Tregothnan Tea

Cornwall has proved the perfect climate for a unique vision to grow into reality. A Cornish plantation, the only plantation in the UK, is making a success of selling tea to China.

The Tregothnan Estate, near Truro in Cornwall, has 25 acres of tea plants and grows about one ton of leaves a year. It exports to China, Japan and India, as well as other countries.

When launched in 2006, the tea grown at Tregothnan caused rather more than a storm in a teacup – and it’s continued to enjoy intense media interest since then. It’s easy to see why, as the story of how Jonathan Jones, Tregothnan’s Head Gardener, turned his vision into reality is an inspiring one.

It involved research trips to many different countries in Asia and Africa to find the most suitable variety for Cornish conditions, then seven painstaking years of nurturing the plants to the stage at which the first tea could be harvested, fending off all manner of creatures – from rabbits to pheasants – that showed a taste for the tender green leaves.

The Tregothan Estate has been owned by the same family since 1335, and its current occupant, the Hon. Evelyn Boscawen, has been highly supportive of the project. In fact, Tregothnan has a long history of botanical firsts and was the first in England to grow ornamental camellias and magnolias outdoors, some 200 years ago. Like them, the tea bushes that Jones planted – a special variety of Camellia sinensis – have also thrived in Cornwall’s mild climate, yielding a tea with an outstandingly fresh, delicate flavour.

Beautifully packaged to communicate the quality and heritage of the product as well as its distinctly contemporary nature, Tregothnan Tea is now commanding premium prices at stores including Fortnum & Mason, as well featuring on the menu at prestigious locations such as London’s Landmark Hotel. It’s a great example of how vision, know-how and hard work can build on Cornwall’s special strengths to create a uniquely attractive product.

Jonathan Jones, Garden Director at the estate says: “We feel it’s vital to think more broadly about our business, we look not only at the domestic market but the international opportunity for Tregothnan. The tea market is expected to grow this year, with speciality teas in particular likely to help boost sales. Rising global tea consumption, particularly in Asia, is pushing up global demand. People are waking up to the fact that tea is mostly water and antioxidants and see it as an affordable luxury wherever they live.”

www.tregothnan.co.uk