The taste of Dorset in your cuppa

One of the UK’s most established tea packers is celebrating its 75th anniversary with the launch of a signature infusion toasting the company’s home county of Dorset.

Spicers says its black tea will appeal to a consumers’ view of Dorset as the birthplace of quality food on the south coast and fill a gap in an already successful market which has seen other brands from the county flourish.

Dorset Tea is now available in Waitrose stores throughout the county and other major chains are in discussions to start stocking it soon.

Black tea currently accounts for 78 per cent of the UK’s annual £552m tea market, with the local produce market for last year valued at £4.8 billion.

“This shows us that black tea is the largest product in the tea sector,” said Alistair Lee, sales and marketing director, “but also consumers want to see more locally produced goods on their shelves.

“Consumers expect nothing less than perfection in locally produced goods and this is why we’ve created this special blend.”

He says more than seven decades expertise in buying and blending teas from around the world has taught the company that taste is paramount for British consumers. Teas from Kenya, India and Ceylon have been specifically chosen for this great new cup of tea.

“We are therefore proud and excited to use this signature blend to represent Spicers,” he added.

Established in 1934, Keith Spicer started blending tea in his Bournemouth home and began supplying Dorset businesses.

The company grew rapidly becoming an important supplier to the local hotel and catering industries and by 1970 had moved to purpose built premises in nearby Ferndown.

In 1992 it was acquired by the family-owned Laurens Spethmann Holdings of Hamburg, one of Europe’s largest tea packing operations.

Spicers is a founder member of the Ethical Tea Partnership and is proud to be a partner of the Dorset Wildlife Trust.