Conversations with: Daniel Graham from Birchall Tea

As Head of Food & Drink at Bishop Fleming one of the favourite aspects of my role is getting out to see businesses in the sector, particularly when you get a deeper insight into everyday items that perhaps you had taken for granted like the humble cup of tea. 
 

(From left to right: Fabrizio Banys, Fleur Lewis, Daniel Graham)

So, I was absolutely delighted to recently have had the opportunity to visit one of the oldest tea companies in the UK:, Birchall Tea, which not only celebrates the fact that it’s a 5th-generation family-owned business, established in 1872, but also is hugely progressive in having one of the UK’s First Solar-Powered Tea Factories in Amesbury, Wiltshire.  

But they didn’t stop there on their commitment to sustainability.

Since building this state-of-the-art factory they’ve become the first tea company in the world to achieve the Carbon Neutral International Standard and to join the UN's Climate Neutral Now initiative.

Not only that but the majority of their tea bags are plastic-free and fully biodegradable, which is why we have chosen them as one of our preferred suppliers of tea at Bishop Fleming as we review our supply chain in our effort to reduce our own carbon footprint.

I was met by Daniel Graham, Managing Director who runs the UK side of the business, which largely sells into high-end hospitality venues, whilst his brother, Tresham, sources the tea wholesale from the finest tea estates across East Africa: the Great Rift Valley in Kenya for the stronger black teas, and Rwanda for the beautiful yellow tone of the tea, all through the world’s largest tea export auction in Mombasa.

Their highly experience tea tasters taste over 5,000 cups of tea a week! Sounds like my dream job. 

Before I could get too excited about all their high-tech machinery in the factory, I was whisked away for a full tea-tasting experience of their 14-strong range of black, green and herbal teas, both loose and bagged.

Absolute heaven for someone like me who loves a strong cup of tea and who is a huge fan of herbal teas. Albeit being infusions made from herbs, spices, flowers, and fruits, these are obviously not technically “teas” because they don't come from the Camellia sinensis plant.

What surprised me most was how varied the quality of tea can be.

Having four tea bags emptied side by side, which included some of the most well known brands of tea, it was quite clear that Birchall don’t scrimp on the quality of the tea they produce and sell. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world, and with the average daily tea consumption in the United Kingdom estimated at approximately three to four cups per person it's worth having a look just what is inside your regular tea bag.

Finely ground and black means it's likely “a good cuppa”, however if there are large pieces of stalk or even worse it looks like dust then maybe it’s time to consider changing your brand of tea.  

Refreshed and ready for a tour of this modern purpose-built site, we went to look at the highly automated and technologically-advanced machinery within the production plant.

I was fascinated by the material used to make the tea bags, developed from renewable cellulose and certified industrial, which didn’t at all compromise on quality, feel or taste. I was also mesmerised by the innovation within the machinery – the square tea bag machine produced 2,000 tea bags a minute and their highly coveted speciality Prism™ Tea Bags range produced 200 tea bags a minute. 
 

Lastly, a look at the tea and herbal ingredients in the store cabinet which are bought in bulk and shipped into the UK and kept separate to ensure no taste is compromised.

As I headed back along the A303 with the beautiful colour and aroma of bergamont still fresh in my mind, I reflected that this company, which is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year, was certainly one that had a strong and sustainable future.

Fleur Lewis was talking to Daniel Graham, Managing Director and Fabrizio Banys Business Development Executive at Birchall Tea Factory, Amesbury, Wiltshire.