Like most people, we like having people round for tea. Especially when they’re as nice as Yorkshire cricketer Joe Sayers, who popped in yesterday to meet our expert tea buyers.

Over the years, we’ve had a wide variety of visitors here in Harrogate, from Prince Charles to Rwandan tea farmers. And each visit is special in its own way – in this case, opening batsman Joe came in to talk to us about our Runs For The Rainforest idea.

Basically, for every run scored by Yorkshire in the 2010 season, we promise to protect a tree in the Peruvian Amazon – all as part of the Yorkshire Rainforest Project, our pledge to save an area of rainforest the size of Yorkshire.

Joe, who scored over 1,000 runs in last year’s season, has really got behind the idea. “Every player always wants to score plenty of runs,” he said. “But now there’s an extra incentive.”

As well as talking to us about the project, Joe also got the chance to meet our Head of Tea, Ian, who showed him round our tea tasting room, where Ian and his team taste literally hundreds of teas every day. Both Joe and Ian have spent a fair bit of time in India (for different reasons obviously) so they had plenty to talk about. Not only that but Joe got a whistlestop tour of the world of tea, and even joined in with some tasting – quite an odd sight to see a professional cricketer in his whites slurping and spitting tea!

It wasn’t all hard work though. He got his very own box of ‘Sayer’s Tea’ and we made sure he got a chance to sit down and have a proper cup of tea before setting off – but no spitting this time.

Like a lot of people out there, we’re already looking forward to this year’s Great British Tea Party – and one of the people who makes it all happen is our friend Marie at the Wallace & Gromit’s Children’s Foundation. Not only is she busy getting ready for the Great British Tea Party, but she’s organising Wrong Trousers Day too. In fact, she’s already been out having some fun with our favourite characters.

If you’d like to support Marie and the lovely people at the Wallace & Gromit Children’s Foundation, join Wallace & Gromit’s Wrong Trousers Day on Friday 25^th June and help sick children in the UK by registering here.

As well as supplying various Womens Institutes with tea for 20 years and working with lots of them to do good things around the world like planting trees, we also have our own workplace WI – the Fondant Fancies.

Ladies from all around our business get together several times a year to meet, chat and do something interesting, whether that’s learning how to salsa or mastering the art of basic car maintenance!

Recently they had a visit from a Yorkshire bobby. And before you say it, no, they hadn’t been up to  mischief (at least as far as we know). The bobby in question was Mike Pannett, local policeman turned author.

Following a turn on the BBC’s Country Cops, Mike’s written a collection of amusing tales from his time spent policing in North Yorkshire. We supported him on his tour of the nation’s bookshops earlier this year so he was more than happy to treat our Fondant Fancies to a reading from his book ‘You’re coming with me lad‘. This special visit was followed by a Q&A session and a book-signing too.

To celebrate the forthcoming publication of Mike’s new book ‘Not on my patch lad’, we’re giving away ten signed copies of ‘You’re coming with me lad’. For a chance to win, just email your contact details to our Liz with the subject line ‘Fondant Fancies’.

Terms & Conditions: There are ten separate prizes each of a signed copy of the book ‘You’re coming with me lad…’. No applications from agents, third parties, organised groups or applications automatically generated by computer will be accepted. Closing time and date for entries for the prize draw is 12pm, 25/06/10. The prize winners will be drawn at random under independent supervision on 28/06/10 from all entries received before this date. Taylors of Harrogate will notify the prize winners by email by 2pm, 28/06/10 to arrange collection of tickets from the venue. Entrants must be UK residents aged 18 or over. Personal contact details will only be kept on file by Taylors of Harrogate and will not be passed on to any third parties. In the event of non-acceptance if the prize winner is not contactable, Taylors of Harrogate reserves the right to reallocate the prize awarded to the next randomly drawn entry. No purchase is necessary to enter the free prize draw. You can only be entered into the free prize draw once. Multiple registrations will only result in one entry into the prize draw. Taylors of Harrogate will not accept responsibility for the loss of entries through technical fault, transmission delay or incomplete entries. Names and counties of the prize winners will be available if required by interested party sending a stamped addressed envelope to Yorkshire Tea, Taylors of Harrogate, Pagoda House, Plumpton Park, Harrogate, HG2 7LD. Employees and their families of Taylors of Harrogate, its agents or anyone professionally connected with the promotion are not eligible to enter. No alternative cash prize will be offered. By entering this promotion all participants will be deemed to have accepted and be bound by the terms and conditions. The right to amend, withdraw or terminate any aspect of this prize draw without prior notice is reserved if factors beyond the Promoter’s control require them to do so. The decision of the Promoter is final and binding in all matters. Correspondence will not be entered into. Promoter: Taylors of Harrogate, Plumpton Park, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, HG2 7LD

Our expert tea buyers are used to discovering talented people with quality products when they’re travelling the world. Usually it’s tea they’re after – but in the case of the Bodo Handloom Scheme in Assam, we simply had to make an exception!

