Northern Tea Merchants re-opens after major refurbishment

Chesterfield’s iconic tea and coffee specialist, Northern Tea Merchants, has re-opened its doors following a month-long refurbishment.

The shop, which has been a feature of Chatsworth Road since 1978, has a fresh new look with updated décor, shelving and counters, as well as new tables and chairs in the shop’s Pomegranate café.

Northern Tea Merchants is renowned for its extensive range of teas and coffees which it blends, roasts and packs on site. More than 90 teas and 20 coffees are stocked and sold in the shop.

Delighted to re-open, James Pogson, Director of Northern Tea Merchants, said: “This is the second major refurbishment we have had since the shop first opened as a tasting room nearly 30 years ago. It marks a new chapter for Northern Tea Merchants. Although fresh and modern, we’ve still retained the charm of our wonderful shop and café for which we are renowned.

“The décor may have changed; however, we’ll continue to provide our customers with exceptional service. We can’t wait for both loyal patrons and new visitors to experience our new look.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pomegranate, which is owned and run by mother-daughter duo Sian and Jill Benson and opened last year, celebrated the re-opening with a new menu in addition to the café’s signature favourites, lemon drizzle cake and scones.

Jill Benson, added: “Just over a year since we first opened Pomegranate at Northern Tea Merchants, we are delighted to be welcoming back our loyal customers with a fresh new look and menu.”

In addition to food, the café has also taken the opportunity to expand the range of tea and coffee it serves and is licensed to sell wine, Prosecco, and beer.

For more information or to plan your visit, check out Northern Tea Merchants on Facebook or their website, or telephone 01246 232600.

Reconnecting with China’s Tea Culture: A Memorable Return for Northern Tea Merchants

After a five-year hiatus, James was thrilled to return to China on 25 June 2024. The last visit in September 2019 seems like a distant memory, especially with the pandemic-induced pause in travel.

The occasion was the 5th International (Leshan) Green Tea Conference & “Emeishan Cha” Production & Marketing Matchmaking Conference in Leshan, Sichuan Province. While I had previously visited Yibin and Enshi in Sichuan, Leshan was a new and exciting destination. Nestled beneath majestic mountains, Leshan boasts a unique climate perfect for tea cultivation.

 

On arrival at Chengdu Tianfu International Airport, the lush, verdant landscape of this region is always a delight, and the vastness of China never ceases to amaze. The 2.5-hour drive on pristine motorways was serene, with always surprisingly, very little traffic.

 Upon arriving at the specially prepared conference hotel, the efficient check-in process was followed by enthusiastic and warm greetings from several dear tea friends, unseen for over five years. The hugs, handshakes, and joyful exclamations were heart-warming.

There was no time to waste. A quick refresh and change into more formal attire led straight to the reception and a subsequent banquet. Having been awake since 7am the previous day, I diligently consumed all the green tea and water offered. The evening featured introductions to dignitaries from the Leshan Municipal People’s Government and central government officials, integral to the conference’s organisation. I must say that my chop-stick control is never very good when I’ve been awake for more than 24 hours but managed the supper without any embarrassing incidents and was very pleased to see my bed for the evening.

The conference itself was a marvel of organisation, kicking off with a 7am breakfast. Leshan is home to some of the largest tea companies in the region, each generating millions of Yuan in sales annually. The area’s altitude, topography, irrigation, and the genuine love of the art of tea-making, the teas from this area are noticeably of fine quality. The Municipal Government of Leshan has created strong local branding for teas from this area and both local and national government are supporting this very strongly.

     

 

 

 

 

   

The afternoon offered a tour of the Emei Xueya Youjicha organic tea garden—an absolutely stunning experience (as you can see from the pictures) and it was great to learn about the production here and sustainability. We also visited the Zhuyeqing Company Tea factory and the Nongfu Spring factory, the size of which amazed me!

   

   

The following day, we spent quality time with the suppliers who attended the conference, sampling their exquisite teas. One supplier’s innovative approach to infusing coffee with gardenia petals, akin to Jasmine tea preparation, stood out. The blend of innovation and quality from the 20 or so businesses in attendance was truly impressive.

