News / International
Unique coffee mug designed by Zimbabweans takes UK by storm
27 Jun 2013 at 14:36hrs | Views
A NEW mug design inspired by nature promises to rid world of table coffee rings and the dreadful doily forever.
The 'floating mug' designed by Zimbabwean friends Dumi Ndlovu and Tigere Chiriga, comes with its own built-in coaster.
The idea for the mug came after the friends spotted bananas hanging on a hook.
And the pair say it will revolutionise the way tea and coffee drinkers think about mugs adding they expect to see one of their floating mugs to be in every home soon.
Unlike other mugs, the floating mug's handle bends round underneath it to form a coaster to collect any drips that could form stains on tables and worktops.
But a stain free coffee table won't come cheap. The floating mug is available from the company's online shop for £22.
The launch of the mug comes after months of work by Ndlovu, a financial analyst and Chiriga a post office worker, both 34, who grew up together in Harare.
Ndlovu, who now lives in Reading, UK, said: "A few years ago the idea for the floating mug was born.
"Tigere got married and moved into a house in North Carolina with his new wife, but wasn't very good at being tidy.
"He drinks a lot of tea but was terrible at putting coasters under his mugs and so kept leaving stains on the furniture.
"One day he was looking at a banana hook and the inspiration came to him for a mug that was suspended above a coaster."
The pair turned to a crowd funding website to gain investment for the initial design and manufacture, receiving £25,000 worth of funding from small investors within days of listing the project.
"It is going to change the way people think about mugs," Ndlovu added.
"It may be a bit of a novelty item at the moment but the plan is to definitely get it into every household in the near future."
The 'floating mug' designed by Zimbabwean friends Dumi Ndlovu and Tigere Chiriga, comes with its own built-in coaster.
The idea for the mug came after the friends spotted bananas hanging on a hook.
And the pair say it will revolutionise the way tea and coffee drinkers think about mugs adding they expect to see one of their floating mugs to be in every home soon.
Unlike other mugs, the floating mug's handle bends round underneath it to form a coaster to collect any drips that could form stains on tables and worktops.
But a stain free coffee table won't come cheap. The floating mug is available from the company's online shop for £22.
The launch of the mug comes after months of work by Ndlovu, a financial analyst and Chiriga a post office worker, both 34, who grew up together in Harare.
"Tigere got married and moved into a house in North Carolina with his new wife, but wasn't very good at being tidy.
"He drinks a lot of tea but was terrible at putting coasters under his mugs and so kept leaving stains on the furniture.
"One day he was looking at a banana hook and the inspiration came to him for a mug that was suspended above a coaster."
The pair turned to a crowd funding website to gain investment for the initial design and manufacture, receiving £25,000 worth of funding from small investors within days of listing the project.
"It is going to change the way people think about mugs," Ndlovu added.
"It may be a bit of a novelty item at the moment but the plan is to definitely get it into every household in the near future."
Source - Agencies
