The Beginning
Our story begins nearly 100 years ago. In 1934 our founder, Keith Spicer, started blending teas in his Bournemouth kitchen. Equipped with an old butcher’s bike he set out to deliver his creations to businesses around Dorset.
75 years later in 2009, Dorset Tea™ was created to celebrate Keith’s work and the natural beauty and sunshine of Dorset. We put the warmth of the sun's rays into every cup of tea: that’s why we call it “A cup of sunshine.”
A Cup of Sunshine
Our premium black tea, Sunshine Blend, has been carefully crafted with love and care and is inspired by long, sunny days in the Dorset countryside. This golden cuppa is the perfect tea to drink all day, every day. Our fruit, herbal, and green teas pay homage to the wealth of fruits & flavours found along the Dorset coast.
What started as a nod to our beloved county has grown into a nationally-loved tea that brings a smile to everyone's face. Take a sip and think of sunny days down in Dorset.
Sustainable Packaging
Through our packaging and partnerships, we are doing what we can to protect the environment. Without clean water and soil, we wouldn't have tea to brew. If we don't do everything in our power to protect our seas, our beloved coastline will be in danger. That's why we have partnered with the Rainforest Alliance and the Marine Conservation Society to help protect natural environments.
The new paper we use for our tea bags is made from sustainably sourced wood pulp and vegetable starch, it is 100% biodegradable and can be industrially composted, so just pop them in your food waste bin once you’ve made your cuppa. Our recyclable boxes have been specially designed so that we don’t need an inner foil or outer plastic to keep our tea bags fresh, in our sustainable packaging they will be as fresh and delicious as ever! As time and technology continues, we will always look at the next best option to keep us at the forefront of sustainable packaging.
Partnerships
Rainforest Alliance
Our black tea which is used in our Sunshine Blend, is a premium mix of Assam, Kenyan & Rwandan tea. This premium black tea can be used as an everyday tea or breakfast tea. We source our black teas from 100% Rainforest Alliance Certified Farms, meaning that the workers and farmers from these regions enjoy a better life, whilst helping protect their natural environment which is as important to them as it is to us. Find out more about the Rainforest Alliance here www.rainforest-alliance.org
Marine Conservation Society
We want to make a real difference to the environment and changing our tea bag paper isn’t the only thing we’ve done. We are proud supporters of the Marine Conservation Society, a registered UK charity, which is fighting for the future of our ocean. We want to help them in working towards the goal of a cleaner, better-protected, healthier ocean. For seas full of life, where nature flourishes and people thrive. To find out more visit www.mcsuk.org.