Kia ora! The islands of New Zealand are magical. With beautiful mountains, serene ocean settings, and cute endangered kiwi birds. Tea is relatively new in this area. Being introduced 18th century, all imported tea mind you, then many years later the planting of the first Camellia Sinensis, and then in the late 90s the trials and errors of New Zealand’s special terroir tea. This is part of the history that is the backing for Zealong, which is the only commercial tea estate in New Zealand. Now grab a cup a’ gumboot and read on!
Website: https://zealong.com/
Location(s) Headquarters: Hamilton, New Zealand. Map
Company Focus:
- Widely regarded as a Waikato icon, Zealong Tea Estate is the only commercial tea estate in New Zealand, producing 100% organic award-winning tea, and a world-leading destination for tea, art and hospitality.
- Offering serene views, a variety of function venues, public activities and tours, our multi-talented team is dedicated to creating an extraordinary guest experience every day in an unrivaled setting.
Most popular company tea(s)?
- The website do not list by popularity but based on the fact that black tea has historiclly been the most desired I would assume that Zealong Origins and Zealong’s Own Breakfast Tea are their most popular.
Does the company name have a meaning?
- The names is a mix of New Zealand and Oolong. Cool!
Do you participate in any charities?
- Check out this list of all they have done! It is quite impressive!
What is your and/or your co-workers’ favorite tea?
- Of all of our tea, our team enjoys our “origins” collection the most. These are our Green, Oolong, and Black teas.
What are your thoughts on transparency in the tea industry?
- At Zealong we are focussed on being Certified Organic and growing our unique teas exactly as nature intended (This and many other articles which really highlight their commitment to sustainability, transparency, and being organic.)
- “At Zealong our mission is to prove producing tea that is truly ‘green’ isn’t so complicated.” (This and many other articles which really highlight their commitment to sustainabilty, transpareny, and being organic.)
What role does tea play in our lives?
- Similar to one’s personal tastes in flavour, tea can play many different roles. It’s calming, peaceful, and it builds relationships and people together. People enjoy it for its many health benefits, but also for its comfort and the taste. No matter how you look at it, tea is an essential beverage that is loved all over the world.
Social Media:
In my dive for tea knowledge, I discovered Zealong. I had no idea tea was grown and produced in New Zealand. After stumbling upon a post in The Loose Leaf Lounge and then found out TeaGschwender sells it. So out of heaps of curiosity, I had to buy some. For a black tea, it doesn’t remind me of one. It has a flavor reminiscent of sweet potato, malt, and honey. An aroma of baked woods (don’t ask it makes sense in my head), and baked sweet potato pie. It has a slightly astringent aftertaste but nothing too jarring. Crisp and clean on the palate as one should expect from an organic tea.
Did you know?
Zealong is the only tea estate that currently harvests its spring crop in November? Find out more here.
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