Tregothnan has grown for the same family since 1335. Tregothnan land stretches from the cliffs of west Cornwall to the valleys of Kent, each area is the home of specialist Tregothnan growers. The first English Tea grown in England. Organic Floristry, again pioneered by Tregothnan. Passion for the land and waht it can grow. Manuka Honey, another first. Now the rare Kea Plum is back in production and makes a superb Ice Cream. Charcoal from Tregothnan is convenient and effective, the first into a no-mess non-metal pack. Tregothnan, now planning the next 700 years to be as sustainable as possible.
I bought a box of their green tea at the Real Food Festival and got through it pdq. Putting aside the price (which puts it firmly in the 'luxury product' bracket) and the fact that it's blended with 'specially selected' Chinese teas (making it hard to judge the quality of the Tregothnan tea itself), it's every bit as tasty as shipped-in varieties. Kudos, too, to Tregothnan for thinking outside the tea chest and being the first to grow something commercially, that we consume in huge amounts yet have no self-sufficiency in (anecdotally, one of the biggest fears of wartime blockades on Britain was that they might lead to a tea shortage).
At this price, it'll never replace PG Tips or Clipper or whomever, but it's nice to know we CAN have commodities without the food miles.
I only have one complaint besides the price tag: Surely it's CORNISH tea, rather than English?!
Bath Soft Cheese Ltd - Bath
I used to work on the delicatessen in an organic farmshop, and had the pleasure of ordering from the guys at Bath soft cheese once every other week.
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lizmoyce (26.07.08)
Hungry (26.06.08)