From left to right: Homeshwari, Mina, Rita (wearing the Yorkshire Gold Apron!) and Tulu of the Bodo Handloom Scheme

The Bodo (pronounced Bo-ro) people are an indigenous ethnic group from the north bank of Assam’s Brahmaputra river. The ladies of the Bodo people are incredible weavers and make the most intricate, colourful designs with a handmade bamboo handloom. The amazing thing is that none of their many designs are written down or recorded anywhere. Instead they’re passed from generation to generation through the female members of the household.

The Bodo Handloom Scheme was established in 1995 at the Borengajuli Tea Estate to promote the ladies’ traditional weaving skills and provide access to market for generating extra income. It’s a not-for-profit scheme funded by estate owners  McLeod Russel India Ltd, with the ladies earning over 40% of the total cost of the finished product.

We started working with the scheme a year ago, when we asked them to use traditional Bodo designs to produce beautiful aprons with colour schemes that match Yorkshire Tea and Yorkshire Gold. Tea buyer Suzy took time out from her recent training in Assam to visit the villages of Borengabari, Nisputla and Tutlapara so she could meet the ladies in person, see them at work, and have a look at the finished results.

Suzy with Rehama Dwiamary, one of the talented ladies who made the fabric for the Yorkshire Gold Aprons

“I’m not sure I have the right words to do the enormous skill of the Bodo weavers’ justice,” says Suzy. “The aprons are 100% natural cotton and made from 100% sheer skill! To achieve a golden colour that matches our Yorkshire Gold, the ladies blend yarn together. The weave starts out as a red, light weave and when yellow is woven over the top diagonally you get a gold effect. ”

From what started as a cottage industry supplying the local tea fraternity of Assam, we’re proud to bring the work of the Bodo Handloom Scheme to the UK for their international commercial debut. We’re covering the cost of production of the aprons and all profit made through the sale of these traditionally woven items will go directly back to the scheme to help secure sustainable long term production, assisting the livelihoods of these incredibly talented women.

Meet Annie and Horen. Annie co-ordinates the scheme: arranging orders, sourcing the yarn and putting together the colour combinations and styles for market. Horen makes sure the finished products are perfectly packaged and ready to go.

We’re hoping that the first batch will arrive in Harrogate soon, and they’ll be available to buy on our website shortly, priced at £12. Or come along and find our Yorkshire Tea trailer at any of the events we’re attending and you can pick them up for a bargain £10 each!

Huge thanks go to all the people at the Bodo Handloom Scheme and McLeod Russel India Ltd for helping to turn this lovely idea into a reality.

Having visited 23 top Assam tea factories so far, I’m starting to pick up a thing or two. One of the highlights is experiencing the warm relationship built up between Taylors of Harrogate and our key producers. We like to reward quality, not just by paying good prices for quality tea but also in the factories and amongst the tea makers themselves. My colleagues before me, while visiting factories, have presented quality producers with ‘Quality Plaques’ and certificates, which I often see proudly on display in tasting rooms across Assam.

There is something very enchanting about being on a tea estate here in Assam, especially at this time of year when the quality second flush shoots are popping up. Tea bushes are carpeted with bright green supple leaves, nimbly plucked by ladies in the most vibrantly coloured, beautiful saris. Now these ladies are a key part of this whole process, as factories can only make good tea from good leaf raw material and so commitment to quality must start from here.

As we know, any old leaf just will not do, but there’s a little more detail behind plucking during this season. Two leaves and a bud are an absolute must, but not just that: the buds need to reach a certain level of maturity to capture really good flavour, and the nurturing of these buds is key. Some types of buds grow silvery, silky downs on them, a great sign of quality and a lovely sight when the sun reflects on the bush tops. So, as the ladies go about their work, they not only pluck two leaves and a bud but maintain the bushes and check that everything is in place for the new young buds that will be next week’s leaf. It’s quite an art.