Overall, it was a fantastic trip to China. We encountered exceptional teas, forged new business connections, and reaffirmed the sense of family within the tea industry. Here’s to the enduring bonds and shared passion for tea that unite us all!

 

Watch the official video from the Conference here.

 

Tea, Coffee and the Suez Canal diversions

There’s an emerging news story which we’d like to set the record straight for our readers this month….. The Suez Canal diversions…

There have been many headlines in both trade and domestic press relating to the Houthi attacks on container ships. After reading these headlines one could be forgiven for thinking that global trade was significantly under threat. The actual situation is quite different. Whilst the shipping lines are incurring much greater fuel, insurance and operational costs, and higher freight rates are being charged, these are nothing like the levels experienced during Covid, when shipping rates from Asia to Northern Europe went up by approximately 800%. Current rates are up approximately 200%.

There are reported fears of delayed vessels arriving at ports en masse which will lead to congestion, however the feedback from most European container ports is largely positive. Whilst any vessels that have diverted from the Red Sea around the Cape of Good Hope have experienced a two-week slide in final delivery date, this also means there is a fairly consistent schedule of ships arriving, albeit being 10-14 days late. This means a fairly low impact in port operations although some bunching of arrivals is expected towards the end of January.

The shipping lines are, in general, working directly with port operations to create plans to get their vessels through in good time. For Asia to Europe services, an 11-week sailing rotation has now become 13-15 weeks, however the shippers are mitigating some of this by introducing extra tonnage and calls at extra ports. Some Asia to Europe services have included Cape of Good Hope scheduling into their plans until April which shows they aren’t expecting to see an improvement on this situation in the short-term. The prediction is that vessels from Asia will be delayed for the near future and that cascading unloading shipping equipment shortages will produce increasing challenges at loading ports.

We have good stocks of both tea and coffee and don’t anticipate these delays to cause any problems with our ongoing supplies to you.

Iced Tea Delights: Crafting Refreshing Non-Alcoholic and Spirited Tea Cocktails

Most types of tea have a story behind them. Although America is not known for being a particular large consumer of tea until recently, we have two concepts that we can thank our American cousins directly for. Firstly, the term ‘English Breakfast’ was coined and popularised by an American and Iced Tea was first formerly served in America, at the St Louis world’s fair in 1904.

An Englishman, Richard Blechynden, was at the fair promoting Indian tea but he had not taken into account, the scorching mid-West Summer, and for the first couple of days he struggled to get potential customers to sample his freshly brewed hot tea samples. A practical man, Blechynden, filled a glass with ice cubes and poured tea over them and thus Iced Tea was born.

Over the years since its inception, methods of making iced tea have been significantly refined: Hot tea poured straight over ice cubes creates a quite a brownish liquor whereas steeping teabags or leaves in freshly drawn cold water creates a lovely reddish-amber liquid.

The best way of making iced tea is to brew about 50g of leaf tea in 2 pints or 1.2 litres of fresh cold water for at least 3 hours but preferably overnight. Using a fine sieve, strain the cold tea liquor into a large clean sealed container which can then be kept in the fridge and can then be used as desired. Black tea, green tea or rooibos as well as our wide range of flavoured teas can be used to good effect. The best way of serving a ‘plain’ iced tea is to pour the liquor into a glass over ice cubes adding a slice of lemon if desired. Using plenty of ice in the finished drinks, not only keeps them well chilled but also looks more attractive when serving.

To follow is a selection of recipes for a selection for both alcoholic and non-alcoholic tea cocktails and punches.

 

Alcohol-free Tea Cocktails

Apple Aperitif
1 pt (500ml) Iced black or green tea
1 pt (500ml) clear sparkling apple juice
1/4 pt (125ml) clear lemon juice
Sugar to taste
Garnish: apple slices

Method: Mix tea, apple juice and lemon juice together and add sugar to taste. Garnish with apple slices and serve well chilled over ice.

