Should a Hotel Use One Tea Supplier for Everything?

Using one tea supplier across the whole hotel is operationally attractive.

There is one account, one delivery relationship and one range for staff to understand.

But there are situations where a second specialist supplier can make sense.

The right answer depends on how important tea is in different parts of the property.

The advantages of one supplier

A single supplier can simplify:

·       ordering

·       invoicing

·       stock control

·       staff training

·       product knowledge

·       deliveries

·       menu updates

For many hotels, those efficiencies are valuable enough to make one supplier the obvious choice.

Consistency across the property

Using one supplier can also create a more coherent guest experience.

The breakfast tea in the restaurant may match the wrapped breakfast tea in the bedroom, for example.

Staff have fewer products to learn and purchasing has fewer lines to manage.

One supplier should still offer different formats

One supplier does not mean one product format.

A good hospitality range might include wrapped bags in bedrooms, unwrapped bags at breakfast and loose leaf for afternoon tea.

If the supplier can cover those needs well, there is little reason to add complexity.

When a second supplier can make sense

There are exceptions.

A hotel may use a broad primary supplier but bring in a specialist for a particular service, such as ceremonial matcha, rare single-origin teas or a highly specialist afternoon-tea programme.

That can work if the additional product genuinely adds value.

Avoid multiple suppliers for marginal differences

Adding another supplier for one slow-moving tea creates extra ordering, deliveries, invoices and stockholding.

The product needs to earn that complexity.

If the difference is minor, keeping the range simpler is usually the better operational decision.

Consider procurement requirements

Hotel groups may already have approved supplier lists, national contracts or distributor requirements.

In those cases, using one supplier can be as much about procurement efficiency as product quality.

Independent properties usually have more freedom to decide whether flexibility is worth the extra administration.

Think about minimum orders

Two suppliers can create duplicated minimum orders and carriage charges.

If each requires a minimum spend, you may end up holding more stock simply to place efficient orders.

Always calculate the operational cost as well as the unit cost.

Training becomes harder as the supplier count grows

Every additional range means more information for staff to remember.

This matters particularly if different departments use different suppliers and products.

A simple back-of-house reference can help, but unnecessary complexity should still be avoided.

A practical rule

Start with one supplier capable of meeting the majority of your needs.

Add another only when there is a clear guest or operational benefit that the main supplier cannot provide.

That keeps purchasing simple while leaving room for genuinely special products.

The Shibui Tea approach

We aim to cover the main hospitality service points from one range: bedrooms, breakfast, restaurant service, afternoon tea and after-dinner tea.

Where a customer needs something outside our range, the priority should still be finding the right solution rather than forcing a product into the wrong role.