Customer Reviews

Whittard Original Tea, 125g

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I discovered Whittard of Chelsea many years ago on a visit to London, and have since made it a habit to stop by one of their stores whenever I am in Britain. I'm delighted to see, though, that my favorite tea company's products are now also available over the internet.

Introduced to Kenya from India in 1903 by a settler named G.W.L.Caine, nowadays tea is one of Kenya's major economic sectors; directly or indirectly employing roughly 10% of the country's population and, at over over 180,000 tonnes per year, constituting around 10% of total global tea production or 20% of worldwide export. Kenyan tea is grown at elevations between 5,000 and 7,000 feet and generally harvested year-round. The primary growth regions are the Nandi Hills and the highlands around Kericho north of the Massai Mara Game Reserve and west of the central Kenyan Great Rift Valley, which in turn is the home of Meru National Park (of George and Joy Adamson/"Born Free" fame - further east near Mount Kenya) and Isak Dinesen/Karen Blixen's beloved Ngong Hills (in the south near Nairobi).

Although Whittard does sell a blend of purely Kenyan origin in its stores, the closest thing to Kenyan tea you'll get when ordering here is their very fine house blend, which was created by founder Walter Whittard around a century ago when African tea first made its entry into the market. The trademark small, grainy leaves of Kenyan tea and its rich color and distinct aroma do clearly dominate Whittard's Original, however, making it a nice alternative to the ever-popular English Breakfast - and if you like this particular blend, maybe you'll try a purely Kenyan variety one day as well.