Blending Tea - Your Questions Answered

Madura customers are a savvy bunch, and we love it when you get in touch to give us feedback or ask questions about our tea. Recently, we’ve had several questions about blending tea, the process and how much of our plantation-grown tea is included in our various blends. It’s a great question as the answer encompasses different aspects of our history and how our award-winning tea is sourced and produced. 

Q. Do all Madura tea blends contain your estate-grown tea?

A. Some of our blends do; the others we honour the tradition and taste of their origin. Our estate in the lush sub-tropical farmlands of Northern New South Wales lends itself perfectly to the growth and production of pure, aromatic black tea and green tea. From our earliest harvest back in 1978, our estate black and green tea production has been a key component of our Madura Premium Blend and Madura Green Tea blends. These two styles in loose leaf and tea bag form are now multi-award winners, recognised for their superior quality in the Australian and international markets.   

Q. So what percentage of Madura Estate tea is in our Madura Premium and Madura Green Tea blend?

A. Tea derives from a plant - the slight variations in the attributes of individual teas (colour, thickness of flavour, aroma, etc.) can be affected by cyclical changes in growing conditions. Accordingly, there is no fixed percentage we use in any of our blends. Instead, we rely on the expertise of our master blender to maintain consistency and quality. We believe in authenticity when it comes to the teas we craft. That is why when you brew a Madura tea, you know you’re enjoying a cuppa just as nature – and tradition – intended.

Q. So what about other Madura infusions, such as Peppermint and Camomile?

A. A common question and one that is a lot less complex to answer. These are not teas per se; they are, for the most part herbal infusions or tisanes. Our herbal infusions – Camomile, Peppermint, Australian Lemon Myrtle, and Lemon and Ginger – are created using the leaves, blossoms, aromatics, spices, and roots of various natural plant-based ingredients, resulting in a caffeine-free cup of pure health and vitality.

Q. How do we know the tea sourced from other estates is of the same quality and purity as the green and black tea you grow at Madura Estate?

A. We’re glad you asked! We’ve been doing this a long time. We have a long association with respected and likeminded tea estates in various parts of the world that specialise in high-quality tea unique to their environment and region. They then pioneered tea growing in Papua New Guinea before establishing the current Madura plantation. Michael and Norma Grant-Cook (the original founders of Madura) brought their accumulated knowledge to Australia, paving the way for Madura to become a respected participant in the global tea industry. They chose to work with like-minded preferred partners of some of the world’s most notable and sustainable tea plantations in their quest to be leaders and experts in tea.

Q. But surely, all black or green teas are the same essentially?

A. Tea is mostly consumed to reward our senses – taste and smell. Not all teas achieve this, so in essence, not all brews are the same. A few cents saved is lost if the senses are not satisfied. It is fair to say, “cheap is not good and good is not cheap”. We will never sacrifice quality for price.

Q. Is Madura Tea is an Australian company?

A. We are proudly 100% Australian. Since 1978, Madura Estate has remained a family-owned business, employing a locally-sourced team who share a passion for quality tea. From our pioneering days as the nation’s earliest sustainable tea plantation to our flagship Madura Premium Blend and Madura Green Tea to the complete range we produce and pack today - we’re proud of our position as Australia’s leader in specialty tea.

Do you have a question about tea? We’d love to hear from you. Drop us a line at info@maduratea.com.au, follow us on Facebook and Instagram or become a Brew Club member and earn loyalty points – receiving updates on sale alerts, recipes and seasonal information.