SOUTHAMPTON FREIGHT SERVICES LTD

The Tea Lady

A very exciting new partnership officially began in August when Rare Tea Company decided to appoint Southampton Freight Services as their global forwarder and third party logistics provider (3PL), arranging importation of tea and associated articles from the India, China and Africa and providing a line item storage and distribution service within the UK and Europe.

Rare Tea Company boast a rather impressive client list; some of the finest restaurants including The Fat Duck, Chez Bruce, The Ledbury and more recently the “Worlds Best Restaurant”: Noma in Copenhagen. Add to this hotels including the Mayfair Hotel, St Pancras Hotel and The Firmdale Group it would appear that the world is taking note. Rare Tea Co also create bespoke brands for private clients including the Royal Air Force, Heston Blumenthal and Mark Hix and they recently served over 4000 cups of tea to the veterans of Bomber Command at the Royal unveiling of the memorial in Green Park.

Founder and owner, the emphatic and charming Henrietta Lovell explains; “I have been personally sourcing all our teas since 2004.  I travel to small mountain tea gardens across China, India and Africa and Japan with centuries of tradition and fierce pride in their teas. “Our teas are not mass-produced in large industrial agri-businesses but skillfully crafted by artisans and tea masters. “Tea may come from the same regions and have the same name but not all tea is equal. It’s rather like fine wine or champagne: in a terroir there may be many producers growing many grapes but they don’t, of course, all produce the same wine.

Tea Plucker and Tea-Lady on Satemwa Estate, Malawi

“At Rare Tea Company we sample the finest and just select the best.” There has been a great resurgence of interest in tea and people are once again looking for provenance and quality. Over the past seven years Rare Tea Company has built up a large and loyal following of discerning customers. The finest loose leaf teas understandably cost more than modern, industrially processed teas but it is infinitely more delicious. Our customers love it. We used to drink the finest tea in the world but during WW2 it was so vital to national moral that the government took over supply- along with food and fuel. It was rationed right through the 50’s. So we got used to drinking a lesser brew.”

• We can reverse the trend and bring the good stuff back. It’s our national duty.
• Where there was industrial process we bring artisan craftsmanship.
• Where there was soulless branding we bring provenance and the story of single estates producing beautiful teas.
• Where there was bland uniformity we bring unique flavours.
• Where there were chemicals, colours and flavourings we bring pure leaves and herbal infusions.
• Where tea was ordinary we can bring the extraordinary.

You can purchase tea and associated products directly from Rare Tea Company or their stockists. Please follow this link to find out more: Rare Tea Co contact