Tregothnan Single Estate Black Loose Leaf Tea — 11g Tin

There is only one place on earth where this tea can be grown. The Tregothnan Estate in Cornwall — home to England's first and only tea garden — sits on the banks of an 18-metre-deep sea creek, six miles inland from Falmouth. The microclimate created here, protected from coastal salt winds and warmed by Atlantic air, mirrors the high foothills of Darjeeling so closely that the tea bushes do not merely survive in English soil: they thrive.

The Boscawen family has tended Tregothnan since 1334, and outdoor camellias have flourished on the estate for over two centuries — a detail that matters, because Camellia sinensis, the tea plant, is a member of that same botanical family. The first tea bushes were established on the estate in 1999, and after six years of careful cultivation, the first commercial harvest was sold in 2005 — to Fortnum & Mason. In 2020, this black single estate tea was ranked in the very top tier of teas in the world by Epicure. There are very few loose leaf teas anywhere that can make a claim like that.

The leaves are plucked by hand from plants that have been nurtured across more than 26 miles of tea garden. Drying, chopping, and sorting is done by hand throughout. The result is a cup of extraordinary delicacy: clear and luminous, with a smooth, gently malty character and soft muscatel notes reminiscent of the finest Darjeelings. Some tasters find a subtle floral quality too — hints from the Magnolia campbellii that have towered over the estate for generations. It is a tea for drinking without milk, without sugar, and without rushing.

Since 2008, High Teas London has been one of the country's leading independent tea specialists, with over 350 teas and infusions from the world's finest gardens — one of the largest collections in the country. We take particular pride in carrying teas with a story this rare and this rooted in place. Tregothnan's single estate black tea is, quite simply, the most British tea in history.

Ingredients: Single estate black tea (Camellia sinensis, Tregothnan Estate, Cornwall, UK)

Brewing Note: Tregothnan's single estate black tea rewards a little care at the kettle. Use filtered or naturally soft water where possible — hard water can mask the tea's finer notes. Allow the water to cool slightly after boiling to around 80°C before pouring over the leaves. Use approximately 2–3 grams per cup and steep for 3 to 4 minutes. The result should be a clear, bright copper liquor; if it becomes cloudy or bitter, the water was too hot or the steep too long. No milk is needed — the tea is naturally smooth and complete as it is — though a touch of Tregothnan honey makes a particularly fitting companion. The leaves will reward multiple infusions; do not discard them after the first cup.