Serves 8-10

Fruit Fizz
1 pt (500ml) iced black tea
1/4 pt (125ml) orange cordial
1/4 pt (125ml) clear lemon juice
1 pt (500ml) sparkling mineral water or soda water
Sugar to taste
Garnish: assorted fruits

Method: Mix tea, lemon juice, orange cordial and sparkling mineral water together and add sugar to taste. Garnish glasses with assorted fruits and serve well chilled over ice.

Serves 8-10

Classic Iced Lemon Tea
1 pt (500 ml) iced tea
½ pt (125ml) clear lemon juice
Sugar to taste
Garnish: lemon slices

Method: Mix tea and lemon juice together and add sugar to taste. Pour over ice cubes and add lemon slices to garnish.

Serves 4-5

Tea Fizz
1 pt (500 ml) iced tea
1 pt (500 ml) lemonade
¼ pt (125 ml) lime cordial
Garnish: lime slices

Method: Mix tea, lemonade and lime juice together, garnish with lime slices. Serve over ice.

Serves 8-10

Verandah Fruit Cup
1 pt (500ml) iced tea
2 × 170 ml  bottles ginger ale
½ pt (250 ml) soda water
¼ pt (125ml) lemon juice
¼ pt (125ml) orange cordial
Sugar to taste
Garnish: assorted fruits

Method: Mix tea, ginger ale, soda water, lemon juice and orange cordial together. Add sugar to taste. Garnish glasses with assorted fruits and serve well chilled.

Serves 8-10

Alcoholic Tea Cocktails

Planters Punch
1 pt (500ml) iced tea
1 pt (500ml) clear sparkling apple juice
¼ pt (125 ml) clear lemon juice
¼ pt (125 ml) brandy
Garnish: apple, lemon and orange slices

Method: Mix the tea, apple juice, lemon juice and brandy together. Add sliced fruit to garnish and serve well chilled over ice.

Serves 8-10

Rum Cup
1 pt (500ml) iced tea
½ pt (250ml) lemonade
¼ pt (125 ml) dark rum
¼ pt (125 ml) orange cordial
Sugar to taste
Garnish: orange slices

Method: Mix the tea, lemonade, rum and orange cordial together, add sugar to taste and stir well. Pour into glasses and garnish with orange slices. Serve well chilled over ice.

Serves 6-8

Russian Roulette
1 pt (500 ml) iced tea
¼ pt (125 ml) vodka
¼ pt (125 ml) lime cordial
Crushed ice
Garnish: lime slices

Method: Mix tea, vodka and lime cordial together. Pour over crushed ice and garnish the glasses with fresh lime slices.

Serves 4-5

Spiced Cider Punch
1 pt (500 ml) iced tea
1 pt (500 ml) sweet cider
2 lemons, sliced
2 cinnamon sticks
A few cloves
Sugar to taste

Method: Pour iced tea over the sliced lemons, cinnamon sticks and cloves. Allow to steep for 1 hour. Add cider and sugar to taste. Serve chilled over ice.

Serves 6-8

Strawberry Fayre
1 pt (500 ml) iced tea
1 pt (500 ml) sparkling white wine or Prosecco
Sugar to taste
Garnish: strawberries and mint sprigs

Method: Pour iced tea and well chilled white wine or Prosecco together and pour into tall glasses. Garnish with sliced strawberries and mint sprigs. Serve well chilled.

Serves 6-8

Iced tea and Tisane Cooler Recipes

On a recent hot weekend I spent a little time seeking inspiration for ways to utilise our teas and herbal infusions to make cold and refreshing drinks and here are a few ideas…

 

PEACH ICED TEA

Peach Iced tea

Peach Iced Tea is a hugely popular drink in America, and made with fresh peaches, instead of peach flavouring, this is a hugely refreshing drink, and ideal for taking the edge off the heat in Summer! This recipe is to prepare the evening before use, to get everything chilled properly.

