HotTea Mama partners with GenM to better support women
HotTea Mama, which blends teas to support women in various stages of their reproductive life, has partnered with GenM, an organisation that works to raise awareness and support for menopausal women across a variety of brands and platforms.
Founded in 2017, HotTea Mama is based in Oxford, England and Sydney, Australia and provides bespoke, naturally sourced teas that build off the long history of women using herbs, flowers and teas to ease symptoms of perimenopause and post menopause with its ‘Take a Pause’ line. In addition to menopausal symptoms, HotTea Mama has created teas to ease menstrual cramps, support fertility, for breastfeeding and for new mothers.
The teas, which are exclusively whole leaf, are blended with aromatic herbs to provide flavour and wellness benefits and are also vegan and gluten free. The tea bags are plastic-free and compostable. The teas are produced in the UK and are available via the HotTea Mama website and other major online retailers, as well as some select independent wellness, maternity retailers and prenatal, fertility and menopause educators. The company plans to open its first high-street retailer in May 2022, in the UK.
Co-founders, Bethan and Kate, noted the lack of products and support for ‘the challenges of womanhood’ and sought to address that by combining historical and modern research on the benefits of botanicals with Camellia sinensis to create its product lines. Their ethos reflects that of GenM and has led to HotTea Mama securing one of the last remaining places as one of the 48 GenM founding partners, representative of the 48 credible, clinical and medical symptoms of the menopause that can affect menopausal women, as well as trans and non-binary people in menopause.
GenM was co-founded by Heather Jackson and Sam Simister, two businesswomen who found the menopause hard to navigate and suddenly felt invisible to brands with whom they had built loyalty over the years. Together, they created GenM with a clear mission: to unite responsible brands and organisations to improve the menopause experience, normalise the conversation, and support under-served menopausal consumers and employees.
HotTea Mama joins over 40 other companies as a founding partner, alongside Boots, Holland & Barrett, Next and Marks & Spencer’s, with an objective of opening conversations up about the menopause, a topic that, much like many other aspects of women’s reproductive health, is still remarkably taboo, in order to better represent the menopause in product development, workplace policies, signposting and marketing campaigns.
Bethan said, “Our purpose is to support women’s wellness at various stages in their reproductive lives, one cup of tea at a time. So, when GenM approached us to join their mission and commit to improving the menopause experience, we jumped at the opportunity to become a voice for change in this space.
“The natural herbs in our menopause tea have been used for millennia to support some of the most common menopausal symptoms, and we’re always on the lookout for new, innovative solutions to add to our range. We also recognise the need to spread awareness and educate all sections of society on just how this life stage affects people. By doing this, we can change perceptions about the menopause and help millions of women and others to lead healthier, happier lives.”
Heather Jackson, co-founder of GenM, said, “We’re thrilled to have HotTea Mama on board with our mission. The menopause affects us all, so we must ensure that those experiencing this pivotal stage in life no longer feel overlooked at home, at work and in society. Brands and organisations have a clear role to play in driving real change for ‘the change’ and, through our work at GenM, we are able to walk them through this process.
“We’re working for a world where all women enter the menopause armed with the knowledge, understanding and support needed to make informed choices on how to manage ‘the change’ in way that best suits them. This transition can affect everything from the products you use to what you’d consider drinking and eating. It’s great to see brands like HotTea Mama stepping up to this challenge and committing to help make a real difference.”
