Honest Brand Series - Keri Keri Tea

In our 'Honest Brand Series' of blogs we introduce you to the brands that we work with, the amazing products that they produce and the way that they practise zero waste in their own businesses. You get to learn a little more about their products, their values and their zero waste processes.

In this first post of our series, we are excited to introduce you to Keri Keri Tea. Keri Keri Organic Tea is run by Gary and Tracy from their rural property on the outskirts of Keri Keri - at the top of the North Island. They are New Zealand's largest certified organic and fair trade tea company. On their rural property they also farm pigs, sheep and chickens as well as grow their own citrus, fruit and veges that the climate allows up there.

At Keri Keri tea Gary and Tracy run a zero waste policy. There is no plastic in their teabags (yay!), no plastics used in their packaging, all of their containers are recyclable and the paper bags that we receive our products in can be reused over and over for our orders. We love the values that Gary and Tracy run their business to and it makes working with them so easy and natural because our ethics align so well.

The way that they seal their tea bags is by using a food grade organic approved glue so by using this they are able to make their tea bags 100% plastic free and 100% fully compostable.

Now onto their teas. They hand blend their teas which they source directly from premium organic tea estates from around the world. They blend their teas personally for custom blending so that their teas are as fresh as possible for their customers. Because they import directly from tea estates themselves and not through tea brokers in Europe it ensures that their tea is super fresh - probably the freshest tea in New Zealand. This process also offers them full transparency on how long their tea is in transit for as well as all of the other processes within the transportation element.

We currently have various blends of their loose leaf and tea bags on the site for sale, all zero waste. I have to say I have been enjoying most of their teas but I do have a few favourites already.

Being a green tea drinker I absolutely love their Derjeeling Green loose leaf tea. They describe it as the 'champagne of green teas' - I have to agree. They source the leaves from the mountains in India. As well as being organic and Fair Trade this tea is so delicate and smooth for a green tea. It's so easy to drink with absolutely no bitterness which often comes with some green teas. I love having a pot of this early in the morning as my first hot drink to flush and rehydrate my body.

Another of their teas which I am loving is their Chamomile & Cinnamon which we have in both a loose leaf and a tea bag. It is naturally caffeine free so I have it after dinner pre-bed. It has a subtle cinnamon flavour to it and the chamomile flavour seems to be perfectly balanced - not too overpowering.

Lastly the other tea which Emma and I are both loving is their Manuka Mint tea. It comes in both a loose leaf and tea bag too. Its refreshing, vibrant and I think it definitely helps with digestion so is one I have been having after most meals. Oh also their NZ Chai tea bags are amazing too :)

We now have a wide range of teas from Keri Keri including a few new blends this week so you can check out the full range of Keri Keri teas that we stock here. If you would love to see us stock any other blends then please just let us know.