The Making of Really Good Tea.
Ever wondered what actually goes on behind the scenes of making really good tea? From the plant it all comes from, to harvesting and mixing up blends. Here is the making of tea, properly, from bush to brew.
MEET CAMELLIA SINENSIS.
All tea, whether it is black, green, white or oolong, comes from one plant- Camellia Sinensis. This sub-tropical evergreen shrub originates in southwestern China, but today it's grown all over the world.
Different growing conditions, picking techniques and manufacturing processes give each type of tea its own distinct flavour.
Different growing conditions, picking techniques and manufacturing processes give each type of tea its own distinct flavour.
CHOOSING YOUR TEA
It is all about the endgame. Broadly speaking, a tea factory produces one of three types of tea.The orthodox method takes an intact leaf and rolls it, by machine or by hand, for a twiggy-looking finished product. CTC and dust are more intensively processed, leaves are passed through a toothy roller and chopped into small uniform sizes.
CTC generates a higher yield, so it is used for cheaper tea bags. The orthodox method is reserved for premium teas, as it does far less damage to the leaf.
We only ever use rolled whole leaves, the care and attention throughout the manufacturing process gives your tea a smoother, richer flavour.
CTC generates a higher yield, so it is used for cheaper tea bags. The orthodox method is reserved for premium teas, as it does far less damage to the leaf.
We only ever use rolled whole leaves, the care and attention throughout the manufacturing process gives your tea a smoother, richer flavour.
PLUCKING YOUR TEA
Harvesting starts each spring, picking is done by hand, mechanical clippers, or machine, depending on what is being produced.
All our teas are hand plucked. Skilled pickers are selective and precise, minimising damage to the leaf as they go, for a higher quality cup than anything mass-produced.
The best tea is made using the freshest leaves from the top of the plant. These leaves are smoother and sweeter in taste than the larger leaves further down.
All our teas are hand plucked. Skilled pickers are selective and precise, minimising damage to the leaf as they go, for a higher quality cup than anything mass-produced.
The best tea is made using the freshest leaves from the top of the plant. These leaves are smoother and sweeter in taste than the larger leaves further down.
HOW OUR TEA IS MADE
All tea starts life the same way, but small differences along the way give us the many types we drink today.
Black tea is hand plucked, withered (for up to 18 hours), rolled (never cut), oxidised (the browning stage that gives black tea its colour), then dried.
Green, white and oolong teas take a gentler route. White is simply withered and baked. Oolong sits between green and black, partially oxidised. Green gets a short wither, a quick blast of heat to stop oxidation, then it is rolled and dried.
Black tea is hand plucked, withered (for up to 18 hours), rolled (never cut), oxidised (the browning stage that gives black tea its colour), then dried.
Green, white and oolong teas take a gentler route. White is simply withered and baked. Oolong sits between green and black, partially oxidised. Green gets a short wither, a quick blast of heat to stop oxidation, then it is rolled and dried.
BLENDS & ORIGINS
Most tea falls into one of two camps: single origin or blends.
Single origin tea comes from one particular region, though it could be from any number of gardens. Depending on where in the world a single origin is grown, it will have a different flavour profile.
Blends bring different origins together. Our English Breakfast pairs a rolled whole leaf Assam for strength with a lighter, citrussy Ceylon for refreshment, blended in the UK to a ratio we adjust every year to keep the balance right.
Single origin tea comes from one particular region, though it could be from any number of gardens. Depending on where in the world a single origin is grown, it will have a different flavour profile.
Blends bring different origins together. Our English Breakfast pairs a rolled whole leaf Assam for strength with a lighter, citrussy Ceylon for refreshment, blended in the UK to a ratio we adjust every year to keep the balance right.
A WORD ON HERBAL TEAS
If you have read this far and are wondering where herbal teas fit into all this, the honest answer is: they don't, not really.
Ours are made with a blend of natural fruits and herbs instead, nothing dodgy or artificial, just a different plant story to the one we have just told.
Ours are made with a blend of natural fruits and herbs instead, nothing dodgy or artificial, just a different plant story to the one we have just told.
