The Tea Bush

Time for Tea

There’s a lot more to tea than just milk and two sugars. Here are a few insights into the world’s favourite little leaf.

A leaf from the history books

Ever wondered how tea was discovered? Well, about 3000 years ago, a Chinese emperor called Shen Nung was sitting beneath a tree with his servant who was boiling water over a fire. Some tea leaves blew from the tree, landing in the water. The emperor decided to taste this accidental infusion and was pleasantly surprised. Fast forward to today and you’ll find that this very same tea is now the second most popular drink in the world, second only to water!

Pioneers of great taste

Did you know that Bewley’s was the first company to import tea directly to Ireland? Back in 1835 Samuel Bewley and his son Charles shipped 2,099 chests of tea directly from Canton in China to Dublin. A daring venture that helped create a nation of tea drinkers!

The science bit

The tea tree, Camellia Sinensis, is an evergreen shrub. It grows in warm, humid climates at very high altitudes. Chinese in origin, tea is now grown around the world. Our Master Blender sources teas from Kenya, Rwanda, China, India, Sri Lanka and Indonesia.  That means you can enjoy a host of rich flavours and aromas in each of our tempting tea blends.

Location, location, location!

Teas are a bit like wines – soil and climatic conditions have a huge influence on the final flavour. A Kenyan tea grown at high altitude might have a bright, refreshing flavour, while one grown lower down may taste more full-bodied and strong.

Consistently delicious

No two crops are quite the same so teas must be blended to achieve a consistent taste. Blending produces the unique flavours of our signature teas and guarantees consistent quality and flavour. That means each time you taste Bewley’s Gold Blend Tea, you get the same great flavour cup after cup.