In our latest edition of Tea Break, we featured a mouth-watering picture of Julie’s tempting tiffin treats made with our very own Ginger Snaps. After being inundated with requests for the recipe, we got in touch with Julie and we’re delighted that we can now […]
In the past few years, ‘wellbeing’ has become a real buzz word. We hear it banded around in newspapers, on social media and on TV. Wellbeing can mean so many different things to different people, so I’ve outlined below what wellbeing means to me and […]
With tea reigning high as the nation’s favourite drink, it’s hard to think of a better job than official tea taster! Here at Ringtons our team of master tea tasters not only taste up to 300 teas every single day, but they also travel the world visiting tea estates and gardens to learn all they can and go great lengths to make sure our team can always deliver your favourite brew exactly as you like it.
We caught up with our Tea Buyer and Blender & fifth-generation family member Daniel Smith to find out exactly what it takes to make a Ringtons noticeably nicer cup of tea!
Not just tasting… my job is to source, buy and blend teas as well, always focussing on quality and flavour. Central to this is tea tasting and we’re lucky enough to taste teas from all over the world.
An important part of our tea buying process is to grow strong relationships with producers, so travelling to tea growing regions and meeting the tea growers face-to-face is paramount, and always exciting.
I joined Ringtons almost 10 years ago for a year’s work experience. Starting in our production facility in Newcastle I spent time in Quality Assurance and Blending before moving to the Tasting department. When I began tea tasting professionally it became a true passion for me. Since then I’ve tasted every batch I could and enjoyed every moment of it.
Tea tasting is a surprisingly complicated activity and it takes between 5 and 7 years to become a true tea taster. Although there are no formal qualifications, trainees are constantly tested by mixing teas up and then tasting them ‘blind’ to ensure characteristics and qualities are picked out without prior knowledge of what the tea might be, it’s quite a skill!
Most people are usually surprised how much goes into their tea bag behind the scenes and how complicated it all is. The most common question is ‘which is the best tea?’, I’m also frequently asked if I get to taste the biscuits as well, sadly not.
It has to be working for a company that strong values that I share, for quality, people, the environment and communities, and working with colleagues throughout the business that also share these values. There are the daily things I enjoy in tasting teas made with passion, skill and effort, travelling to tea growing regions in exotic places and drinking tea.
Ringtons Gold. It’s the perfect balance of sweet flavour and smooth character with a beautiful bright golden colour. I drink at least 8 cups a day and it never gets old #LeafLock.
The perfect companion to a cosy Christmas night, our Candy Cane Latte recipe is filled to the brim with comfort and joy. Give it a go and let us know how you get on! Ingredients: 1 cup of Ringtons coffee (We recommend Honduras ground coffee) […]
As the winter months kick in it can be tempting to hibernate and watch movies on the sofa, but incorporating some simple exercise tips into your daily activity will help you achieve those yuletide goals and get a head start on that New Years resolution. […]
We are extremely proud to announce that we have tea-med up with Master Athlete (& 5th generation family member) Zoe Doyle, as she eyes up more medal wins in 2020!
Zoe is currently ranked W40 nationally for the 800m and 1500m. She holds the title of European 1500m Champion and World indoor Champion over 1500m and 3000m. She has most recently been selected to run cross country for England W40 Team and is eyeing up even more challenges as she looks ahead to 2020… Oh, and she just happens to love tea!
Despite her own health complications including an auto immune liver condition (which she is now in full remission from), several stress injuries and even being advised not to run by a specialist due to shallow hip sockets, Zoe has attributed her running success and overcoming medical concerns to her healthy lifestyle and positive attitude.
Zoe is based in Berkhamsted, but heralds from the north east of England where Ringtons was first founded by her great, great grandfather Samuel Smith in 1907. We sat down for a cup of tea with Zoe to chat about why a partnership with Ringtons makes the perfect blend:
Nigel Smith, Ringtons Chairman added: “My great-grandfather was a renowned philanthropist in the north east of England and was particularly well-known for supporting local sports clubs and there are a significant number of ‘Ringtons cups’ still being played for within a number of running, tennis, football and bowling clubs. As the fourth generation to head up Ringtons alongside my brothers Simon and Colin, we have continued this family tradition and also support several sports clubs, and we are delighted to be able to extend this to Zoe, not only as a family member but as a very talented athlete, as she strives to gain even more running titles and compete at an international level.”
Aside from her other commitments and busy lifestyle, Zoe is also a run ambassador for Ashmei and the fantastic photos in this blog article are courtesy of a recent photoshoot with Ashmei.