Where it all began
With the worlds first Rooibos Espresso
Our story
In 2005, Pete and Monique Ethelston left behind their successful corporate careers and set off backpacking through the Himalayas on honeymoon for 3 months. Inspired by their journey and eager to create something meaningful, they returned home to South Africa with a vision: launch a product that was good for people, rooted in their country’s heritage, and capable of creating jobs.
That vision became red espresso® Rooibos Espresso – a world‑first innovation that transformed South Africa’s iconic Rooibos tea into a rich, full‑bodied espresso. For the first time, tea could be prepared like coffee - pulled as a shot and crafted into cappuccinos, lattes, and iced drinks. Together with Monique’s brother, Nic Reid, they launched red espresso® Rooibos Espresso and began introducing it to cafés across South Africa. Nic even sold to the first 1,000 café customers straight from the boot of his car.
Backed by research
Curious about its health benefits, they took red espresso® Rooibos Espresso to the Cape Peninsula University of Technology’s Antioxidant Research Unit. The results were remarkable: red espresso® Rooibos Espresso contained 10x more antioxidants than regular Rooibos tea and 5x more than green tea.
United in their belief that this innovation could redefine café culture, they developed signature drinks like the red cappuccino®, red latte®, and fresh red® iced tea. Made exactly like their coffee counterparts, these drinks pioneered a healthier café culture and created a brand‑new beverage category on the café menu.
This earned them six international awards, including Best New Specialty Product 2008 at the Specialty Coffee Association of America Show - where they made history as the first tea and first South African company ever to win an SCAA award. That same year, the World Tea Expo honoured them with a Top Ten Best New Product award too.
Visionaries behind red espresso ©
Staying true to our passion for innovation, we expanded our commitment to product excellence beyond Rooibos, creating a full range of café favourites. Today, we are the premium choice for a variety of café-style drinks, like chai, matcha and gourmet chocolates. Our dedication to perfecting quality and taste has ensured we consistently meet the evolving needs of our customers. We believe that delicious tasting drinks start with quality ingredients – You’ll taste the difference.
Pete, Nic and Monique remain at the helm of red espresso® as familiar faces to many café customers around South Africa and globally.
Pete Ethelston
Nic Reid