Did you know that tea grows in the Highlands?

Scotland has many fantastic items when it comes to natural produce – whisky, fruit, vegetables – but one that doesn’t automatically spring to mind is tea.

But two women have launched a Scottish grown black tea and are helping to cultivate Scotland’s rich history in the tea industry.

Erica Moore from eteaket tea in Edinburgh and Monica Griesbaum from Windy Hollow in Perthshire are proud to be launching Black Gold, a very special black tea grown in the Scottish Highlands.

Although Scots are die-hard tea drinkers, the Highlands of Scotland doesn’t conjure up images of tea fields – especially with such a notoriously chilly and unpredictable climate.

However, Windy Hollow Farm near Auchterarder is successfully growing amazing tea and what’s more, the farm is completely off-grid. eteaket are proud to be exclusive Scottish suppliers of Windy Hollow teas and infusions.

Erica said: ‘I’m so grateful to have the opportunity to work with Monica from Windy Hollow to bring this wonderful tea to our customers.

‘We’ve had such fun working on this project and have become firm friends in the process. Scotland has such a rich history in the tea world and it’s great we can add to that in a small way.’

Erica met Monica coincidentally through a connection Erica had met while on a tea trip to Taiwan, such is the wonderfully intimate and close-knit world of tea. Monica has been growing tea from seed on her farm since 2016, working closely with the Soil Association towards gaining full organic accreditation.

The farm, set in the beautiful rolling hills of this rich agricultural region, harvests the tea leaves, selecting only the best, and applies traditional tea making methods, hand-rolling each leaf, to produce a unique, delicate black tea.

Monica said: ‘Our love for tea and dedication to tea and great quality tisanes have brought Erica and I together as friends and we very much enjoy working together and being able to offer teas and herbal teas grown and made in Perthshire.

Chamomile grown at Windy Hollow Farm near Auchterarder

‘Our camellia sinensis tea plants grow here on the farm from seed. They grow more slowly without any artificial fertilisers but it means that the taste is pure and drawn from only organic Perthshire soil and springwater.’

Windy Hollow Farm is a 24 acre tea farm with many wildflowers including orchids, Ragged robins and Scottish Harebells as well as many native Scottish trees. Tea seeds come from Nepal, Georgia and Taiwan.

Monica has learned to grow and make tea from many tea friends and especially from her teacher Mr Kao in Taiwan who has shared his traditional tea making techniques with her during her stay there.

Monica added: ‘I feel so very grateful for this generous sharing of traditional tea knowledge. However, for me it is not about attempting to make the same beautiful teas from Taiwan but instead learning these old techniques and adapting it to make a wonderful Scottish Handrolled Black Tea.’

Windy Hollow Black Gold Tea from eteaket Concept Store is now available in the heart of Edinburgh city centre, along with Scottish Water Mint and Chamomile Flowers.

A tin of Black Gold retails at £7.95 (5g). It is available exclusively in Scotland at eteaket’s Concept Store, 111 Rose St, Edinburgh EH2 3DT and online at www.eteaket.co.uk.