Blog

One of the key motivations for our trip to Darjeeling was to visit the small growers of Darjeeling, understand their work and see first hand how the landscape of tea in this famous region is changing. .Michelle : We were heading to Burbung Busty near Kurseong to meet Rajiv, his brother Anurag and their family who have set up a small tea processing unit making black green & white teas.  Rajiv is a hugely experienced tea maker with a career in a number of larger gardens [Ambootia, Nuxalbari] under his belt. Motivated to ensure buyers get good teas at good prices made in a way that supports...

A new side to Darjeeling : Tunglabong __________________________________________ Welcome to our blog!  This is the first in a series of blogs sharing insight from our month long 2022 trip to Darjeeling where we were visiting many of the smallholder communities across the hills; we hope you enjoy the read! __________________________________________ Michelle : We were staying in Tunglabong the Lepcha name for the village meaning ‘Tapioka.’ - the plant that was abundant here in the early days of settlement.  This is Lepcha country - the Lepcha are the original people of Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Sikkim & Ilam with a rich culture, forts, kings and a strong connection to the land.  Farden Lepcha, who was...

Here at Comins we are starting to receive and enjoy new teas from the new season - we are excited to share a few of these below.  We are also preparing for our first tea trip for several years.  .On 23rd May we will travel to Darjeeling for a month - taking the whole family with us.  If you know us then you know that for us Darjeeling is a very special place both personally & professionally.  Many of our great tea friends in tea are in Darjeeling & since the sudden passing of Michelle's mum just before the pandemic she has...

.Positive moments : Time ..A short video to bring our week focused on ‘time’ (& the positivity that can come from time taken over tea) to a close.  Some of the teas we have been enjoying are Qi Dan, Sencha Harashima, Qing Xing White & Soo Soo Choi's Hong Cha. .We take tea everywhere we go - quality leaves + simple tea rituals = time well spent either alone or with friends & family. In busy lives it is easy to forget to make time for ourselves and others - tea friends share everyday in the tea house how transformative these...

. The second theme we have been exploring in our focus on positive moments is 'Ritual' looking at how tea provides us with a ritual and why, this often simple step, can be the basis for a healthier and more positive life. . Rituals are something that we do regularly, but most importantly consciously and with intention.  We are fully present and engaged in the moment and are aware of our thoughts and feelings without distraction or judgment. We are not thinking about the next task of the day, but fully involved in what we are doing. This is often hard in...