Tea is at the heart of Harrods heritage.

Our founder Charles Henry Harrod began his career as a grocer and tea merchant, and after the Knightsbridge store was founded in 1849, the tea counter quickly established a trade of £200 per week - formidable for the era. Later, at the tea auctions of the early 20th century, Harrods furthered its reputation by bidding for only the rarest and finest specimens from the Far East. Over the past 100 years, our commitment to showcasing the world's most-wanted teas led to Harrods being awarded a unique Certificate of Excellence by the Tea Board of India.

Today, Harrods tea buyers visit the most remote tea gardens to source the finest examples of single origin teas, from the prized Red Seal Puerh tea to the world's most expensive, Ambootia Snowmist, priced at £5,000 per kilo.

"As with wine, the soil, altitude and climate all influence the subtle flavours of a tea," explains Harrods Lead Tea Buyer Yousef Serroukh. "The finest teas grow at the highest altitudes and are made from the 'tips' or buds found at the crown of the tea bush. After picking, rolling, fermenting and drying, the best of these delicate buds and first leaves appear silvery or golden in colour, the sure sign of an excellent tea."

The plucker of tea leaves plays a crucial role when creating the finest teas. The leaves should be plucked before sunshine when the natural fragrance is at its peak. The Indian tea season begins in March, following the light showers after winter, and teas plucked during this period are known as 'first flush' teas. 'Second flush' teas are plucked in the prime season from the end of May to the beginning of June, and are mellow with an exceptional aroma. Around the end of July the monsoon begins to make an impact on the tea gardens causing prolific and rapid growth of the new leaves called 'rain teas'. By the end of September the rain begins to diminish and brings the 'fourth flush' or 'autumnal' teas.

"The secret lies in choosing and picking each type of tea during its optimum season" says Serroukh. "Expert plucking of the leaves is vital to achieve tea of top quality. Only the smallest shoots comprising two leaves and a bud are plucked and 22,000 shoots are required to produce one kilogram of tea. The very best leaves are plucked before sunrise, when the natural fragrance is at its peak, and the night's dew is still present."

A further four stages are required to prepare the tea for sale: withering, rolling, fermenting and firing. In a similar way to wine, the time period and conditions of fermentation are critical to the quality of the tea; too short a period will leave the colour pale and produce a green or semi-fermented tea; too long and the tea will blacken and lose its flavour.

Darjeeling Castleton Muscatel

At the foothills of the Himalayas, Castleton is a tea garden known for its highly sought after muscatel-flavoured teas (a name borrowed from the strongly flavoured wine of the same name). Only the teas with the choicest two leaves and a bud are selected by Harrods, to showcase the rare sweet flavour so exclusive to this estate.

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Idulgashinna White and Green Teas

In the Dimbulla region of Sri Lanka, the Idulgashinna garden produces the finest organic green and white teas, favoured for their sharp, refreshing taste.

Darjeeling

Darjeeling teas are known as the Champagne of teas. The exceptional flavour is owed to the unique combination of climate, soil and altitude in the region, which bestows a delicate muscatel taste and an enticing bouquet. Generally, Darjeeling is served without milk, but can be delicious with a slice of lemon.

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Assam

Alluvial soil and moderate rainfall gives Assam a full-bodied strength which will appeal to those seeking a more robust tea.

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Breakfast Blend No. 14 Tea

Harrods breakfast tea is a truly international blend of high-altitude Darjeeling, malty Assam, full-flavoured Ceylon and the brightest-coloured Kenyan, for a truly aromatic wake-me-up.

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Afternoon Blend

A favourite amongst colonial ladies of the Victorian era, afternoon blend teas are a combination of Darjeeling and Assam, for a relaxing, aromatic cup.

 

 

 

 

1. Use a top quality loose-leaf tea.

Making tea in this simple way will ensure a great tasting cup

2. Make sure the tea has been stored properly, ideally in a resealable airtight bag or tin. This is particularly important for teas with more delicate flavours, such as green and white teas.

3. Use a small teapot. Small teapots allow you to control the infusion of the tea much better than larger teapots so we would recommend using one that is no larger than 300ml. With top quality loose tea you can infuse the tea more than once for multiple servings.

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