A NORTH-EAST tea and coffee specialist has expanded again.

Ringtons has strengthened its doorstep delivery service in Lincolnshire.

The 108-year-old Newcastle-headquartered business has moved from offices in Grimsby and Lincoln to Market Rasen.

Bosses say the new 2,497sq ft site will allow it to run more delivery vans, meaning it can add to its existing 15,000-strong customer base.

The move comes after the company opened a base in Newton Abbot, near Torquay, and began making doorstep deliveries in Yeovil.

Chris Clarke, Ringtons’ Market Rasen manager, said: “We have been running offices from Lincoln and Grimsby for a number of years.

“However, for operational reasons, we had ambitions to merge the two and set our sights on Market Rasen as the perfect middle ground.

“We spent a long time finding a site that suited our needs and was accessible to all the areas we deliver to and where we plan to expand into.”

Running a factory in North Tyneside, the firm also operates the Ringtons Beverages catering division and has an online store, which delivers worldwide.

Founded in 1907 by Samuel Smith, who sold tea to households via horse and cart, Ringtons now has a turnover of more than £45m and is headed by the fourth generation of the Smith family.