Ingredients:

  • 200g granulated sugar
  • 5 ripe peaches, 4 stoned and chopped, 1 sliced to serve
  • 4 Gourmet or English Breakfast Teabags
  • Small bunch fresh mint

Method:

STEP 1
Tip the sugar into a pan with 250ml water. Bring to the boil slowly, ensuring the sugar is fully dissolved. Add the chopped peaches and cook until very soft. Remove from the heat, mash the peaches with a fork, and leave to infuse for 1 hr.

STEP 2
Sieve the syrup through a fine sieve into a jug, mashing the fruit to release all the liquid. The syrup will keep in the fridge for one week.

STEP 3
Put the teabags in a large heatproof jug and pour over 2 litres boiling water. Leave to steep for 4 mins, then carefully remove the teabags. Leave to cool, then transfer to the fridge until chilled.

STEP 4
Stir the peach syrup into the iced tea with some ice or pour a little of the syrup into tall glasses and add the tea. Top up with more water, (you can also use sparkling water) or ice. Add peach slices and a sprig of mint to serve.

 

HIBISCUS COOLER

Hibiscus cooler

Easy to make and deliciously cooling and reviving, this hibiscus Cooler has only two ingredients, and contains no sugar (unless you opt to use honey)!

Ingredients:

  • 10g whole dried hibiscus sepals
  • Crushed ice
  • Clear Honey (optional)

Method

STEP 1
Boil a kettle of water, then leave for around 1 min to cool to around 90C. Put the flowers in a jug, pour 500ml of the water over the flowers, then leave to infuse for 16 mins. This is the optimum time and temperature for extracting the beneficial antioxidants.

STEP 2
Strain into glasses over ice and sweeten with a little honey, if you prefer a sweeter drink.

 

CITRUS ICED TEA 

Many of our teas are complimented if served with a slice of lemon, instead of milk. This is true particularly of speciality teas, and the use of our English Breakfast Tea Temples brings a quintessentially English twist to a classic recipe.

Ingredients:

  • 6 Large Leaf English Breakfast Tea Temples
  • 2 tbsp caster sugar
  • 10 sprigs mint
  • 300ml fresh orange juice
  • The juice of 1 lime
  • 1⁄2 sliced orange, mint leaves, and ice to serve

Method:

STEP 1
Make the tea with 1.2 litres water. Add the sugar and mint to the mixing bowl and infuse for 10 mins, stirring gently. Strain whilst decanting and chill overnight in the fridge once the brew has cooled fully.

STEP 2
Pour into a jug, stir in the juices and serve in tall glasses garnished with orange slices, mint and plenty of ice

 

MINT AND MANGO ICED GREEN TEA

Green Teas are delicious when cold, although some people can find them a little astringent. This Mint and Mango Iced Tea Recipe uses our Gunpowder Tea, or perhaps our Japanese Sencha or Tie Guan Yin if you’re feeling extravagant!

Ingredients:

  • 1 mango, peeled, stoned, and chopped
  • 100g granulated sugar
  • 4 tsp Gunpowder Green Tea
  • Small bunch fresh mint
  • 1 lime, sliced
  • Ice

Method:

STEP 1
Put half the mango in a saucepan with the sugar and 100ml water. Cook for 8-10 mins then strain through a sieve and leave the liquid to cool.

STEP 2
Meanwhile, pour 500ml boiling water into a large heatproof jug and add the green tea leaves. Leave to steep for 5 mins, then strain into a large glass jug and add 300ml cold water. Leave to cool completely then put into the fridge to chill.

STEP 3
Once cold, add the strained mango syrup to the chilled tea, along with the rest of the chopped mango, fresh mint, and the lime slices. Fill up the jug with ice, stir gently and serve.

Coffee From Where Elephants Roam

We are hugely looking forward to some coffee work that we are about to do with a group of Indian Coffee producers and a brand of coffee called Aane Kaapi. We have worked with the Thekaekara family since the late 1990s when we first started on a project called the ‘Just Change Network’.

