Nigel Smith is the great-grandson of Ringtons founder, Samuel Smith.
He joined the family business in 1974 as a trainee tea buyer, and over the years, worked his way up to chairman. It’s safe to say there’s no one who knows more about tea than Nigel. He’s the person behind our unique fresh tea concept, formally known as Leaf Lock, newly named, ‘The Ringtons Way’ .
We caught up with Nigel recently to get to know a bit more about his journey with Ringtons, and why he beleives so strongly in quality tea.
How did the Ringtons Way (formerly leaf lock) start?
Back in the late 80s, lots of supermarkets were flying in fruit and veg from all over the world - it was all about freshness, speed and getting it to you fast.
When you’re at a tea garden or estate, there’s nothing like tea fresh from the drying machine. The smell is incredible, it’s beautiful, sweet and flavoursome, not strong or bitter. A beautiful aroma. We wanted to capture that. So I said, ‘let’s try it. Let’s fly it’.
So off we went to Kenya. We picked up freshly processed tea from the estate (back then, it was still in tea chests!), and flew it back to the UK on the Sunday. We blended and packed it on Tuesday, and by Friday, it was out to people to buy. It was a hit. To prove the point, we tested the tea by flying a pack back to Kenya.
To prove the point, we even tested the tea by flying a pack back to Kenya. The taste was almost identical.
But flying the tea was expensive and not great for the planet. Then, by chance, I was offered a vacuum pack machine. That was the turning point. We could vacuum-pack the tea at the origin and ship it back fresh. Essentially, tea is a dried product with a low
moisture content, but it wants to soak up moisture (oxygen) at every opportunity. If it’s allowed to do this, it chemically changes (“the stewing effect”) and its original delicious qualities are lost. So, at every point, including when we package our tea, we take the oxygen out so freshness is retained. That’s the Ringtons Way.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Gold or Breakfast Tea? Mug or tea pot?
I’m a tea taster, and I’m passionate that tea should be made properly. I like my tea strong, one teabag in a pot will make two perfect cups of tea, however I find using a hot-tap and brewing in a mug the most practical way to make a cuppa.
I choose Gold tea and let it brew for 3 minutes (preventing the tea from "stewing") this is a little controversial as my brothers prefer a four-minute brew.
What do you wish everyone knew about tea?
We can buy tea at the best prices from anywhere in the world but depending on quality, the price can range from 60p to £4 a kilo. (You can probably guess which ones we buy). The 60p teas tend to be flat, dull, and heavy. Some major brands and supermarkets use them to offer cheaper prices to consumers.
But in my opinion, the cheaper teas shouldn’t be drunk. That's because cheap tea isn’t good for anyone. To make tea cheap, something has to give. It’s grown in the wrong places, harvested poorly, processes are rushed and corners are cut.
It’s the complete opposite to The Ringtons Way. I wish people understood that there is a huge difference in a good cup of English tea and a poor one!
Best Ringtons biscuit?
I like them all! The Milk Chocolate Mallows are my favourite, but you'll often catch me with a Ginger Snap.
Tell us something to make us smile?
I’m starting my grandchildren young. Whenever they visit, they ask me to make the tea. I always make them a pot of decaf. But, if their parents aren’t looking, I sneak in some Gold tea – it just releases the best flavour and I love to share it.
Finally. Why have we chosen to update 'Leaf Lock' to 'The Ringtons Way'?
We’ve been having a lot of discussions about what Ringtons truly means and what makes our tea so unique. It’s actually everything we do - hopefully The Ringtons Way logo now reflects that.