Couple Quits Jobs to Git-R-Done with Bubbly Tea, Because Alcohol Is So Last Century
KEY POINTS
- •Natalie Chiu moved from Hong Kong to the UK in 2008 to study food science and flavor chemistry.
- •In 2018, Natalie and Charlie won £5,000 in a university competition and invested £25,000 to start their sparkling tea business.
- •Last year, Natalie quit her food company job to fully commit to Saicho, now selling in Michelin-starred restaurants with 24 employees.
Natalie Chiu, a Hong Kong native turned UK food science brainiac, met her husband Charlie, and boom—sparking a sparkling tea empire named Saicho. After a tragic first date where Natalie’s face went redder than a 2018 vintage wine she couldn’t finish, she ditched juice and water’s crying corner to disrupt wine pairings. Starting in 2018 with £5,000 from a university contest and £25,000 of savings, they brewed their way from cheap samples at restaurants to Michelin-starred menus and a staff swelling from 2 to 24. Natalie went full throttle last year, quitting a cushy innovation role just to chase bubble dreams—with significantly less sip security.
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(1 of 3)She turned 'red face from wine' into £45k sparkling tea business. Alcohol intolerance finally pays off, making sommeliers sweat.
Who knew alcohol intolerance was just a business plan waiting to happen? Natalie and Charlie turned red into riches.
Couple's drink idea was to make wine jealous by going sparkling tea — proof avoiding booze can bubble over with success.
Source: Businessinsider | Published: 3/30/2026 | Author: Jianne Soriano
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