Wee Teas
Tam's Tall Tales
Scottish Tea Planters Bond and Blend
Thanks to Tam O'Braan of the Wee Tea Plantation for getting in touch after my wee piece on his award-winning tea, which retails at £35 for a 35 gram tin. (Original story here: http://www.rampantscotland.com/tall_tales/tam_tales_scottish_tea.htm )
Graphic of Tea Plantation at Dalreoch Farm, Perthshire on the right is courtesy of weeteacompany.com.
Recently Tam O'Braan and some fellow planters from the newly formed Scottish Tea Growers’ Association met up in sunny Perthshire in to hold their first annual general meeting.
Tam says: “It’s been our stated aim to grow an industry, not just one business and while most of the members won’t have a commercial quantity until 2018 they’ve taken the first steps to grow a new drinks industry”.
While traditionally no one would have considered Scotland a natural location the variety of tea plant used by all the Scottish growers (Camellia sinensis sinensis) stems from the Himalayas already grows at minus 15 degrees centigrade.
Tam claims that the challenging Scottish climate is actually an advantage in the world of tea growing.
Due to the slower growth of the Scottish leaf all of the resulting teas develop superior flavours.
There are now ten growers trying to bring the new sector to the boil. Unique teas are being grown and developed in Aberdeenshire, The Isle of Mull, Lismore, Orkney, Peebles, Perthshire and Dumfries & Galloway.
A processing centre for freshly picked tea leaf is under construction at Perth & Kinross. I really like the tea-themed videos – the so-called 'Teatorials' available on their Web site here: Wee Tea Company Teatorials.
Please give me whatever feedback comes to mind via tamfromrampant@gmail.com.
Tam O'Ranter
December 2015Return to Tam O'Ranter Index
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