help & faqs

Ha! We get asked this so many times. Well, we wanted a memorable name, and this really summed us up. We're just greedy for great tea and will do anything to get more. Fancy being a teapig like us?

All tea comes from the same bush - the camellia sinensis bush. And no, we don’t mean one single huge bush, but millions of camellia sinensis bushes cultivated in many different countries. Teas from camelia sinensis are processed in different ways at the tea estate to produce black, green, white and oolong teas. Learn more here.

Any tea that doesn’t come from the camellia sinensis bush is not a “traditional” tea, and they would normally be referred to as herbal teas or infusions. There are literally hundreds of different herbal teas. 

Rooibos tea, often known as either redbush tea or just plain red tea, is not from the camellia sinensis bush, therefore is technically a herbal tea.


Growing conditions, soil, climate and altitude all make a big difference to the quality of a tea. In addition the process that the leaves go through, and the skill of the people involved, will ultimately decide a tea's taste.

We buy our tea and herbal infusions from all around the world, including countries as diverse as Rwanda, Taiwan, China and India.

We select our teas based on taste and quality. If we can find an organic tea that matches our quality standards, then we will use that tea. To maintain these standards, we have to source teas from various growers. Sometimes the teas may be organic, sometimes not.

The best quality teas aren't necessarily Fairtrade. We pay a premium price for our teas, sourced from quality estates which have a sustainable business model. In addition we are working towards achieving 100% Rainforest Alliance accreditation for english breakfast (everyday brew), and we have our own ethical scheme of which we are very proud.

Yes, our tea temples are made from a by-product of corn-starch which is biodegradeable. In the best possible conditions (that's in a big industrial composter) it will break down within 6-8 weeks, but at home it can take around 2-3 years. Therefore we do recommend recycling the temples with your local food waste just to avoid finding lots of tea temples around your garden!

We like to keep things simple. Yes, we could offer you 150 or more teas, but where would you start? With our tea knowledge we have carefully selected what we believe is a cross-section of the finest teas to make your selection that much easier. It's a start, and we will add to the list from time to time, especially with limited edition specials. Let us know of any special tea that you may have come across; maybe we can include it.


It's fair to say that our teas are more expensive than traditional "supermarket" teas. But it simply comes down to quality; the finest quality whole leaf teas cost more. We would actually like to pose the question the other way around: How can we deliver the exquisite taste of the finest teas from around the world for only pennies a cup? 


All teas from camellia sinensis naturally contain caffeine in varying amounts, depending upon a number of factors - in particular, where it is grown and how it is brewed. Typically the caffeine content of an average cup of tea will vary from between 30 – 75mg. Most, but not all, herbal teas are naturally caffeine free.

We will only sell teas of the highest quality. The rather nasty processes used to decaffeinate teas will also reduce the quality - not a compromise we are happy to make. If you are looking for a regular style of tea without caffeine, then try our rooibos tea. It’s very close in flavour and appearance to regular tea, can be drunk with milk or sugar and is naturally caffeine free.

We only ever use natural flavours. Never any nasties.

We are aware that some of you may be concerned about the sourcing of our matcha since the tragic earthquake disaster in March 2011. The Nishio region is over 600km South of Fukushima and, as well as strict testing by the Japanese Authorities before it leaves the country, our matcha is tested twice more for radiation levels before it reaches our shelves.

We would suggest consulting your GP if you have any concerns about drinking teas or infusions during pregnancy or whilst breast feeding