stores and also in Booths departments stores and more recently Sainsbury.

Soliman won the 2010 Blueprint Award for business plans which is organised by the five North East universities and gives aspiring entrepreneurs the opportunity to make their plan a reality and attract help and start-up funding.

He also had help from enterprise agency Tedco, Young Enterprise and the Newcastle University careers office to go into business rather than apply for a job after completing his accountancy and finance degree.

As well as the £5,000 prize from the Blueprint Awards he got £3,000 from Northumberland entrepreneur Dr Tony Trapp’s ABC Fund and scooped £2,000 at the Santander Business Incubation Awards.