ONE half of a successful family-run tea business founded in Poole, Roy Pierce, has died aged 80.

Roy formed Blendings with his sister Tina in 1990 after developing a knowledge and passion for providing the perfect brew throughout his life.

From his wealth of experience Roy favoured Kenyan tea and shared his admiration for this particular variety with people across the region.

Roy was born in West Wycombe on March 29, 1938, the younger of two siblings to parents Ernest and Augusta Pierce.

During the early years of the Second World War Roy was raised in Surbiton before being forced to evacuate to Wales for 18 months.

After the war the family returned to their home in Hayes, Kent. Roy attended technical school in Beckenham.

Roy concluded his time in education and carried out a seven-year apprenticeship with a tea firm that his father had secured for him.

This kicked started what would become Roy’s life passion, however it was briefly interrupted while he carried out two years of national service in Germany.

Following his period aboard, Roy worked for several different tea companies in the north of England, which led to a move to Africa, initially in Uganda where he met his future wife Lesley.

Roy spent around 20 years in Africa, largely in Uganda and Rhodesia, before concluding his stay in Kenya.

He worked as a buyer for a number of company’s, including Taylors which still trade to this day.

Roy eventually returned to the UK and continued his working life in the tea trade using his knowledge and expertise.

However, after his sister returned from more than 30 years lecturing at Stockholm University, he decided to implement a long term ambition of running his own tea business.

Working with his sister, the couple formed Blendings in 1990, which operated out of Poole.

The company specialised in what Roy considered to be only the finest teas from Kenya, with the aim of providing a high quality product at a low price.

Speaking to the Daily Echo having tasted early success just three months after launching Blendings, Tina said: “My brother had always wanted to set up on his own, and it just seemed the right time to give it a go.

“Our main investment was a pair of good scales. These had to be authorised for trading.”

Once his day at work was complete, Roy could usually be found spending his evenings at the Bricklayers Arms in Parkstone. Tina said he was seen as a father figure to many people at “Brickys”.

He remained keen to support others and donated crates of tea to London City Mission’s Webber Street Homeless Day Centre.

The couple ran the successful business from their base in Flambard Road for more than two decades, before ill health in the form of throat cancer affected Roy.

Speaking prior to his diagnosis in 2011, he admitted he never got bored of drinking tea.

After much thought, the brother and sister team decided to sell the business and its offices are now in Canary Wharf, London.

While the operation has moved from its Dorset birthplace, the current business remembers the hopes and aims first instilled by the company’s creators.

The Blendings website says “the business will remain true to the values upon which it was founded, with quality being the number one objective”.

Roy and Lesley had two sons, Stephen, who died in a motorcycle accident in 2005, and Christopher, who lives with his partner in France.

The couple eventually divorced but Tina said they remained good friends.

She described her brother and long-term business partner as someone who believed you should look after others and who maintained his passion for tea throughout all his life.

Roy Nilsson Pierce died on Thursday, May 24, after a battle with cancer.

A celebration of life service will take place at Poole Crematorium at 4pm on Friday, June 8. Family flowers only. Donations can be made to London City Mission’s Webber Street Homeless Day Centre. The service will be followed by a private function in the evening at the Bricklayers Arms.