Hampstead Tea is grown at the Makaibari Tea Estate, a one hundred and twenty five year old heritage tea estate in Darjeeling, India and the first biodynamic tea estate in the world. Situated at 3,000 - 4,000 feet high up in the Himalayas the estate is protected on all sides by lush virgin forests, is the home and livelihood to a community of over 2,000 people, a family of panthers and a richly diverse wildlife.

Hampstead black, green and white teas are produced in India using the orthodox method of production. This means that the leaves are picked by hand using only 2 leaves and a bud during 8 months of the year from March to November.
The leaves are then fermented for black tea or steamed for green teas; rolled and finally dried.

Fairtrade ensures that for every kilogram of tea purchased a proportion goes directly to the farming communities to fund vital social development programmes.
These include village electrification, education initiatives and medical care facilities.
At the Makaibari tea estate for example, disbursement decisions are made by a joint body formed by mainly women workers, empowered to represent their villages.

Hampstead's award-winning range is perceptibly different from commercial teas because they only use exceptional teas and herbs. The natural flavours of the plants and herbs are then drawn out in subtle combinations. Absolutely no use is made of any artificial sweeteners or flavourings. For example the oil of bergamot in their Earl Grey comes from Bergamot fruits grown in Sicily. It's no surprise then that they have received many international taste awards and been commended by connoisseurs like HRH Prince Charles.

Hampstead Tea are certified Demeter, which is the highest standard for sustainable agriculture. Often called "organic plus", biodynamics includes proactive farming techniques such as integrating plant and animal lives and rigorous composting. Everything used on the farm must come from the farm itself, which promotes sustainability, health, and natural harmony. All Hampstead Tea products carry the Demeter logo, guaranteeing that they are biodynamically grown.

In keeping with Hampstead Tea's philosophy all of their packaging is fully biodegradable. Their tea bags are made from non-chlorine bleached paper. They are unglued and do not contain staples. The tag is stitched to the bag to avoid any contaminants with state of the art machinery being used to achieve this rigorous standard.

We believe that the Makaibari Tea Estate produces some of the finest organic teas in the world. The purity and quality of their teas and the natural harmony and wellbeing of the estate and its people, means everything to them. Hampstead Teas Biodynamic, Organic and Fairtrade credentials are your guarantee that their teas are produced in the best and fairest ways possible.

In 1994 a little insect and the exact replica of a tea leaf revealed itself on the Makaibari Estate. It was given the name of Tea Deva by the Estate owner based on its amazing ability to mimic a tea leaf throughout the seasons.

After much scientific research it was determined the Tea Deva was a member of the Phillidae family, which is adept at mimicry. There are many examples of such mimicry like stick insects and twigs but none had been recorded as a replica of the tea leaf.