Hampstead Tea

Hampstead Tea, organic teas at Le Comptoir Irlandais

The world has known and loved tea for over 5,000 years. But it was only in 1995 that certified fair trade and biodynamic tea (Demeter) appeared. That same year, it was in Hampstead, a famous village in the suburbs of London known as a place where innovative and progressive ideas are born, that the Hampstead Tea company began to wrap tea leaves. Hand-picked, these tea leaves come from Grands Crus from the Makaibari Gardens in the Darjeeling district, in the region of the Indian state of West Bengal. 66% of the area harvested for tea growth comes from an intact tropical forest where the tea grows in harmony with the local natural ecosystem.

These tea gardens are the first in the world to be certified in accordance with the principles of biodynamic agriculture.

The principle of biodynamic agriculture

Biodynamic agriculture is one of the founding currents of organic farming, born in the 1920s. Biodynamic farming takes nature as a whole in order to produce food without compromising the ability of generations to achieve the same objective or even even to improve this ability.

The ground becomes the most important component in this type of agriculture. Farmers take care of the land, strengthen the soil and plants for products full of life. What differentiates biodynamic agriculture from organic agriculture is the consideration of the supposed influence of lunar, solar and planetary rhythms to optimize agricultural work and product quality.

All of Hampstead Tea's green and white teas come from the Makaibari plantations and offer exceptional flavours that have won multiple international awards. The brand's infusions also come from certified Demeter plantations.

Organic teas with the Demeter label

Demeter certification (certified biodynamic agriculture) makes it possible to highlight food products that comply with the following commitments:

- 100% organic and biodynamic farms.

- Respect for living things in all their forms.

- Development of more autonomous farms promoting biodiversity.

The entire Hampstead Tea range follows fair trade principles. This label ensures that part of the money from each kilogram of tea goes directly to farming communities to fund social development programs. These include the electrification of villages and initiatives for education and medical care. All packaging is 100% biodegradable. The individual pouches are made of unbleached chlorine paper and the labels are sewn to the bag with string, no glue or staples are used.