Why is Single Estate tea better?

Consistent taste: Single estate tea has guaranteed quality or is consistent, compared to other tea that is mixed from several smallholders or places with variable quality.

Because all the leaves come from a single garden, you can be sure of the same great flavour from one purchase to the next. 

Distinct flavour: A single estate tea, like our Harrow Estate Orange Pekoe, has a unique flavour profile determined by its specific growing environment, such as climate, soil, and altitude. This results in a consistent and nuanced taste. 

Orange Pekoe refers to the very tips of the plant: it means someone, when picking the tea, has selected the leaf bud plucked with two youngest leaves. (Any other leaves produce teas of lower quality.)

What is “Fannings grade” ?

Tastier infusion: Because the leaves are in small pieces, they can infuse more quickly, and the tannins dissolve more quickly from smaller, broken leaves. 

What does it taste like?

Variety of flavour notes: Depending on the estate, you can find a wide range of flavours. For example, some might be floral and fruity, while others may have malty or spicy undertones. If you have a good description of our own Harrow tea, please get in touch!

What else makes your tea special?

Sustainability and ethics: Our resident naturalist, Dr. Rajith Dissanayake, tells us that supporting established tea plantations is more ethical and sustainable, better for local wildlife, than creating new plantations. Our tea comes from a tea plantation in Sri Lanka that is over 100 years old.  Follow https://www.youtube.com/@Lanka_Wildlife to see the local flora and fauna around the Harrow Estate and in other parts of Sri Lanka.