Source of tea: The leaf for this manufacture is obtained from a community owned estate in the Eastern undulating highlands growing area and from a certified Biodynamic Organic estate production. Please note the Skal certification logo for European an USDA standards shown on the 25 tea bag cartons in the picture below and right.
1. Leaf type:
We aim at very high quality teas and therefore we use the very best grade
of leaf possible for tea bags. Therefore we use B.O.P.F. grade leaf wherever
possible. 
However
occasionally we may
add a small quantity of a Dust grade to
balance if the season requires this. However we avoid dust grades wherever possible.
2. Tea Bag type:
We use double gusset tea bags for all our tea bags at present and until
any other type of bag shows us some advantage to the brewing process we shall
continue with this well tested type of bag. Naturally the market place is fascinated
by change and the role of designers and marketing gurus is to play on the expectation
of consumers for innovation and change. However unless that change allows the
leaf to brew better and raises quality we shall not change. Much prominence
in recent years has been given to new shapes and more room in bag designs with
see through bag materials also coming to the fore. We understand that a see
through material may add consumer interest to the look of the bag before brewing
but there has been no evidence to-date in brewing quality.
In our opinion the same historical problem in tea bag design remains, that of
a barrier that point of boil water has to pass through before reaching the leaf.
The loss in temperature and the effectiveness of the boiling water to remove
the fired liquor from the surface of the leaf remains. There is absolutely no
question but that tea leaf reacts best through a direct forced swirling action
and the tea pot or pan was the method that was invented for this to take place.
Therefore loose teas will always be superior to tea bag teas. All we can do
is use the very best leaf grade for tea bags and maintain quality at as high
a level as possible.
2A. Tea bag Papers:
From time to time we hear of scare stories in the press or in brochures
where new forms of tea bag are being promoted that paper tea bags are unsafe
as they have been treated with injurious chemicals. When tea bags first started
this was a problem but today paper tea bags are far more sophisticated in their
preparation.
4. Brewing:
Black leaf tea bags: We recommend that freshly drawn water is allowed to heat
to 'point of boil' as the kettle vibrates, not to the click when oxygen has
been driven off. As the water heats up use some to heat the pot or cup, pouring
this away. place the tea bag or bags in the pot or cup and upon boiling pour
from the kettle swiftly over the tea bag. For Green tea use 80 - 90 o
C (176 -194 F) water.
Use one bag per cup or one bag per person in the pot. With a tea pot this can be reduced for a lighter brew to your palate.
Brew for 1.5 to 5 minutes again to your palate's requirement.
ICED TEA:
Brew at double strength and pour into a glass or glasses filled with ice.
5.
Gift wood boxes or chestlets:
Environment: We believe that these are environmentally superior to tin caddies, in that we use a species of shade tree that has been grown between the tea bushes in the tea fields, to supply shade. These trees are managed on a useful life cycle and have been for many generations. Once they are too big they have to be removed and smaller tees take over. There is therefore a need within the island to utilise this source of timber on a constant cycle. We achieve a high quality print after preparation of the timber. The timber is very light and very popular when purchased for air travel as gifts.
Opposite is a photograph of the 50 (125 g net) tea bag wood boxes. In front is shown the tea bag within its wrapper and to the right a cut away 25 bag sealed pouch. The boxes contain two of these 25 bag pouches for preservation of quality.
Catering 1 kilo pouches - 400 bags
Opposite is shown a photograph of the newly launched catering 400 bag pouch covering the five types in my range. The tea that is packed in these pouches is exactly the same high quality manufacture as for all the other packs. The pouches are 1 kilo packs packed internally with 16 of the small printed pouches shown in the front of the large kilo pouches. Each internal pouch contains 25 tea bags. The bags are 1-2 cup bags as termed in the catering trade. All my tea bags contain 2.5 grms of high quality twist rolled leaf.
©Robert Wilson Ceylon Teas 2002