A special tea

JING may be a tea company, but travel is at its roots – starting all those years ago with Eisler’s first expedition to China. As Archer explains, “Travel is absolutely fundamental because working with teamakers at source is critical to us. Part of travel is building those relationships.”

The company’s focus on distinctive single-garden teas – teas created from leaves all sourced from the same farm – means that developing trusting relationships with partners across Asia is crucial. JING is a member of the Ethical Tea Partnership, which involves working with tea gardens on organic and sustainability farming methods, building rapport with master teamakers and being carbon neutral across all its teas.

“Developing relationships allows us to access those teas which are very desirable for their unique tastes that reflect the people and places from where they come, but which never normally leave the local region because of high demand,” says Archer. “It can take three or four years before a teamaker gives you access to the drawer with the special tea.”

Archer adds that Tom Price, JING’s Head of Tea, is about to board a flight to the Chinese Mainland. Like Eisler many years before him, he is off to find new and exciting teas, while nurturing the teamaker relationships that have been forged since Eisler’s first expedition.

“[Price] can taste 1,000 teas before he selects the one that we will source and sell that year,” Archer explains. The result of this care and attention to detail is a selection spanning the signature JING Assam breakfast tea to delicate chamomile blends.

She adds: “Each tea tells the story of those people in those places; these are the stories that we bring to life to help people explore new lands, new places, new faces.”

Thirsty for more? Our travellers agree, which is why we’ve made JING Tea products available to purchase online due to high demand. Shop with Cathay and enjoy your own cup of JING Tea on the ground, wherever in the world you may be.