Their eldest son, Tarsh, has founded a project whereby farmers and elephants can coexist and we have offered to roast and pack this coffee for the UK and donate 50% of the profits from this venture to their cause. We will likely receive 2 tonnes which we will be selling both online and to our many wholesale customers. We can use this 2 tonnes of coffee in about 6 weeks and we are hoping to be able to bring in larger amounts as time progresses. Find out more about the project here.

Aana Kaapi - Elephant coffee

Our Customer Favourites for International Coffee Day

In celebration of International Coffee Day on Friday 1st October, we thought we’d honour some of our most popular coffees and blends amongst our customers. From decaffeinated to espresso to house blends there really is something for everyone. Find out more about each of these firm favourites below. Have you tried them all? We’ve linked each coffee to their own page, just in case they tickle your fancy too!

Winter Velvet – This secret blend was created by our head coffee roaster John Carlile way back in 2005 and has been a customer favourite ever since. A mix of medium and dark coffees, this can be drank with or without milk, but we suggest it being served in a cafetière with cream.

Indian Monsooned Malabar – A medium dark roast, this smooth, slightly spicy coffee is a favourite morning brew for many of our customers. It is also great after dinner, with the spicy, winey taste being a great way to round off an indulgent meal. It’s such a wonderful coffee that we also included it in our Indian Summer Blend and our Indian Tiger Stripe Espresso Blend – see below.

Indian Tiger Stripe Espresso Blend – This full-medium roast blend is designed for espresso but works really well in both cafetières and filters. We roast a recipe from Allanason’s in India to create a thick, sweet, rich espresso which attributes its name to the fantastic striped crema, resembling a tiger’s coat on top of the prepared espresso.

Swiss Water Process Costa Rica Decaffeinated Coffee – This coffee is decaffeinated using only water, which retains the unique flavour, body and aroma of this medium rich coffee. Because it’s decaffeinated it can be drank at any time without worry! Best made in a cafetière and allowed to brew for 3-4 minutes.

Mountain Deluxe – This is our most popular house blend. We combine Colombian Medellan Excelso and Kenya AA Coffee, creating a well-rounded blend that works well in filters or cafetières. It produces a smooth, full bodied flavour, which is ideal to enjoy at any time of the day. We sell five cases of Mountain Deluxe Coffee to every other case of coffee blend sell which is testament to just how popular this blend is.

If none of these managed to tackle your tastebuds, you can find investigate all of our coffees and blends here.

Preserving the History of Tea and International Tea Day

The second official International Tea Day is fast approaching and will take place on Friday 21 May. The overall aim of International Tea Day is to raise awareness of the long history and deep cultural and economic significance of tea around the world. The goal of the day is to promote and foster collective actions to implement activities in favour of the sustainable production and consumption of tea and to raise awareness of its importance in fighting hunger and poverty. It was instigated by the United Nations and implemented and ratified by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisations Inter-Governmental Group in 2020.

6 years ago, I was proud to be invited to be a founder member of the London Tea History Association which was established at Mercers Hall on 15 January 2015. Our aim is to record the history of the business of tea in the UK and to ensure that the history of tea in London is remembered and also to commemorate the creation, growth and history of the UK Tea Industry, by utilising plaques on famous tea buildings and implementing a tea walk in London.

The London Tea History Association has to date placed three bronze tea plaques to commemorate tea history on various buildings throughout London, at St Katharine’s Docks, the tea building at Shoreditch and Sir John Lyon House. We are still working hard to get a fourth plaque placed at Plantation Place – Covid-19 has somewhat slowed this process recently but we remain undaunted.

Between just five of our 11 Board members there is a total of 235 years combined tea experience! One board member, Mr. Denys Shortt OBE, owner of DCS Group UK, spent 22 years living on a tea estate in India and has also created the Tea History Collection in Banbury which will be formally opened on Friday 21 May 2021 to coincide with International Tea Day.

The London Tea History Association is delighted to be collaborating with The Culture Concierge who are set to launch the new ‘Blue Badge’ guided London Tea & Coffee Walk this summer.  Commemorating that very British cup of tea, the walk takes 90 minutes and will focus on the oldest parts of London, the history of tea ships and auction houses and their importance on City trade. From a simple guided walk, to a tutored tea tasting and an etiquette lesson in afternoon tea, there is something for all tea and coffee lovers and further details will be found at www.thecultureconcierge.com   Northern Tea Merchants is proud to have created a special blend of tea for The Culture Concierge, which will be given as a memento for their tour and excursion guests.

