We buy particular teas in large quantities at certain times of year to take advantage of the plants yields and to ensure our teas have the best characteristics that they can, for you to enjoy. For instance, Assam teas are at their best in June and July. The first two sets of samples I received over the last couple of weeks were quite thin and this is symbolic of late May / early June production and as June progresses the samples become thicker and stronger which is exactly the characteristics we look for to make excellent teabags and great leaf tea blends.
We use Assam tea in, English Breakfast teabags and leaf tea, Gourmet Blend, Gourmet Classic Blend and of course in our Pure Assam leaf tea and teabags. I haven’t yet found a Large Leaf Assam (BOP) as often these are better in late July but I am reserving a pallet space on our container for when it comes along over the next four or five weeks. Once full, the container will take between 10 and 12 weeks to arrive and so these teas will be arriving in stock early October.
Other teas that we use, for example Kenya Tea, it is possible to buy these all year round at similar quality levels, although the failure of the long rains in Kenya this year and the general dry and arid state of many African countries has meant that currently tea from Kenya is not possessing the characteristics we are looking for in our blends. Happily, I am in regular contact with two or three Kenyan tea brokers and I have been able to secure a swathe of good bright brisk Kenyan teas that will stand us in good stead until the rains return and quality levels return to my exacting quality levels. We’re always working hard to ensure that our blends are consistent and of the highest quality.
Explore the full range of loose leaf, tea bags and pyramid teas that Northern Tea Merchants offer here.
