By lunch time today, 83,536,294 cups of tea will have been consumed in the UK, according to the Tea Council's website. But only a very tiny proportion of these will have been true British cuppas.
"Because tea drinking plays an essential role in the average Brit's daily routine, it only makes sense that we should grow the stuff on our shores," says Jonathon Jones, garden director at the Tregothnan estate in Cornwall, the UK's first commercial tea grower. "Our temperate microclimate, which is very similar to that of Darjeeling in India, allows us to grow the bushes here," says Jones.
The estate recently sent some of its tea bushes to Taylors of Harrogate, which produces Yorkshire Tea, after it decided to trial growing English tea. But the bushes did not like the climate up there so the northern tea merchant continues to blend its teas from India, Africa and Sri Lanka, despite its brand name, says Jones.
It is thought that growing tea in the UK was first considered during World War II when imports were threatened. But because it takes years for the plants to mature, the strategy of stock piling was favoured. The Tregothnan estate claims to be the first commercial grower of tea in the UK and began in 1996. It had been growing bushes ornamentally for over 200 years. Camellias, a close relation of tea plants, were thriving on the estate, "so it was not out of the question to introduce Camellia sinensis, the tea plant", says Jones.
The Tregothnan estate is the traditional home of the Boscawen family and the seat of Lord Falmouth. The tea is usually plucked from April to October and a bush is plucked for its top two leaves and a bud at least every month during the season. These tip leaves are the only ones picked and give the tea its flavour. They grow at the end of each branch and are strictly limited in quantity.
"We produce a relatively small amount of tea and so the Tregothnan brand does not compete on price," says Jones. The average price of commercial tea is around $3 per kilo, Tregothnan charges more like $1,000 per kilo. The first single estate tea crop was sold at a premium price of £28 for 50g in 2005 in Fortnum & Mason. The blended classic black tea version was sold for £10 for 50g. "Our prices have not really changed much, our advantage is that the tea is grown on a private estate. It is a business, but we are not driven by profits like many other companies.
"At one point, we refused to supply one of our products to Tesco, after it demanded we dramatically lower the price. When you get a listing in a major supermarket, on the surface, it seems like a great achievement but they just keep pushing on price.
"We also produce a very expensive manuka honey," he continues. "To our knowledge we are the only producers of manuka outside of New Zealand. We sell the honey for about £55 for a 113g pot. People in the UK have come to recognise this type of honey for its healing qualities - some of which are said to include treating sore throats, gum disease, acne, sunburn and easing digestive problems."
As well as Fortnum & Mason, Tregothnan supplies tea and honey to high-end hotels, restaurants and tea houses. The products are also sold online, mainly as gift purchases. Its tea, honey and kea plum jam have also been incorporated into chocolate products by London chocolatier Marc Demarquette of Fulham and cost around £15 for a box of 12.
The future of the estate
"We are still learning about tea production and cultivars that produce the best yield in the Cornish climate," Jones adds. He says that the estate is also developing its manufacturing methods. "At the moment, the processing and blending of the tea takes place off site, but we are looking at bringing this on site." To do so, Tregothnan will convert some of the unused barns on the estate.
The tea is blended for consistency, as taste varies from season to season. The classic tea is blended with Assam and a China-type leaf, its afternoon tea with Darjeeling and green with Chinese green tea. The tea goes through five main stages of processing: pluck; wither; cut; oxidise; and dry. "The oxidation (fermentation) stage is missed out in the green tea production," Jones explains. "But the leaves could potentially come from the same bush." It also produces herbal infusions including chamomile, peppermint, chocolate mint, echinacea, eucalyptus, fennel, lemon verbena, manuka and pineapple.
Jones says: "We are looking to open a centre for tea education sometime in the future, where a small tea factory will be open to the public. Consumers will be able to see how tea is actually processed and packed. We are putting the English back in tea."