What makes a great tea?

Tea Type Measure per person (tsp) Recommended brewing time (mins) Recommended water temperature (°C)
Black 1 2-3 85
Black blend 1 2-3 85
Green 1 1 75
Green blend 1 1 75
White 1.5 4 70
Oolong 1 13 85
Rooibos 1.5 4-5 95
Fruit/herbal 1.5 4-5 95

There are five quality groups for tea. They are listed below in descending order of quality. At Tea from The Manor we only take the top three grades from the finest whole leaf and flowers tea grade - that’s over 20 grades above dust – the quality found in most “everyday” tea bags!

  • Whole Leaf & Flowers (4 grades)
  • Whole Leaf (4 grades)
  • Broken Leaf (11 grades)
  • Fanning (6 grades)
  • Dust (2 grades)

The great tea growing regions of the world produce tea for most of the year, but each area has its best months when the finest teas are made. Again, Tea from The Manor only buys in these peak quality months.

Northern India, the worlds most important tea producer and source of “the champagne of teas” Darjeeling, is a good example – the slopes of the Himalaya produce their best in early March and June, whilst Java produces its best tea in September and China in March and April.