Tiree Tea

What is Tiree?

Tiree is a small windswept Scottish island, West of Oban. We are famous for lots of things, including regular mentions on the shipping forecast, windsurfing and a stone which makes a ringing sound.

We punch well above our weight with a full school and a world of small businesses, entrepreurs and inspiring community projects. The island is not without challenges too, though. Meet the real Isle of Tiree here.

Who is Tiree Tea?

Tiree Tea is owned and run by Rhoda Meek. You can meet me here. I also recommend following along on the blog. Then head back to the main site and buy tea online!

What is a croft?

A croft is an area of farming land. A crofter would be the Scottish equivalent of a small holder. It is important to note that a croft is not a house (the croft is home to The Angry Triangle, though… You can meet her here).

A croft can contain a croft house, but a house is not a croft any more than a croft is a house. Croft = land.

Is the tea actually grown/made in Tiree?

No. There are lots of reasons for that, the main one being that Tea is considered a food, and therefore there are huge costs and investment associated with making it on location. I’m not ruling out using local ingredients at some point, but we’re not at that stage yet,

So, what IS done in Tiree?

Well, I live in Tiree and work the croft. The ideas and inspiration came from time spent doing all sorts of tedious jobs (like weeding and dosing sheep) with too much time to think… The packing of the teabags into the packets, and the application of the labels, is done in Tiree.

Also… And maybe most importantly, the blends are completely unique, and owned by Tiree Tea – I have drunk a lot of variations to make sure that they reflect their respective inspirations as well as possible!

Is the tea organic?

No. That is also an incredibly costly exercise. It would be high on the list of improvements in the future though. For now, we are small and lean whilst we figure stuff out.

But, are the teabags plastic free?

YES! 100% biodegradable and plastic free. Our pouches are compostable. We don’t recommend home composting for any of our product. Your council food waste is the ideal destination.

Are the stories on the packets real?

Very much so. The teas and the tales associated with them are all inspired by the Scottish islands, Tiree, the croft, and local flora, fauna and stories.

Who does the artwork?

The artwork is done by Catriona Black of Black Prints. She is awesome!

Do you offer wholesale pricing?

Absolutely! We also offer all our blends in catering packs. If you are interested in wholesale pricing for Tiree Tea – either for retail products or catering, please register for an account and then email rhoda@tireetea.co.uk with some details about your business. We can get you set up from there!