Leaf to Cup

From humble beginnings…

If you could spare us a few moments, we’d love to share a little insight into how much care and passion goes into every cup of Twinings tea you drink. Believe us, you’ll never look at a cup the same!

Tea plants - green thumbs, this is for you…..

There are 2 types of tea plants:

• Camellia sinensis sinensis - grown in the colder climates of China, Japan and the Darjeeling region of India.
• Camellia sinensis assamica - grown in the warmer, more humid climate of North East India.

Tea plants need plenty of space so are laid out in rows in ‘tea gardens’ or ‘tea estates’. Just like rearing children, it takes a lot of time, nurturing and patience to bring up the perfect tea plants.

Once the leaves have been plucked, they are taken to a tea factory to be processed. The factories are usually very close to the tea gardens to ensure the leaves stay as fresh as possible!

Tea leaf processing – for die-hard tea fans, or trivia would-be champions….

There are only 24 hours between the moment the tea leaves are plucked and the minute they’re packed up. But what happens during these 24 hours is crucial, as this is when the destiny of the leaves will be determined: will they be black, green or in-between?

Did you know that black, green and white teas all start off pretty much the same? It’s the magic that happens during the tea production process that transforms them.

The tea leaves go through 4 main processes to ensure the best taste and quality of tea.

1. Withering - When the leaves arrive at the factory, they are full of moisture. This first stage reduces their water content to about 60%−70%. The moisture content in the tea leaves is reduced by air being passed through the leaves while they lie on troughs on a wire mesh. Air is then passed over them, gently drying them out.
2. Rolling – The tea is rotated horizontally on a rolling table, this movement twists and turns the leaves until they’re thin and wiry looking. The wilted leaves are carefully broken during this process to release enzymes so the next stage, oxidation can begin. 
3. Oxidation – this is what determines how strong a tea is. During this stage, the broken leaves are laid out to ‘oxidise’ or ‘ferment’ for up to 2 hours. To make a tea with a lighter taste, the oxidation process is stopped when the leaves are light brown. For a stronger tea, the leaves will remain in the warmth until they’re rich and coppery.
4. Drying – Once the leaves have been oxidised to the right level, they’re passed through hot air dryers to stop the oxidisation process.

Before they leave the tea factory, all the teas are graded and sorted. Because different sized leaves brew at different speeds, the leaves are separated into batches of the same size, type and appearance.

Then the teas are finally ready to be packed into foil-lined paper sacks or tea chests. These keep the leaves dry and protect them from the knocks and bumps of their onward journey.

Buying of tea leaves – for all discerning shoppers!

Buying tea either happens at an auction or privately, directly between a producer and our expert tea buyers. Our tea expertise comes into good use during this stage; our Master Blenders are not only very talented at tasting and blending, but they have a discerning eye for sourcing the best quality tea! This ensures you end up with a delicious tea, every time!