DON’T PANIC, ENGLISH TEA SHOP IS ORGANIC
When Anna Russell, the Duchess of Bedford, came up with the British practice of partaking in afternoon tea in the 1800s to shake off the “sinking feeling” she gets from only having two daytime meals, she also came up with an enjoyable way for all tea drinkers around the world to become healthier. Tea contains flavonoids and antioxidants like polyphenol which prevent blood clots and gives the immune system an overall boost. It is good for our digestive health, from cleansing to alleviating the symptoms of IBS and diarrhea by balancing the bacteria in the gut. Some variants have caffeine; while not as potent in tea compared to coffee, the health benefit in this is that it makes the drinker burn more energy, therefore boosting blood circulation.
With so many tea brands already available on the market, does going for the organic alternative make a difference? “Organic and non-organic tea have the same nutritional value,” clarifies Philippine- and US-registered dietitiannutritionist Cheshire Que during the launch of United Kingdom independent specialty tea company English Tea Shop in the Philippines.
“However, choosing organic will decrease your exposure to toxic chemicals,” she adds. “Pesticides are meant to stop the reproduction of pests. If you have an influx of pesticides in your body, it depresses your hormones. It’s a problem for couples trying to conceive or those with thyroid disease, hormonal imbalances and diabetes.”
By making the organic choice, you not only reap more health benefits. English Tea Shop founder and CEO Suranga Herath says, “Since starting in 2010, we now have 2,082 farmers in our tea plantations in Sri Lanka. The sustainable practice of going organic allows us to give our farmers a premium. It enriches their lives.”
Herath continues, “Not only do we focus on providing our farmers with tools, education and financial assistance — our fair-trade price culture ensures that they are able to take home a pay beyond what’s expected, with long-term and stable contracts to begin with. In return, consumers are assured of products that are marked by its hallmark quality, innovativeness and passion that’s unlike any other.”
Herath and his team conduct ocular inspections and audits. They check that organic and conventional farmland are safely separated by about 10 to 20 meters distance as a buffer zone to ensure that the organic farmland will not be contaminated. The audit teams also compute for the expected output of the organic land area versus the actual harvest. If the actual harvest appears to be more than what the organic farmland can produce, then they know that something is amiss. On top of that, before any tea is used for production, the company sends it to a laboratory in Germany for testing. Suffice to say, the label “organic” is not taken lightly.
English Tea Shop is certified by Control Union Inspection, an independent Dutch company, as 100-percent organic. It is also USDA Organic, as evidenced by the stamp on its packaging approved by the US Department of Agriculture. It is also Non-GMO Project verified by FoodChain ID, Inc. Further, Flo-Cert GmBH attests English Tea Shop to be Fair Trade. The Union Orthodox Jewish Congregation of America also approves it as kosher.
The company won the 2017 Business Award for Sustainability — “the Oscars of great British business,” as former Prime Minister David Cameron puts it — given by the Lloyds Bank National Business Awards. This is a flagship awards program that recognizes and rewards excellence across all sectors in the UK.
English Tea Shop specializes in organic and premium-quality teas, producing a range of over 130 varieties of teas and tisanes but here’s a quick guide to their best-sellers to narrow it down.
Perk up your senses in the morning with Earl Grey and English Breakfast. After lunch, aid digestion with Peppermint, Lemongrass Ginger and Citrus. In the afternoon, curb your cravings for sugary sweets with Super Berries and Green Tea Pomegranate on the side of a light snack. Take a cup of Chamomile and Ginger Honey with you at bedtime to relax your body and mind and set the conditions for quality sleep.
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English Tea Shop is represented in the Philippines by Clever Cats International Company and exclusively available in select Robinsons Supermarkets nationwide.