Other great events planned for International Tea Day include a 24 hour Sofa Summit from the Tea and Herbal Association of Canada, a series of podcasts created by UK Tea and Infusions Association (UKTIA) (find UKTIA on Instagram and YouTube) called ‘Around the World in 80 Teas – the first few stops.

Many well-known faces from the global tea trade will be featured, along with 100s of celebrations by tea producers, tea brands and tea trade bodies the world over. If you have time on the 21st it will be well worth searching for some of these events – many of which will be streamed on YouTube. Every day is a learning day with tea, and I guarantee that everyone who watches any of these events will learn something new about their favourite hot drink!

Recyclable vs. biodegradable packaging

Unfortunately change doesn’t happen overnight, particularly when it comes to sustainability and going ‘green’ in business…but it’s a journey which is well under way.

In the tea and coffee industry, achieving true sustainability with packaging is a lot more than saying we have introduced plastic free tea bags. If only it were that simple (which it isn’t!) In fact it is something that has taken up a great deal of my time and thought, particularly over the last 12 months.

As part of my research, I have been drawing on expertise and advice from Chesterfield Borough Council and Derbyshire County Council, our various packaging manufacturers and Nottingham University (all of whom I wish to extend my thanks).

After extensive research, I have identified our first goal of becoming more sustainable starts with the packaging we use at Northern Tea Merchants; any potential replacements if necessary and to keep updated on the science that I need to make informed business decisions.

The first of these decisions was recyclable vs. biodegradable.

As a ‘rule of thumb’, oil-based plastics are not biodegradable, bioplastics are. A bioplastic is made using vegetable-based polymers, but these can cause issues with the longevity of the barrier it provides to its contents. To give you an example, the acidity of the Bergamot oil used to flavour Northern Tea Merchant’s Earl Grey Tea will slightly degrade bioplastic. This results in the packaging splitting or becoming weak. Not something that we want at all!

Also, Bioplastics do not perform as well when they are being printed/coloured and for the first time ever the food industry is having to deal with packaging that only has a slightly longer shelf-life than the food it is designed to contain.

Bioplastics also require specialist industrial composting as the temperatures achieved in a domestic compost heap are simply not high enough to start the biodegradation process. This means you must dispose of them using a supermarket waste recycling scheme (not your green bin at home).

During my research I was horrified to find out that if one were to put a compostable bioplastic bag into a domestic plastic recycling bin, this would severely contaminate the whole recyclable plastic waste stream for that bin. Another fact people are often surprised to learn is that any type of black ‘technically recyclable’ plastic cannot actually be recycled.

Despite this issue with plastic, we are making considerable progress on our journey to being a business with 100% sustainable packaging.

We have already made the switch on our tea bag paper and sealing tape and sourced alternatives for coffee bean and ground coffee packaging (that contains a gas equalising valve which must also be recyclable) so we can switch quickly to more sustainable packaging once existing stocks are used up.

We are also in the process of making other changes as you can see from the table below which shows where we are today with our packaging, broken down by product type:

Recycling information for Northern Tea Merchants products (Updated March 2023)

We will update the table as we change our remaining laminate packaging (namely our coffee pouches and leaf tea packaging). We have quite large stocks of leaf tea packaging that will likely last us some considerable time, but we have already decided what we will replace these with. One thing we will not do is to send them to landfill!

It seems that, on occasion, sustainability aspirations are further ahead than the actual science and physical logistics of recycling.  Finding a way forwards for a small business with a finite budget does not put us in a position to be innovators. To counter this, Northern Tea Merchants has embraced the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) guidelines as have many large organisations. WRAP is the national agreement from the recycling industry on what can and cannot be collected for recycling from householders and how those materials should be presented for collection.

