Suki Tea Makers and Bushmills Irish Whiskey collaborate in unique tea blend

Specialist organic tea blenders Suki Tea Makers in Belfast has collaborated with Bushmills Irish Whiskey in the creation of a limited edition tea using its multi-award winning Black Bush blend.

The latest initiative in a developing relationship between Suki and Bushmills is a loose-leaf black tea in pyramid bags and is produced in an attractively branded caddy tin for storage.

Oscar Woolley, the joint founder and managing director of Suki Tea Makers, which has won a string of UK Great Taste and other industry awards, says: “We are proud to working with The Old Bushmills Distillery, the world’s oldest licensed whiskey distillery, to create a unique, hand blended Black Bush inspired tea blend.

“Taking influence from the rich, smooth notes of Black Bush, we’ve created a blend busting with aromatic, warm spices and a finishing flavour of sweet, dried fruit, mirroring the big robust flavours and velvety smooth character of Black Bush,” he says.

The highly original blend, which doesn’t contain any whiskey, is made from the Rooibos plant already used by Suki in many of its most popular teas. “It’s a complex Black tea with a woody, spicy aroma and distinctive taste,” Mr Woolley adds.

Suki Tea Makers has previously taken part in the successful Black Bush Stories campaign which celebrates innovators across a range of craft industries on the island of Ireland - Oscar hosted a series of whiskey and tea blending masterclasses last spring.

Formed in 2005 by Oscar and business partner Anne Irwin, Suki Tea employs around 15 people and is recognised as a leading innovator in loose-leaf teas and fruit infusions for retail and foodservice customers in the UK in Ireland.

In addition, the specialist tea blender has business in many international markets including Europe and Asia. It also has flourishing online sales operation which has grown substantially especially over the past year.

The multi-award winning tea blender has also moved away from the use of plastic packaging in its wide range of teas as part of a longstanding commitment to the environment.

Suki’s tea pyramids in the Black Bush caddies, for instance, are made from paper, yarn and a special material called Soilon, meaning unlike some traditional teabags, the teabags are completely natural and plastic-free. 

The novel packaging is now as environmentally friendly as the tea that goes inside it.  Boxes for retailers are also made from sustainably sourced cardboard (FSC or PEFC) and pre-printed using vegetable-based inks.”