Local Find: Granny Squibb’s Iced Tea
Thursday, July 29, 2010
In the heat of summer, sometimes all you need is an ice cold drink – But don’t worry, local iced tea company Granny Squibb’s has got you covered. With two delicious flavors, Granny Squibb’s makes for the perfect summer refreshment. GoLocalProv caught up with founder Robin Squibb about her career change, the challenges of starting a business, and the company’s namesake – her grandmother.
The inspiration for the company came after 9/11, when Squibb, who worked in the film business in New York, started thinking about moving home to Rhode Island. During a period of brainstorming something else to do, a friend told her that someone ought to be selling Granny Squibb's iced tea. Squibb says, “Our community had been making iced tea from my grandmother's recipe for over sixty years and had even given it its name.”
Soon, Granny Squibb’s became a reality. The company was incorporated in the fall of 2007, but Squibb kept working in the film business until she had a commercial formula as good as the ‘homebrew’ which “took forever,” she says. “Three food chemists failed to successfully replicate the home brew so I ended up formulating it myself in the winter of 2009.”GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST
And that hasn’t been the only difficulty. For Squibb, the toughest part of starting a business has been finding enough time and money to get everything done. “I realized early on that being a perfectionist takes a lot more time and money than I have,” she says. “I've had to settle for just getting the job done as best I can with the resources and time that I have.”
But so far, she’s been met with great success. Since its first bottles hit the shelves in June of last summer, Granny Squibb’s has picked up two new distributors, and has been sold in more than150 stores, schools, and clubs – including Whole Foods. Currently, the company carries two flavors (Lemon/Mint and Mojito/Lime), but Squibb plans to continue to introduce new flavors, like cranberry or an unsweetened version of Lemon/Mint.
And what would Granny Squibb herself (pictured above) say if she knew? “I think it would make her happy that I have taken her advice of never say never to heart,” Squibb says. “I'm sure she would have said there was no need for the photo of her on the label and would have suggested that it would look better with just the lighthouse or the schooner instead.”
Granny Squibb's is available at markets throughout RI. For a list of locations, go here.
Related Articles
- Local Find: Moondust Macarons
- Food Find: Intoxicating Cupcakes (for Every Age)
- Manpacks: The Netflix of Underwear
- Summer Low-Calorie Cocktails
- Summer Cocktail: Sangria
