Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ - Inspire Food Company
General Questions
What is bubble tea?
Bubble tea is blend of either iced or hot tea shaken or stirred with either fruit or milk. To top it off, you can choose to add either tapioca pearls or various flavors of fruit pearls to your drink to make it a bubble tea. Bubble tea can also be made with ice cream, or mixed with either fruit or syrup.
Bubble tea can be made in a limitless number of variants, and the bubbles deliver the customer a unique experience - while also providing a great looking drink. The drink is usually served in a tall glass or a plastic takeaway cup, but can also be in other containers. Extra wide straws are frequently used so that the bubbles can be slurped.
What is the difference between the onlineshop (inspirefoodcompany.com) and wholesale (business.inspirefoodcompany.com)?
THE INSPIRE FOOD COMPANY consists of two platforms, namely:
Regular Webshop: https://www.inspirefoodcompany.com/
This webshop is usually used by customers who place smaller or medium-sized orders, ordering less than €1000 worth of product. On this webshop, it is possible to buy items per piece.
Wholesale Store (B2B): https://business.inspirefoodcompany.com/
The wholesale webshop is mostly used by customers placing large orders, and provides discounted pricing. It only offer pallet shipments, and the products can only be bought per box.
- Shipping: We recommend a minimum order value of €1000.00.
- Pick-up shipping: We recommend a minimum order value of €500.00. The order can be picked up from us in Utrecht, Netherlands 24 hours after receipt of payment.
For end-user buyers who just want to purchase small quantities of items for themselves, the Bubble Tea Fun Shop (https://www.bubbleteafunshop.com) is also a great solution.
Where are our products made?
Our products are made in either Europe, or in Taiwan - the place where bubble tea originally comes from. We try to source products in the most sustainable and high quality way. If it doesn't need to be shipped overseas, we prefer not to. We always make sure we can deliver the best quality bubble tea products.
Do you have a physical shop or bubble tea shop where your products are sold?
We do not currently have a physical shop or bubble tea shop where you can buy our products. We are primarily a distributor that sells the full range of bubble tea products to both business and private customers.
Can I find everything on your website to start a bubble tea business?
Yes - on our website you can find everything from A to Z to start a bubble tea business. We offer all the ingredients, as well as the necessary accessories and machines. If you have any questions about the best items for your business, you can use the live chat on our website or email info@inspirefoodcompany.com.
Do you have samples to try?
We do not offer free samples. To try our products, we advise you to order small quantities of various flavours. You can also use one of our starter kits. With these kits you can make about 200 cups of bubble tea and experience the full process.
Do you have all products in stock?
The stock on our website is always up to date and we do our best to keep our stock up to date. Unfortunately, it may happen that a product is sold out. Should you wish to purchase a product that has been sold out, we offer the option of leaving your email address with the product. As soon as we replenish the stock you will receive an email from us. In this way you can be sure that you don't miss out on anything!
Shipping and Distribution
What countries do you ship to?
We currently ship our products to: Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, SanMarino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain & Sweden.
We also sell via our Amazon store to a variety of locations, including the United States.
If your country is not listed here, please let us know at info@inspirefoodcompany.com. We will then look at the possibilities.
How do you ship your products?
We primarily ship our products with UPS. If your order consists of more than 8 boxes, they will be shipped with Dachser. In certain cases, we may use other shipping methods for the best quality and efficiency.
Are the shipping costs already included in the price?
Shipping costs are not included in the price. These are calculated according to the weight of your package. However, we do offer free shipping costs from certain amounts. For this, it is best to take a look at Delivery time & shipping costs.
How long does it take to receive my order?
This depends on the country. Please refer to the detailed page for Delivery time & shipping costs. You will always receive a confirmation and tracking code once your package has been picked up for shipping.
Do you offer wholesale shipping?
Yes, we have a separate website for wholesale orders. There, our products are shipped per pallet at discounted rates. You can visit it at https://business.inspirefoodcompany.com/.
Do you offer the possibility to pick up orders in your warehouse?
Unfortunately, we do not offer this possibility for our regular webshop. This is only possible for orders placed via our wholesale business.
Start-Up Information
What do I need to make bubble tea in my shop?
You can first take a look at our youtube channel. There you can find a number of videos about how to make bubble tea.
We recommend the following standard ingredients for fruit tea:
- Jasmine Green Tea
- Premium Fruit Syrup
- Fructose
- Fruit Pearls
For bubble milk tea, we recommend using the following:
- Assam Black Tea
- Powder: Premium Taro, Premium Thai Milk Tea, Black Milk Tea
- Tapioca Pearls
In addition, the following accessories are important to use:
- Plastic Cups
- Lids for the Cups
- Bubble Tea Straws
- Cocktail Shakers
- Measuring Cups
- Pearl Scoops
- Tea Strainer
- Thermos
Is it necessary to buy machines for my bubble tea business?
To prepare bubble tea in a shop, you will need the following machines:
The decision for or against buying a machine is very individual. Some customers buy the machines after they have been able to sell more than 200 bubble teas per day.
How do I make bubble tea? Do you have standard recipes?
You can take a look at our youtube channel. There you can find a number of videos about how to make bubble tea. However, we recommend that you ignore the standard recipes you find online, because your customers might not like them at all. Invite a group of people, start experimenting, and start learning what flavours people like in your location. You may even discover some new and popular ideas!
What are the most popular flavours?
Many people like the fruit flavours, especially for the bubble tea pearls. Strawberry and Mango flavours tend to be the most popular overall, however the preferences can change based on location. We advise you to test them out for yourself and your market. Make sure you stand out by making your own choices!
What do I need to cook Tapioca?
Buy an electric cooking plate to cook the tapioca. You can also use a rice cooker. Even if you have little space, you can still cook great tasting tapioca!
Where can you serve bubble tea?
Bubble tea is perfect for a: Bubble Tea Shop, Coffee Shop, Snack Shop, Restaurant, Smoothie Shop, Juice Bar, Ice Cream Parlour, Snack Bar, Donut Shops, and elsewhere. In addition, it can be great for supermarkets and other retail locations. You can easily sell bubble tea as a side product in your shop!
Do you give workshops?
Unfortunately, we do not (yet) have any opportunities for workshops. We hope to be able to offer this in the future. Until now we are always open to help our customers by phone or email.
Taxes
I am a German customer and I order from the online shop. Do I have to pay VAT?
Our department store for the online shop is in Germany. As a German customer, it is therefore not possible to take advantage of the VAT exemption for orders in the online shop. You can however ask the tax authorities for a VAT refund.
I forgot to enter a VAT number when I placed my order. What do I do?
This is not a problem. VAT is always calculated on the basis of the country to which the goods are shipped. You can reclaim the VAT from your own tax authority.
Fruit Pearls
Do I need to do anything to prepare the fruit boba pearls?
How do I store the fruit boba pearls?
It is best to store the fruit boba pearls in a cool and shaded area. They don't need to be refridgerated before opening.
Upon opening, it is best to keep the fruit boba refridgerated if possible. It is recommended to use the opened fruit pearls within 7 days after opening them.
Tapioca
How long can I store tapioca in an unopened bag?
Our tapioca bags have an expiry date on them. We recommend that you stick to this for your guidance.
How long will the tapioca last after I open the bag?
We recommend using the tapioca within a few days. This way, you avoid wasting it. Storing it longer will reduce the quality of the tapioca.
What is tapioca made of?
Tapioca is made from cassava. They are chewy balls. It has no strong taste but adds texture to a drink.
Returns
What do I need to do to return my products?
Go to our returns page. Fill in the return form so that your return is registered with us. We will then contact you for the next steps.