It's time for the final stop on our #60days#60partners journey around the tea world : Malawi - a landlocked East African country around half the size of the UK. Currently in the top ten world tea exporters, it was one of the first African countries to market its tea and has been growing commercially since the early 1890s.
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Extract from Tales of the Tea Trade : [....] Tea was first brought to Malawi (formerly Nyasaland) by the gardener to the Blantyre Mission of the Church of Scotland in 1878. These initial attempts failed, but in 1886 seeds sourced from Kew Gardens were successfully germinated, confirming that growing tea in Malawi was possible. It was not until 1891 that the first commercial plantings took place, however. Henry Brown, a Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) coffee planter who came to Malawi after the failure of coffee on the island due to disease, was responsible for this expansion, the first commercial planting in the whole of Africa. Later plantations were established at Mulanje and Thyolo in the Shire Highlands [...]
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To read the story of tea from this point to the growth in tea estates and the growth that has continued at a steady rate until this day why not pick up a copy of Tales of the Tea Trade but to return to the modern day you may be surprised to learn that Malawian tea is a key origin in many British blends. Known to blenders for its brisk flavour and quick colouring the lack of transparency in cheaper commodity teas means that sadly most of us are ignorant of the contribution of it makes to our daily cup. Behind these tea leaves that we enjoy is one of the poorest countries in the world, its economy heavily reliant on tea export, and the livelihood of its often marginalized tea communities is at the mercy of a multitude of factors, not least the changing global climate.
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At Comins we don’t deal in bulk commodity teas – we predominantly deal with small gardens that produce high-quality orthodox teas. We only trade directly, and in Malawi we deal only with Satemwa whose story and positive contribution to the Malawian tea landscape you can read below. However given the importance of Malawian Tea in the commodity market and the landscape against which this is produced it seems appropriate to raise the issues that organizations like Fairtrade are trying to tackle here and in other tea markets facing similar challenges. You can read more about this in Tales of the Tea Trade but in addition Emma Mullins, [Tea Supply Chain Manager, Fairtrade Foundation], who contributed to Tales of the Tea Trade has kindly written this insightful blog Perspectives on Fair Trade to accompany this part of our #60days#60partners campaign.
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All of this background will hopefully leave the reader feeling the importance of knowing where your tea comes from and also supporting, through your chosen cup of tea, those doing something positive in this beautiful country. On that note lets take a look at this beautiful white hand-rolled tea from Satemwa and pick up the story in the Shire Highlands where their tea gardens can be found.
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[Photo above : Pearls and cup : Credit Annette Kay : Satemwa]
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Established in 1923 the Satemwa Tea Estate is one of the last family-owned tea estates in the region. They work closely with the extensive smallholder network in Malawi to procure fresh leaf, following a model that was first introduced in the 1960s. Below you can see Michelle with two of the team : Wouter & Alfred Mwase who you can also see below in his professional role in the company along with Assistant Factory manager Alice Kambale [ [Photo of Alfred and Alice : Credit Annette Kay : Satemwa]
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Expanding away from Satemwa for a moment let's focus on the smallholder model : a model that has seen turbulent times in Malawi. The model established in 1964 [in which the Tea Authority provided extensive support for smallholders to set themselves up and enter a government-run system under which they received prompt payment for their leaf] prospered until the 1990s when a change in government saw sweeping changes, resulting in privatization, factory closures and a loss of security for small farmers. The system needed to change if they were to survive. Gradually, this started to happen with private tea companies such as Satemwa establishing new partnerships, which guaranteed the purchase of their leaves and ensured a fair price.
[Photo above : Smallholders Satemwa : Credit Annette Kay : Satemwa]
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How to describe Satemwa? Sitting with Alfred & Wouter in Brussels late last year discussing the tea industry, challenges, opportunities, hopes for the future it is clear to say that this is a company run by a modern pioneer : Alexander Kay is a third-generation tea farmer at Satemwa Tea Estate : which in our experience over the last five years is committed to reviving the tea industry. Here we have discovered a talented team prepared to have open and honest conversations around the shape and direction of the tea market. Their story is one of optimism, innovation and great-tasting teas.
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[Photo above : Satemwa Tea Factory : Credit Annette Kay : Satemwa]
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Satemwa sits at an altitude of 1,000–1,200 metres on the slopes of Thyolo Mountain in the Shire Highlands in Malawi [...] In the background is a strong sector-funded Tea Research Foundation in Malawi which has worked hard since the 1960s to develop some endemic Malawian cultivars adapted to the unique terroir and specific climate and also high in theanine and catechins. [...] From these cultivars Satemwa produces a range of high-quality pesticide-free teas and is certified by Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance and UTZ.
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[Photo above : Trees and light : Credit Annette Kay : Satemwa]
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What sets them apart is that although 90 percent of the tea produced at Satemwa each year is black CTC tea bound for the bulk commodity market [with all the issues in pricing and demand that are associated with this sector] they have worked hard over the last 10 years to revive the production of orthodox speciality teas [...] ‘I say “revive”,’ Wouter explains in Tales of the Tea Trade ‘because orthodox production was actually the standard production method on Satemwa in the 1930s. Alexander decided to revive the production of the orthodox teas in 2006 and what you see today is the result of hours of experimenting and tasting by Alexander and the Satemwa Speciality Team informed by trips to Sri Lanka, China, India and Japan to look at different techniques and production methods. We never wanted to simply replicate teas from elsewhere – the aim has always been to create a Satemwa style, with our own character and signature.’
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[Photo above : Tea Sample Room : Credit Annette Kay : Satemwa]
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[...] based on the success of their model [quality, transparency and traceability] Satemwa have been able to take the Malawian smallholder model to a new level [....] partnering with smallholders to diversify their crops [...] and also helping them to improve their plucking standards [for which they are paid a premium] Wouter explains in Tales of the Tea Trade : 'When we sell the tea we can give the buyer full transparency down to farmer level, which demands a higher price, the profits of which we share with the smallholder.’ [....]
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[Photo above : Hand Rolling Tea : Credit Annette Kay : Satemwa]
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[...] ‘The key to long-term success here has been establishing a reputation for Malawian orthodox teas based on craftsmanship, knowledge and experience, the details of which are shared and celebrated with partners like us. Our Zomba Pearls consist of leaves that are hand plucked, withered, hand rolled and dried in a sustainable wood-fuelled micro drier. This gives a delightful full bodied, buttery and mellow flavour. The Bvumbwe Handmade Treasure is also hand plucked from a specific variety, withered, rolled in an orthodox roller, oxidized and hand turned all the time, then dried.’
Feeling thirsty? Why not call in and try one of our best selling white teas : Zomba Pearls from Satemwa and taste for yourself what all the fuss is about.
