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At this time of year many of our customers start to enquire about iced teas. As you can imagine we don't serve the stereotypical 'iced tea' with aded sugar, citrus and fruit! Instead we celebrate the natural flavour of the teas we serve with absolutely nothing added. When it comes to making tea in this way there are two main methods :- >> The first is to brew the tea normally and then let it cool, until it can be placed in the fridge to get down to chilled level. Add some ice and its ready. >> The second method is to...

And so on Day 7 I woke in Huangshan city and waited for Sooha.  It hadn't been the most peaceful of nights - I was placed on the very top floor of the hotel in what seemed to be the only occupied part of the building.  Quite spooky would be putting it lightly..... I was returning to see Sooha after my trip to the area in Spring 2017.  Before I update you I'd encourage you to take a read of my blog from last year .  This return to Yang Cun represents one of the really important and equally difficult parts of sourcing...

Leaving Vincents home we headed to back towards Qimen town.  I had been here last year in the search for quality organic Keemun tea >> read more here >> so why was I back? Well at Comins quality and provenance are both key.  When we visited last year the season was in mid flow.  At this time I have now learned [the hard way] that you simply cannot start to make specifications about what you want/don't want.  Its too late.  The leaves are ready and time is ticking, they need to be picked and processed as soon as possible.  We were in...

Early morning and Vincent came running across the road with his usual enthusiasm to greet me.  He has called me Michael ever since we first met in Qimen town last year [see picture below] and even though he has since discovered I am in fact Michelle the name has stuck - to Vincent I am forever Michael and every time I get a voice message from him it makes me smile.  Vincent has a beautiful energy one that only comes from working in a job you love - one you have chosen [or that has chosen you] rather than one you have...

On my first trip around Taoxichuan last year I came across Yu Xinrong and his wife Kiki. I was really struck by their style and the pieces that Yu Xinrong made so this year I headed back to see them and learn more.  I arranged to meet Kiki at Taoxichuan which is a pretty magical place - old industrial government ceramic factories turned into workshops and small shops.  There is always a calm air here as you wander around - a far cry from the crazy streets outside.   We found each other quickly [thank goodness for WeChat!] and jumped in...