ld june july 22

New Forest Artisans:
By Suzanne Ashworth
Tea & Coffee Whether your favoured drink is tea or coffee, we all tend to have
our favourites and stick to blends we are familiar with.
However, there is also a growing recognition that not all brands offer the most sustainable
choices and that taking time to try some locally produced products can reduce food miles and
support the economic community. Times have been hard and being locked down due to Covid
has had a big impact on our spending and socialising – possibly we are all a little more
thoughtful in our decisions and want the best we can obtain within our own locality.
TEA
in home compostable pouches as well as
Tea is the world’s second most consumed offering refill options to keep your tea tin full.
beverage and 84% of the British population
drink tea daily – often several cups! Now grown You can buy their tea online (postage free if
in many worldwide locations the original tea your order is over £20) and Ian and Kelly also
growing took place in Asia – the Camellia supply wholesale to many New Forest
sinensis plant is the derivative of all other tea companies – cafes, farm shops, hotels,
varieties. To grow successfully tea needs hot restaurants and holiday accommodation. Their
days and cool nights, preferably at high commitment to provide “premium tea that
altitudes. In the UK we mostly consume black doesn’t cost the earth” and expansion since
teas with high caffeine levels, although the 2021 has led to The New Forest Tea Company
health benefits of green tea is increasing being awarded the Best New Business in the
demand. White tea is more rarely found and New Forest Brilliance in Business Awards.
more expensive. Semi-fermented tea is
called oolong and the most exclusive tea of all Find out more about Ian and Kelly’s adventures
is pu erh tea, which is aged for up to 50 years. in sustainable tea supply on their facebook
Local New Forest supplier Tips &
page, twitter , email on
Leaves (www.tipsnleaves.com) can offer all newforestteaco@gmail.com or meet them at
these teas and source premium teas from all the Highcliffe Food and Arts Festival. Their
around the globe. With website has details of their products and
a motto of Is it tea accessories – www.newforestteacompany.com.
you’re looking for?, all
of their teas are
COFFEE
ethically sourced and
I turn now to where to get really amazing
packed in home
coffee in the New Forest area – Forest Edge
compostable
Roasting is based in Lyndhurt and run by Robyn,
packaging. Owners Ian
who started a coffee van on returning from
and Kelly (accompanied by their dog Gracie)
Australia and missing the coffee scene she
have also established The New Forest Tea
found there. She wanted to also tackle the
Company as a result of the changes during
amount of plastic waste created by the
lockdown – previously they ran two tea lounges
mainstream coffee outlets and determined to
in Lyndhurst and had been sourcing teas for
use sustainable coffee beans and plastic-free
over a decade. However, the Covid lockdown
packaging. Robyn was told by everyone she
gave them time to not only develop new
asked that being sustainable and profitable in
blends, in association with their tea importer,
roasting and selling coffee would be impossible,
but also to address their concerns about
but she set off in her solar-powered coffee van
sustainable production and supply. They now
anyway! Once Covid put paid to her mobile
package tea in refillable pouches or use
work, Robyn concentrated on roasting coffee
packaging made from Natureflex, which breaks
sourced from ethical suppliers and keeping
down after 3-6 months. All their ethically
homeworkers supplied with specialist coffee. By
sourced, premium teas come in plastic free,
September 2021, Robyn was able to open her
compostable tea pyramids – addressing the
coffee house in Lyndhurst and continue her
growing concern about the plastic present in
online business…...
big brand tea Please bags. mention They also The pack Lymington all their Directory teas when responding to advertisements Continued on next page
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