The tea leaves we source are grown above 4000 feet above sea level (these are referred to in the tea industry as 'High Grown Tea'). Above this altitude pesticides are not normally used in tea cultivation, (aka Pesticide Free).

High Grown conventional tea estates do use fertilisers, but these are primarily natural nitrogen pellets. Nitrogen pellet fertilisers can double or even triple tea leaf yield compared to the leaf yield achieved where nitrogen pellets are not used.

The use of nitrogen allows the High Grown tea estates to produce good leaf yields and to continue to employ thousands of workers. The tea estates are located in remote rural areas and are often the most major employer, indeed often it is these tea estates that are the only employer. The High Grown tea estates we deal with provide housing, schooling, medical (usually short-term stay hospitals) and pharmacy facilities free of charge to their workers. These provisions are a huge benefit to the employees and their families who otherwise would not have ready access to this level of support.

High Grown organic cultivation leaf yields are 50% less compared to estates using natural nitrogen fertilisers. If the yields on all the High Grown tea estates were cut in half there would be a reduction in the need for the larger work force creating unemployment and loss of benefits to many families.