Why there's a batch number on every tin
Look at the bottom of any of our tins and you'll find a small line of type that says BATCH NO. 1 OF 9. It isn't decoration. It's the whole business model.
Most tea on shelves is blended for consistency, using leaves from dozens of estates and sometimes dozens of harvests, mixed until every cup tastes the same. Consistency is what you aim for when freshness is off the table.
We do the opposite. Each batch comes from one estate and one plucking window. Batch 1 of our Darjeeling came off the Kurseong hills in the last week of the spring flush. When it sells out, batch 2 will taste slightly different, because it will be different: a later pluck, different weather, the same gardens a few weeks older. We think of that as a feature.
The number also tells you something we can't fake, which is how far the tea in your hands is from the harvest. Blended tea can sit in a warehouse for a year before it's packed. Ours is tinned within weeks of plucking, and the batch number is our paper trail. If you ever want to know the plucking dates for your batch, write to us with the number. We keep the records and we enjoy showing them off.
One practical note: because batches are small, teas sell out and come back changed. If you loved batch 1, buy enough to last, since batch 2 might be better but it won't be identical.
That's the trade we've chosen. A slightly unpredictable cup, instead of a reliably flat one. The batch number is just us putting that promise where you can read it.