A NORTH-EAST couple have brewed up a sales success after striking a deal to supply a leading supermarket chain with their tea honouring England’s Border County.

Bill and Helen Logan’s Northumberland Tea is to be stocked in 66 Tesco stores across the North-East.

And the tie-up with the grocery firm could see thousands of pounds raised for the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation with a percentage of the profits from the sale of every box of 80 teabags going to the cancer charity based at Newcastle’s Freeman Hospital.

Northumberland Tea launched in May last year and it is already available in 135 independent retail outlets from Berwick to Harrogate.

Initially Tesco indicated it would only be going into 28 stores, but buyers were so impressed with the triple blend of Assam, Kenyan and Sri Lankan (Ceylonese) teas, that another 38 outlets were quickly added to the portfolio.

The Tesco contract means Bill, 56, and Helen, 45, are a step nearer realising their dream of putting Northumberland on the international food map in the same way Yorkshire Tea has done for its home county.

The deal will see the brand fronted by Ashington-born football legend Jack Charlton selling in both Tesco superstores and Extra’s outlets.

It marks the first major retail listing for the Logans’ beverage which is marketed under the taglines ‘The best cup since 1966,’ alluding to the part the former Newcastle United and Middlesbrough manager played in England’s famous World Cup win, and ‘Made for Northumbrians…and tea lovers everywhere.’

Mr Charlton said: “When Bill and Helen asked if I would help out with the tea that was going to help raise money for Bob’s charity, I was more than happy to do so.

“I liked Bob; he was a good lad, a good friend of mine. We first met as footballers while we were both at school and were friends for over 50 years.

“Bob coped so well while he was ill. I never heard him complain once – he just got on with it.”

The Logans were prompted to support the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation after Helen’s parents both died from cancer. Her father, Michael, who passed away at the age of 70 in July 2011, took part in the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation cancer research trials.