If you’re regular to the site, I’m sure you must have come across us talking about our Yorkshire Gold Season’s Pick range by now. The idea is to showcase the absolute pick of the crop from key tea origins and packing it fresh off the boat so you get to try peak season tea at its freshest. We launched last year with Season’s Pick Assam, and I’m pleased to say I’ve now visited the estate it came from! I brought a box from UK to show them and we drank it for afternoon tea. Mr Gill, factory manager at Borsapori Tea Estate, said he thought it had even matured well and tastes better than it did when it left his factory!

And just to add to Sanjay’s elephant encounters in an earlier post, here’s where the said elephants scratch their backs… Bye for now!

Together with the lovely people at the Wallace & Gromit Children’s Foundation, we’ve been spreading the word about Wallace & Gromit’s Great British Tea Party – harnessing the power of our national affection for tea and cake to raise funds for children’s healthcare in the UK. And now we’ve won a Marketing Week Engage Award for it too.

James and Liz from Yorkshire Tea went down to London for the event and were absolutely bowled over when the judges picked our work on Wallace & Gromit’s Great British Tea Party for the Charity and Voluntary Sector Award.

Thanks to everyone who’s supported the cause so far – here’s to the next Tea Party!

After a brief stop back in the UK at Yorkshire Tea HQ, no sooner had I washed my clothes and got a haircut then I was back on a plane heading for India. The peak quality Assam season is here and it only lasts for a short time. Unlike some regions in Africa, such as Kenya, who produce tea all year round, the best Assam tea grows between May and July and I’m here to see the what we call the ‘second flush’ Assam season kick off.

Assam is a crucial part of our blend at Yorkshire Tea, adding strength and body. Rich, malty and deeply flavoured, it’s important not only for Yorkshire Tea, but as a tea in its own right, great at breakfast time or any time of day when you need a full tasting cup with good strength.

The region of Assam lies in the North Eastern corner of India bordering Burma and Bhutan and is the route through which the great Brahmaputra River flows down to the Bay of Bengal. Dotted on either side of the great river are tea estates producing great tasting tea. I’m here to spend a month travelling from the North Eastern Tip following the Brahmaputra River south and crossing the river to visit our key Assam tea producers and estates along the way, learning from the experts as I go.

Tea bushes in Assam lie dormant over winter producing no new leaves and tips to process into tea. As springtime sets in, the bushes re-awaken and new tea leaves are plucked and processed into ‘first flush’ tea. After those initial leaves are plucked, the bushes then take a few weeks to recoup, gathering energy and nutrients from the soil ready to produce the ‘second flush’ new leaves. Tea produced from this period is simply unique and generates unrivalled flavour and character in the tea.

At Taylors, we have special relationships with some of the very best gardens in Assam and arguably the world. These experts are kindly giving me a taste of how they make their magic. The processing of the leaf in Assam is also unique. The science of the process remains the same around the world (the leaf needs to be withered, oxidised and dried) but the process here is quite bespoke and requires much attention to detail. Many top producers use traditional methods of manufacture that, though not the most state of the art, produce amazing character in the tea.  Each factory has a chief tea maker, known as the Head Tea House. Many have been making tea for 20 to 30 years – and really, what they don’t know about Assam tea manufacture is probably not worth knowing!

As the season sets in, they apply their expertise on a daily basis, adjusting withering or oxidation times according to the climate and the state of the green leaf – not just of that particular day, but for each particular hour. Once the rolled and oxidised leaves have been dried, sorting takes place into various grades. For loose leaf grades, this sorting is all done by hand, requiring great skill and concentration, usually by a team of eagle-eyed ladies.

The blackish tea leaves contain amber flecks – these are the tips of the bush and lead to great flavour in the cup. A truly impressive process to witness!

Look out for more news soon!

Suzy

No, we haven’t been watching Dumbo too much. When you’re working on the tea estates of Assam’s Brahmaputra Valley, encounters with wild elephants are a fact of life. Thankfully, it’s a relatively peaceful co-existence. Unless they decide  to lie down among the tea bushes that is, when they uproot everything around them to ensure they’ve got a comfy spot. Or when they eat a bit too much fermented fruit and get tipsy.

But what does a drunken elephant do exactly?

We put this question to our tea-buyer Sanjay, who’s just returned from a visit to some of our key Assam suppliers. His answer – that “they just a get a bit naughty” – was somewhat vague. And more than a little eyebrow-raising too. So we pressed him for a bit more detail.

