The production of tea is an old and fascinating one; each variety has a slightly different method of production.
 Below are the basic steps and variations behind different tea types, but there are many more additional techniques such as hand rolling and infusing with scent, that gives each tea its own individual character.
All tea comes from the Camellia Sinensis plant. Where the tea is grown, the climate, soil conditions, altitude, and how the tea is processed, determines the flavour characteristics of the tea.
Tea is a continuous crop. It takes three years to grow from a cutting to a tea bush that will produce harvestable leaves. The bush will then produce leaves each day for another 50 years.
Did you know - A tea estate absorbs more CO2 than it emits – good for you and for the planet!
 Main Processes
The main processes involved in tea production are:
Plucking Top quality tea is hand plucked and the best tea comes from the new shoots which are the top two leaves, and the bud of this shoot. It takes 4.5 pounds of green leaf to produce one pound of black tea.
Withering The leaves are spread out on long trays in warm temperatures for 12-16 hours so that they loose water (approx 50% of moisture content).
Rolling The withered leaves are first rolled by machine. Depending on the tea type they can then be crushed torn and curled (CTC method) to break open the tea cells.
Fermentation The tea is left open to the air for one to two hours. Oxidation occurs affecting both the taste and the colour of the tea.
Drying After the fermentation stage the leaves are passed through a drier stopping the oxidisation process.
After processing, the tea is sorted and tasted and, if desired, the tea is blended and/or flavoured.
Based on the method of production teas can be broadly divided into three categories - black, oolong, and green.
Black Tea
Black tea is withered, fully oxidized (fermented) and dried. The two main types of manufacture for black teas are Orthodox (rolled whole leaf) and CTC - Cut Torn and Curled which give the leaves the appearance of little ball bearings.
 The Orthodox method produces the traditional looking long whole tea leaf. The withered leaf is fed into what appears to be a very large mixing bowl with a large paddle that mashes the tea. During the process the tea is torn apart to a certain degree and also crushed. Orthodox teas tend to be lighter and less full bodied compared to CTC manufactured teas.
During the CTC manufacturing process the withered tea leaf passes between two large rollers on which are a multitude of sharp blades. As the tea passes through the blades the tea is cut and torn apart then curled into little balls. CTC teas tend to be more full bodied and robust and are well suited to 'gutsy' blends such as Irish Breakfast.
Buy Black Tea
Green Tea
Green tea is an unfermented tea which may or may not go through a withering process depending on type. After withering (if withered at all) it is immediately steamed or heated via firing or pan frying to prevent oxidization, and then rolled and dried.
Buy Green Tea
Oolong
Oolong teas are partially oxidised (fermented) making them part way between a black and a green tea. Oolong tea is generally withered in direct sunlight (solar withering); the leaves are then shaken in tubular bamboo baskets to bruise the leaf edges, making the edges oxidise faster than the centre of the leaf.
The leaves are then air-dried and re-shaken several times until the leaf veins become apparent and the surface yellows. The edges become reddish from oxidization while the centre remains green. Fermentation is stopped halfway through by drying.
Buy Oolong Tea
Pu-erh
Pu-erh teas are black teas which are aged in caves giving them their earthy, elemental flavour. Pu-erh is often compressed into ‘cakes’ of tea. The older the teas, the more highly prized they become.
Buy Golden Pu-erh aged 5 years
White Tea
White Tea, a type of green tea is also unfermented. White teas go through the least amount of processing of all the teas; they are simply withered and then immediately dried by steaming.
Buy White Peony, a Chinese white tea
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Main Processes
Black Tea
Green Tea
Oolong
Pu-erh
White Tea
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