.png)
What inspired the creation of Hampstead Tea – were there any particular visions behind its founding?
I started Hampstead Tea to tell everyone about tea grown in a biodynamic way. Makaibari, the garden we partnered since 1990 with was the first ever to be certified biodynamic. The results have been spectacular in both the taste and the bushes’ resistance to pests, etc.
We started a new way of buying tea – direct from tea gardens rather than through auctions and brokers in order for the estates to retain more of the income from the sale of their tea. We started with a whole leaf tea in contrast to all the tea bags then available on the shelves and we now have around 40 different lines.
Today, the work we have done with our tea estates means they are able to market their produce directly to us without the interference of brokers and middlemen.
Can you share any details about what differentiates your tea from others in the market?
Our attention to detail and tasting of every blend from every harvest and tea garden ensures we keep ahead of the market with the very best tasting teas available. Hampstead Tea alone offers a Biodynamic (Demeter) option that gives back more than it takes – actually improving the soil, the plants and the people. All this hard work is to guarantee the best tasting tea you will find in the UK.
How does Hampstead Tea incorporate sustainability into its production processes?
We are 100% organic, even though organic rules permit 5% conventional ingredients, and we only ever buy from certified growers that we know. For the past 20 years we have partnered with and encouraged more and more tea estates in Darjeeling , NE India, to change to organic. It is now around 50% organic. All our products are packed in home-compostable, plastic-free packaging. We never work with gardens where there is poor governance and exploitation.
How does Hampstead Tea stay ahead of trends and innovations within the tea industry?
We have a website with around 10,000 subscribers and each year we research their views on new trends and innovations. The results of this along with reviewing the market as a whole, informs our new product development, etc.
Are there any upcoming initiatives or projects you’d like to share with us?
We are launching a range of 3 teas in our Be Well range: Focus Well, Sleep Well and Digest Well. These are right on trend for today’s consumers needs states. They have been very well received by the trade so far. We are also launching into Sofitel central London for their rooms.
