The Journey of Our Assam Tea...

The beautiful Assam tea estates in India provide the ideal environment for large-leaved flushes to flourish. These grow best in misty rainy regions, which are prevalent due to the tropical climate and low altitude of the Assam region. This, in turn, contributes to the malty, caramel, and tippy profile that forms an essential base to our special Spiced Bombay Chai.

To cultivate fruitful Assam tea bushes, the leaves are pruned at around one metre in height. However, the process of plucking them is far from easy. The farmers place immense diligence in only picking the tender tea buds by hand. It is crucial that the tea picker knows precisely which leaf and bud to pick, as anything other than the best tea bud will not suffice. Big leaves are too tough and do not contain the rich flavours we seek.

In our fruitful tea gardens, we follow a unique time system called “Bagantime.” Tea Garden Time is an hour ahead of Indian Standard Time, giving the hard-working tea pickers an extra hour of sunlight. Between 8am and 3pm, the tea pickers attentively place the tender buds into baskets strapped to their heads and backs.

At Jeeves & Jericho, our Teasmiths use their many years of experience to source only the finest Assam tea. We have established direct relationships with tea gardens, cutting out middlemen. Our chai is brewed using a single estate tea, and we know precisely where it comes from. We have high traceability of our tea, ensuring that it is harvested without the use of harmful pesticides.

Once the tea leaves are picked, they are processed and dried straight away. The leaves are vacuum-packed to lock in the freshness, and they continue their onward journey to our blending rooms in Oxfordshire. Here, the next stage of their journey takes place, creating the all-important base to our authentic, handcrafted chai. Our passion for quality ensures that every cup of Spiced Bombay Chai is a truly unique and memorable experience.