Suki introduces UK's first triple certified tea

Suki Tea, the Northern Irish boutique tea house, has introduced the UK's first triple certified tea. The company, based in Belfast, has launched a Bannockburn Darjeeling tea that's fully certified by the Rainforest Alliance, the Fair Trade organisation and by the Soil Association as organic.

The new tea is a further development of Suki's commitment to ethical production and follows extensive research by the company, Northern Ireland's leading tea blender and exporter.

The triple certified tea was announced by Oscar Woolley, Suki Tea's joint founder and managing director, at the World Barista Championship in Vienna, where the company won 'Best Non-Coffee Beverage' for its lemongrass and ginger iced tea because it was "easy to prepare and had an amazing taste", according to the judging panel.



Referring to the new triple certified tea, Mr Woolley says: "The introduction of the triple certified tea is a response to the growing market demand for ethically grown and processed products by foodservice organisations and younger discerning consumers in the UK.

"While we have a number of teas certified as either being organic or fair trade, the Bannockburn Darjeeling is the first available in the UK to be triple certified by the Rain Forest Alliance, Fair Trade organisation and the Soil Association.

"It helps to consolidate our market standing as a supplier of organic and ethical teas. We are already finding significant market interest in Britain in the new tea. The new tea gives us a unique selling proposition in Britain and Ireland.

"The classic Bannockburn Darjeeling is a richly flavoured and balanced tea, among the most satisfying available today. It's a mature tea from one of the first Darjeeling gardens, fresh yet fruity with citrus and apricot notes; crisp yet mellow with honey undertones.

Bannockburn Tea Estate is located in India's West Darjeeling Valley and has been growing tea for almost 200 years.

The signature Bannockburn single estate Darjeeling tea has been a traditional favourite with British tea lovers and has won several taste awards including the 2003 Great Taste Gold Award for the best single estate specialty tea.

Suki Tea was founded by Mr Woolley and business partner Annie Rooney in 2005 to focus on quality loose-leaf team and fruit infusions.

In addition to selling extensively in the UK and Ireland, the company, which has gained a string of UK Great Taste Awards for its teas, now exports to Japan, Rwanda, Kenya, Poland, the Netherlands and Belgium.