Bringing tea home: the story of Island Tea

How far would you go for the perfect cup of tea? Nick Devine went to Sri Lanka, and now he’s brought tea home

As much as we might see ourselves as a nation of tea-lovers, it’s surprising how little we actually know about the stuff. Did you know, for example, that the tea used to make your big brand teas and supermarket teas could have sat in a warehouse, or a huge silo, for up to ten years before its processed and made into the tea we drink? And that the tea in big brand tea bags is made from the ‘fannings’, or scraps and dust left over when the best whole or broken leaves are taken out? Fannings and dust ensure a fast brew, where the colour is released quickly, but this doesn’t mean you’re getting a great cup of tea.

Choose from black, green or fruit teas in bags and loose (Image: Helen Dobson)

“Don’t get me wrong,” Nick Devine, co-founder of Hale-based Island Tea, says, when he’s telling me all this. “I do like a quick hit cuppa sometimes; it’s a flavour profile we’ve grown up with, I suppose, but the shorter the pick-to-cup time and the better the leaves used, the better the end result.”

Nick has, like so many, come to launch Island Tea as the result of a growing obsession with the product itself. As sales director for a large IT firm, he was part of a team working on setting up a support centre in Sri Lanka. The project lasted several years and required Nick to spend a lot of time there, and it was here he discovered the true meaning of a great cuppa.

“I have always only ever drunk tea,” he says. “Growing up this was all our family drank. When I was a child, having a cup of tea or coffee cost about 20p-30p, in one of the polystyrene cups. Coffee then got really propelled forward, and people became really more aware of what they were drinking and the whole experience. Tea stayed where it was, for a lot longer, till about four or five years ago, and now you can walk into Waitrose or Booths and see lots of special teas – one region, one garden even, but it’s still a fairly highbrow thing. Coffee however has moved on to becoming a far more elevated thing. I think it’s time for tea, now.”

Both black and green tea comes from the same plant (Image: Island Tea)

We are known all over the globe for being a nation of tea drinkers, indeed as tea lovers, but most people don’t realise they can have an elevated tea drinking experience by just knowing a bit more, and choosing more carefully.

“During the time I spent in Sri Lanka, as I got to know people and the culture, I saw how many were connected to tea – Sri Lanka of course has been a huge producer and exporter of tea, known as Ceylon tea, since the nineteenth century. As you travel round you see huge buildings and warehouses with Ceylon in big white letters, the tea gardens are all around, a lot of my colleagues’ families were involved in tea – as pickers, in the auction houses, production, packaging – everyone has a relative working in tea. And, of course, I drank the tea and noticed a huge difference. It’s a lot like wine – different gardens (or plantations you might call them) in different parts of the island, at different altitudes, etc, and different varieties of the tea plant, make different tasting tea.

“I made a lot of friends in the tea industry over the years. I was bringing back boxes of tea for family and friends, doing the same with them as my colleagues were doing with me. It struck me there was an opportunity to bring great tea to the UK, so, with Steve, we set up Island Tea, in 2021.”

Steve Price is Nick’s business partner in this venture, as well as in their ‘day job’ venture, an IT firm the two established together several years ago. I wonder how Nick persuaded Steve to get involved.

Gunpowder green tea (Image: Island Tea)

“I did my research,” he laughs. “Nick’s enthusiasm lit the fire and then I looked deeper into it all. I love the teas, I could see exactly why Nick was so passionate and I was also curious to explore working in a completely different sphere to what we do day to day – marketing direct to consumers, not business-to-business.”

The duo took their time, undertaking market research, developing their teas, finding the right buyer to attend the tea auctions on their behalf, the right factory (in Sri Lanka) to create the tea bags and loose-leaf mixes, and the right people to package and ship on demand.

“Everything happens in Sri Lanka. On average our teas are between 60-90 days pick-to-cup,” Nick says, “and you can taste that.”

Island Tea's bestseller so far (Image: Island Tea)

As well as the expected English Breakfast, Island Tea offers Earl Grey (their current bestseller) and Gunpowder, the pure green tea packed with potential health benefits. (Green tea and black tea are from the same plant, the leaves are simply treated different after picking). All their teas are made using a much better grade of leaf than you’ll find in your supermarket tea bag - Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe, which means leaves that have been broken down a little and includes some of the very tips of the new growth. This ensures freshness and flavour, with a light golden colour. I tried it – the smallest dash of milk is enough, and the flavour is light and refreshing with a hint of sweet heat. It’s tea, but one you sip and savour, not gulp and ignore.

The range is completed with a collection of fruit teas, from those with a black tea base, such as the light and sweet Peach, to Body Cleanse with cinnamon, sarsaparilla and turmeric, to Pomegranate, a mix of Gunpowder green tea and pomegranate pieces. All in all, there are nine teas to choose from, in both bags and loose leaf.

“We researched which sort of fruit teas people were most interested in and started there,” Steve says. “There are another 15 we could produce, but we’re taking it slowly. We can see what sells and what is less appealing, and grow the business organically. At the moment we’re online only, and at Riva Hale, but watch this space.”

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Steve's go-to first tea of the day (Image: Island Tea)

We ask the questions

Favourite first tea of the day?

Nick: English Breakfast. It’s a habit thing. I've drank English breakfast since I can remember. When I was very young it would have been milky tea. Now the amount of milk I add has reduced to a teaspoon, nice and strong.

Steve: That’s like asking me which is my favourite child, I couldn’t possibly answer! However, if pushed, I’m going with Green Tea with Peach. The natural sweetness and blending of flavours are lovely in the morning.

Favourite last tea of the day?

Nick: Cinnamon, especially this time of year, its perfect for a winter’s evening; cosy, fragrant and naturally without caffeine.

Steve: Black tea with strawberry vanilla. It’s like a sweet supper.

Do you dunk?

Nick: I do! Only in English Breakfast though, the other varieties satisfy my sweet cravings without the need for biscuits.

Steve: Oh no, I’m not a dunker.

Best biscuit for dunking?

Nick: M&S All Butter Sultana Cookies, the perfect partner for Island Tea’s English breakfast.

Steve: As I said, I don’t dunk, but I am partial to a Hob Nob on the side

Strawberry and Vanilla tea - a sweet hug in a cup (Image: Island Tea)

Loose leaf, or bag?

Nick: Loose all the way for me. This stems back to my Irish nanna, who could never understand why people would use tea bags. She loved her old school strainer.

Steve: Teabags, it’s convenient, I don’t have to measure, I don’t need any equipment other than my favourite cup. It’s also time saving, especially with a 6-year-old!

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