Origin of our teas

WHERE OUR TEAS COME FROM?

We select our various raw teas and rooibos from four major producing countries: China, India, Sri Lanka and South Africa. A thousand and one different seedlings, with varied aromas and flavours, proof of a strong and subtle knowledge of soils, species and varieties...  Here are some “brief histories” of the producing countries with whom we have ongoing exchanges to provide you with the best tea...

A brief history of tea… in China

China is the number one tea producer in the world, producing more than 1 million tonnes per year. It is the only country where all colours of tea are grown (white, green, blue green, yellow, black and dark), since it is the historical birthplace of tea (camellia sinensis), both in terms of production and consumption. (…)

A brief history of tea… in India

India is the 2nd largest producer of tea in the world, with more than 900,000 tonnes per year. Tea was introduced to India by the British in the nineteenth century, to overcome the monopoly of Chinese production. The first area to be planted was the mountain region surrounding the city of Darjeeling, perched on the Himalayan foothills, in the 1850s. (…)

A brief history of tea… in Sri Lanka

This island, formerly known as Ceylonand renamed Sri Lanka in 1972, has produced tea since the late nineteenth century. It is currently the fourth largest producer in the world, with around 300,000 tonnes per year. Tea cultivation was established here by the British as an alternative crop to coffee. (…)

A brief history of rooibos in South Africa...

There is a plant cultivated in South Africa which is called "red tea", but is not actually a species of tea. Its common name is Rooibos, which means red bush in Afrikaans, because of its reddish stems and the red-orange colour taken on by its leaves through oxidisation. (…)