LOCKDOWN Brits in search of a quality caffeine boost sparked an unprecedented surge in subscriptions to a Lake District-based Coffee and Tea club.

Family-owned and operated business, Penningtons, recorded a 40 per cent increase in demand for their letterbox-friendly packages, as aficionados of bean and leaf scoured the internet.

With a vast majority of new members opting to continue their membership now lockdown has eased, the firm is celebrating the unexpected boost - and preparing for continued growth as word spreads.

Tea Club membership starts from as little as £5 with coffee from only £7.75 for a bespoke package delivered to members’ doors.

Gina Pennington, a director of Penningtons, said: “Of course we were affected like most other businesses when the UK went into lockdown, but we were able to maintain our subscription and delivery service.

“It was pleasing to see the nation’s tea and coffee lovers seek us out and sign up to our monthly subscription service.

“We believe we are delivering a premium experience at a very reasonable price, and I suspect that was one of the key drivers behind the growth. Along, of course, with the fact that decent coffee and tea blends were far harder to come by during the lockdown period.”

Penningtons is a family business based in Cumbria and started to trade in 2018.

From their base in Kendal, they hand roast specially selected, ethically sourced coffee beans from around the world, turning them into house blends or speciality coffees and selling them via their online shop and through a network of retailers.

Among the blends on offer are Olde Kendal and Espresso Blend, along with the more adventurous Columbia Suarez, Ethiopian Yirgacheffe and Guatemala Coban.

The company also has a wide selection of teas, which range from the more traditional Fine Lakeland Blend and English Breakfast Tea, to Flowery Orange Pekoe, Lung Ching Dragonwell - and of course Kendal Mint Cake Tea!

Subscribers to either the Coffee Club or the Tea Club are also the occasional recipients of exclusive blends not available in their online shop.

More information can be found at www.penningtonscoffee.co.uk/pages/subscriptions