To see how these guidelines are put into practice with suppliers, I have attached Tesco’s guidance to their suppliers in how to deal best with their packaging choices based on existing recycling infrastructure.

Find the TESCO Guidance here.

With all this to take on board, I believe the country’s journey towards 100% sustainability will take longer than many people, possibly including government, think.

Our first step is to recycle as much of our waste packaging as we can, until the science of packaging manufacture AND packaging disposal by biodegradation catches up. Waste sorting technology is also crucial to progress. There is plenty still to be done but we can all play our part.

Click and Collect Now Available at Northern Tea Merchants

Northern Tea Merchants is delighted to share the launch of a new click and collect service available on www.northern-tea.com.

This new service aims to not only enable you safer access to your essential tea and coffee during the pandemic but will also help you save time when collecting any future orders.

You can choose from all of the products listed on our website. Once a Click and Collect order is placed, goods will be ready to collect as early as the next day.

“We are confident that this investment in our website will allow an even more convenient and efficient way to shop with us,” James Pogson, Director said.

“The new Click and Collect service will limit the time customers spend in the shop as their order will be ready to collect upon arrival. We know this will give peace of mind to many of our customers during the pandemic.

“We pride ourselves on putting our customer care at the heart of what we do, so we are delighted to offer this service FREE of charge and with no minimum spend.”

Click and Collect orders can be place via our website, simply visit the website at www.northern-tea.com and at check-out, select the option to Click and Collect (full terms and conditions can be found here).

This new service is in addition to the local delivery option already in operation which serves customers living in Chesterfield and North East Derbyshire. To use our FREE delivery service simply telephone to place your order.

Click and Collect at Northern Tea Merchants

Sustainability and traceability at Northern Tea Merchants

Coffee is the 2nd most valuable export from developing countries and records describing its consumption date back as far as the 15th century. Today it is a truly international product that is produced in massive volumes by literally millions of smallholders. Many of these smallholders produce less than 500 kilos of what is called ‘parchment’ (‘farm gate coffee’). This parchment needs to be cleaned, graded, and sorted before it is ready to be packed in its familiar sack and this grading and cleaning can reduce the original weight of 500 kilos by as much as a third. Therefore individual producers of coffee tend to work together in the form of a co-operative, where resources are shared and the collective group has a much louder ‘voice’ than any one individual. Certain areas within a coffee growing country will produce slightly different profile or flavour of coffee bean and there are likely to be several different sub-varietals of coffea arabica within these crops. Unless a grower specifically requests for their coffee to be milled separately the general practice for large amounts of ‘generic’ coffee is to mix everything together, giving consistency and homogeneity and also vast quantities.

Many of our customers, particularly those who are reselling coffee that we have sourced are requesting traceability on these types of coffees where the specific producers can be identified. With many generic coffees, this is almost impossible and on occasion it is even difficult to identify the individual cooperatives who have contributed. Amongst the paperwork that is usual issued is simply a proof of origin document which states all the coffee within a particularly batch has come from the country that grew it. We have been purchasing green coffee beans and roasting coffee since 1968 and so we have had 52 years experience and some excellent long standing relationships with many individuals, cooperatives and exporters. As a result our ‘little black book’ is extensive and so when we were set the ‘mission’ of finding traceable generic coffees, we took on the task with gusto.

My first port of call was our favourite importer (DR Wakefield) who were able to give the detail of who was the ‘right size’ and I received contacts, some of whom we were already in contact with whose origins included, Brazil, Ethiopia, Africa, Colombia and Sumatra – all of which produce vast amounts of generic coffee. Depending on which coffees my retail customers choose we will be offering some new coffees which we can trace directly to their specific producers and whilst these coffees will not be single-estate, we will know which small farms specifically contribute to the batches of coffee we purchase. We already have some fine examples of single estate coffees for example Daterra, Jamaican Blue Mountain, Costa Rica Las Palomas and Papua New Guinea Sigri, and these new traceable coffees will sit very well with and complement our existing high quality single estate offering.

Keep an eye out for these new offerings in the coming months.