28,000 miles over 3 continents to visit 84 factories in 7 countries... all in the name of tea!

To those of you who've not read my previous posts, I've just returned from the tea buying trip of a lifetime. I'm the first trainee Tea Buyer at Taylors to complete a 6 month training trip for several years, during which I travelled to major tea producing countries across the globe.

We have a very personal approach to tea buying at Taylors and the face-to-face relationships we build with our producers is a real advantage in the fast changing world of tea. My trip was an important opportunity for me to build on these relationships, as well as getting lots of first-hand experience of the tea growing process along the way.

The first leg of my journey covered Rwanda, Malawi, South Africa and Kenya, where I had the chance to experience the buzz of the Mombasa Tea Auction, which sells tea from East Africa to the rest of the globe. Each week there are between 90,000 and 120,000 packages of tea on offer and, in the fast-paced race for the best teas at the best price, you have to think very quickly!

My time in Africa was also a chance for me to see how we’re helping in Rwanda. I visited estates that are part of a project part-funded by us and the Department for International Development to support 10,000 Rwandan farmers in quality and sustainability improvements, in partnership with Rainforest Alliance. It was really encouraging to see that the will is there to boost the marketability of Rwandan tea and certification will really benefit the farmers and workers on the ground. The rolling hills of Rwanda's tea estates are literally covered in lush green tea bushes, and the volcanic soils and high altitude make for unique growing conditions that really set their tea apart.

South Africa was the last destination on the African part of my trip, where I learned not only about the black tea industry but also Rooibos (or Redbush) tea – not technically a tea as it’s not from the camellia sinensis bush, but it has been enjoyed for hundreds of years by the local inhabitants of the Cape and is renowned for having tasty and healthy properties.

India, Sri Lanka and Indonesia formed the second leg of my trip and I arrived in India just in time for the peak quality Assam season, which only lasts for a short while. Here I visited 30 gardens in 30 days, flying in a 4-seater plane across the great Brahmaputra river.

The processing of the leaf in Assam is unique and requires much attention to detail. Each factory has a chief tea maker, known as the Head Tea House. Many have been making tea for 20 to 30 years – and really, what they don’t know about Assam tea manufacture is probably not worth knowing!

I have to say I felt very proud to be travelling as part of Taylors. Everywhere I went I was really well received and my reception reflected the good reputation and relationships that have been established over the years. As a business we are much closer to the industry than most as we travel directly to the factories, roll up our sleeves, and work alongside our suppliers rather than visiting a head office miles away from the action.

From all of this exposure to so many of our suppliers around the world I have learnt an awful lot, but I also realise that I've really just scratched the surface of the tea industry. There are 19 million people around the world who are involved in tea production so I'm returning to Taylors with a great sense of responsibility, knowing that Yorkshire Tea represents a huge, complex, fascinating and friendly industry - so my training trip might be at an end but, really, my journey's just beginning!