In Conversation With: Cornish Tea And Coffee
For our latest ‘In Conversation With’, we caught up with hot drink connoisseurs, Cornish Tea and Coffee to discover all about the delicious products they create, right here in Cornwall, and supply to us at The Greenbank.
When did the business start?
Duncan Bond founded Cornish Tea & Coffee in 2012 with a vision to make delicious Cornish tea, that was affordable, great-tasting and original in its branding. Starting off with just our Smugglers Brew, we now have over 35 products in our retail range, with everything from tea, tisanes, coffee and even hot chocolate. These are just the start of our plans with new products planned for 2022, which we can’t wait to reveal soon.
Can you tell me a bit more about the tea making process?
Of course! Our tea is produced right here in Cornwall at our state-of-the-art factory. We buy in the best quality tea leaves from Malawi and Zimbabwe. They’re blended to our super-secret recipe, then funnelled down into the teabags using our IMA machine, before being packaged and boxed by our lovely production team.
Why is being sustainable so important to you and the business?
Sustainability is very important to us and is something we continue to consider in every decision we make. Our factory is completely plastic-free, and was one of the first of its kind. Transitioning our products to plastic-free was a no-brainer, and is just the start of our plans.
What do you think makes the South-West, and more specifically Cornwall’s food and drink produce so special?
We’re so proud to be Cornish and avidly celebrate our heritage and surroundings. Cornwall is unique because it has such a strong community that embraces millions of holidaymakers each year. The food & drink side of Cornwall is special because it tends to be high quality and authentic. There are no airs and graces, just really great quality products sourced and created from a genuine place.
Who do you supply to?
We are proud to supply hotels, café’s, restaurants, shops, businesses and homes all over the world. It always amazes us, the places we’re lucky enough to send tea and coffee! We’ve even sent it to the Virgin Islands a few times for a certain someone.
What do you think makes Cornish tea and coffee so special?
I think like Cornwall, Cornish Tea & Coffee is what it is. All we promise is to create genuinely great tea and coffee. We are a little bit renegade in our approach, for example when we taste our products, unlike most, we taste them as they should be enjoyed, topped up with milk and sugar as required. But our approach has also led us to make some of our best discoveries and continuously gives us room to grow.
What is the company’s biggest achievement to date?
Oh, interesting question! I posed this one to Duncan, after all he’s been at the forefront for 9 years. He felt our biggest achievement to date is having one of the first large production plastic-free factory’s. Having our own factory alone was a big step for us, but for it to be plastic-free as well is a great accomplishment and something we’re very proud of.
What do you think makes the perfect brew?
The perfect brew always starts with Cornish Tea or Cornish Coffee, but after that, it’s up to the drinker.
Book your spot in the Water’s Edge…
Fancy enjoying all of the delicious Cornish tea and coffee expertly produced here in Cornwall? Join us for a ‘proper’ Cornish cream tea in the Water’s Edge this season. Our team at The Greenbank can’t wait to welcome you! Check availability in our restaurant here.
