Tregothnan Cornish Afternoon Loose Leaf Black Tea

🍵 The Blend — Hand-plucked leaves from the Tregothnan estate in Cornwall — England's first and only commercial tea garden — combined with carefully selected Darjeeling, the champagne of teas

🍵 The Colour — A clear, bright amber in the cup, luminous and inviting, best appreciated without milk to let the Darjeeling character shine through

🍵 The Character — Delicately refreshing with a floral lift and invigorating citrus notes, this is a blend that is light, aromatic, and quietly elegant

🍵 The Occasion — Made for the three o'clock moment — gentle enough to partner finger sandwiches and scones, refined enough to stand entirely on its own

Tregothnan Cornish Afternoon Tea is one of the most genuinely British loose leaf teas in existence — not merely by name, but by provenance. The Tregothnan estate, situated near Truro on the banks of the River Fal in Cornwall, is the home of the first tea grown commercially in England, making it unlike any other tea garden in the world. The hand-plucked Cornish tea leaves in this afternoon blend are combined with carefully selected Darjeeling from the gardens of northern India — a region long celebrated as producing the champagne of teas — to create a cup of real refinement and character.

The story of Tregothnan begins long before the first tea was grown. The Boscawen family has owned the estate since 1334, and its remarkable botanical garden flourished for centuries — it was home to the first outdoor camellias in the United Kingdom, a genus closely related to Camellia sinensis, the tea plant. In 1999, the first tea bushes were planted. By 2005, the first English-grown tea had reached Fortnum and Mason. The estate's microclimate along the River Fal mirrors the misty, humid foothills of the Himalayas, giving the Cornish leaves a delicacy and finesse entirely their own.

In the cup, the result is light, aromatic, and gently invigorating. The Darjeeling brings its characteristic floral lift and citrus brightness, while the Tregothnan leaf adds a smooth, soft body and a quiet sense of place that no other tea in the world can replicate. It is best tried without milk, which would soften the subtler notes — though a touch of honey suits those who prefer a gentle sweetness.

Since 2008, High Teas London has been one of the country's leading independent tea specialists, curating a collection of over 350 teas and infusions from gardens and estates around the world. Tregothnan holds a very particular place in that collection — a tea that is as much a piece of British history as it is a pleasure in the cup.

Ingredients: Cornish black tea (Camellia sinensis, Tregothnan estate, Cornwall), Darjeeling black tea (India).

Brewing Note: This is a tea that rewards a little care with temperature. Allow your freshly boiled water to cool to around 85°C before pouring — boiling water can flatten the more delicate floral and citrus notes that give this blend its character. Use one heaped teaspoon per cup and steep for two to four minutes, tasting as you go. Try it without milk first: the Darjeeling brightness and the smoothness of the Cornish leaf are best appreciated without distraction. If you prefer a stronger cup, extend the steep time slightly rather than reaching for the milk jug, which will mask the subtlety of the blend.