Apparently, what it really boils down to is that they stumble around, knocking things over, trampling bushes and generally making a nuisance of themselves.

Luckily for Sanjay, the wild elephants he encountered at Jorhat were much better behaved. In fact, he says it was good to see how the managers of the estates encourage people to live and work alongside the animals harmoniously.

Of course, Sanjay was there to do more than just assess human-elephant relations. The tea in Assam is about to enter its crucial second flush (essentially the ‘second round’ of harvesting) and it’s the tea from this particular growing period that gives our blend its body, strength and that lovely malty flavor. So getting a sneak preview of how the crop is doing is obviously pretty important to us.

To build up a picture of where the best tea is likely to come from this season, Sanjay visited a total of twelve gardens in just seven days. It might be quite a hectic schedule, but as it was Sanjay’s first visit as a Taylors tea-buyer it was a great opportunity to meet some of our most important suppliers.

And a few elephants, of course.

It’s been quite a fortnight for our Sam – travelling round the Peruvian Amazon, meeting the people we’re working with for our Yorkshire Rainforest Project. After last week’s message from Lima, we’re pleased to say she’s back. Here she tells us more about her experience:

“I’m back in England now and still digesting everything I learned, saw and experienced on my visit to the Ashaninka communities and the Ashaninka Congress. The Congress, which was held for two days in the beautiful and peaceful village of Pamikiari, brought to life the problems that communities are contending with: petrol companies working their way in to extract oil; an explosion of logging in the area; threats from Coca growers; even the possibility of a hydro-electric dam, which will flood communities in the Ene valley.

Because of this, it’s hugely important that the Ashaninka have faith in those who are working with them to protect their homes and lands. We’re working with a team on the ground called Central Ashaninka del Rio Ene, or CARE (pronounced kah-ray). Many of their members are Ashaninka themselves, so they’re determined to prevent the exploitation of the communities and their forest lands. For Rosa from CARE, the goal is for people to continue living as Ashaninka and for the forests to keep their natural beauty. She told us: “In the forests, you breathe clean air, and it is this that is not only vital for those who live there, but for everyone else.”

Of course, oil and timber are money-making resources so it is important that communities are given a viable alternative to the short-term profit that would be made from allowing an area of land to be exploited. This is where the sustainable livelihoods come in. Together with Cristina, our Ethical Trading Manager, I had the opportunity to see an example of this in Pamikiari – a cocoa plantation that has gone from being neglected and underused to being cared for and properly managed. With training in the cultivation of the crops and how to sell them, these plantations can now provide an income for the families who own them. And the trees will still be there for the next generation.”

Earlier this month, we told you about our Sam’s trip to the Peruvian Amazon. To help with our Yorkshire Rainforest Project, she was off to meet with the people on the ground who we’re working with, and to stay with the Ashaninka – the communities who live in the rainforest. After so long with no contact (she was in the rainforest after all) we’re rather relieved to hear she’s alive and well and back in Lima. Here’s what she had to say:

“Wow, what an amazing trip! From being thrown into a bustling, congested, polluted Lima to sleeping through a drive over the Andes, then waking up to a vast, cloud covered, lush green rainforest.

Sailing down the Rio Ene and through the Amazon is nothing short of spectacular – you see life in abundance and it was clear on arrival at the first community, Puerto Ashaninka, that this is not taken for granted. We were offered (literally) the fruits of the forest, from coconuts to oranges to yucca (an Ashaninka diet staple), fish and samani, a small boar.

And of course the first bowl of the infamous ‘spit beer’, masato, was passed around. I have to say it tastes a little better than I imagined it would – but it comes in all sorts of strengths so it’s wise to take caution. This community, as with each one we visited, was generous, kind and keen to make the most of their natural surroundings – incredible to see when back in England we are so far removed from the source of our food, housing, water etc. And yet it became clear from early on that the threats to their very way of being (one Ashaninka child, Nike, told me that to be Ashaninka means to be a person of the forest) are very real and getting more serious. It was enlightening, though, the work that the Ashaninka are putting in to combat these threats and look after their home.

CARE, the team on the ground who we’re working with, have done a lot of work in a short space of time on the project. It’s great to be able to see some results – especially from the sustainable livelihoods programme.

Look out for lots more info on this and many other things when I get back to Harrogate next week!