Those who have read Lord Devotea's various books on tea (such as this one) or various blog posts would realise that when it comes to ethics, sustainability and 'doing the right thing', we'd love to be perfect, but we feel it is almost impossible to be so:
For example - would you support a tea plantation that underpays their tea pluckers by our standards, or the one next door that has replaced them with mechanical harvesters?
We feel that any tea company that suggests glibly that they have all these things sorted is probably not being completely transparent.
We make no claims of perfection, we instead make the following statements:
We only buy from people we trust to provide their workers with a minimum of a legal wage, accommodation with electricity, running water and sanitation. medical care and education for their children. We are a tea company started by people with a "day job"of working in HR and employment services. We could not abide dealing with people who do not respect their workforce.
We choose to buy from in-country owners/growers, not wholesalers, for the bulk of our teas. (Sometimes we might need a few kilos in a hurry and may buy through a third party in Australia, but again, one we trust.)
When we grow our own ingredients (e.g. lavender, oranges, lemons, apples, mint, rose petals) we harvest them from our chemical- free garden, but make no claim to organic certification. Occasionally we will obtain similar ingredients from others whom we know and trust.
We have, and always will, terminate commercial relationships if we find cause to suspect dodgy practices (such as being offered fake organic certification by one previous supplier after the tea had been supplied)
We do not knowingly take part in or condone tea substitutions (i.e. claiming tea is from one place when it is not - e.g Nepali tea sold as being from Darjeeling).
Our suppliers need to demonstrate to us that they operate in a sustainable fashion.
Our ethical framework is a journey; not a finished product. This page reflects where it is at the moment. If you have any concerns, please use the contact form to let us know.
Below is one promise that Lord and Lady Devotea made and I wish to uphold but at this point in my journey I can only assure that I am continuing relations with the suppliers they chose. I am eagerly awaiting the day this point can return to the list above.
We do not source from people we have not personally met, and we only deal with those who have been vouched for by others we trust.
For example - would you support a tea plantation that underpays their tea pluckers by our standards, or the one next door that has replaced them with mechanical harvesters?
We feel that any tea company that suggests glibly that they have all these things sorted is probably not being completely transparent.
We make no claims of perfection, we instead make the following statements:
We only buy from people we trust to provide their workers with a minimum of a legal wage, accommodation with electricity, running water and sanitation. medical care and education for their children. We are a tea company started by people with a "day job"of working in HR and employment services. We could not abide dealing with people who do not respect their workforce.
We choose to buy from in-country owners/growers, not wholesalers, for the bulk of our teas. (Sometimes we might need a few kilos in a hurry and may buy through a third party in Australia, but again, one we trust.)
When we grow our own ingredients (e.g. lavender, oranges, lemons, apples, mint, rose petals) we harvest them from our chemical- free garden, but make no claim to organic certification. Occasionally we will obtain similar ingredients from others whom we know and trust.
We have, and always will, terminate commercial relationships if we find cause to suspect dodgy practices (such as being offered fake organic certification by one previous supplier after the tea had been supplied)
We do not knowingly take part in or condone tea substitutions (i.e. claiming tea is from one place when it is not - e.g Nepali tea sold as being from Darjeeling).
Our suppliers need to demonstrate to us that they operate in a sustainable fashion.
Our ethical framework is a journey; not a finished product. This page reflects where it is at the moment. If you have any concerns, please use the contact form to let us know.
Below is one promise that Lord and Lady Devotea made and I wish to uphold but at this point in my journey I can only assure that I am continuing relations with the suppliers they chose. I am eagerly awaiting the day this point can return to the list above.
We do not source from people we have not personally met, and we only deal with those who have been vouched for by others we trust.