The Bungalow Blend Tradition on Tea Estates

Our Bungalow Blend is an award winning English Breakfast tea that has its origin steeped in a two tea traditions. 

Here's a quote from an ex-planter in Assam that we came across when researching the estates in our blends.  It explains the first tradition.

" In the 60's and earlier many Estates in Assam had a custom of making "Bungalow Tea" This was done during the second flush. The Garden Assistants made sure that only two leaves and a bud were plucked and the Factory Assistant made sure that all machinery had been scrupulously cleaned and if CTC there were newly sharpened rollers fitted. Wither, Fermentation, Drying and Sorting were given special attention. The resulting first class leaf tea was packed in a Dust Size chest for the Assistants and a full size chest for the Managers plus a large number of mini special ! or 2 kg Gift Chests for friends"

As trainees buyers, we were tasked with making a "Bungalow" -style tea from the samples in the tasting room.  This was meant for the tea tasters to drink throughout the day.  It was a great way of learning which teas blended well together...and you certainly got feedback if they didn't!  

This tradition moved up a notch when we got to Christmas and, more importantly, competition time.  Tea buyers and blenders would pit their skills against each other to produce the best blend, to be judged by the head of the company.  Mark (Little Spoon), and the uncanny knack of producing a winner.  He used classic ingredients from Kenya, Assam and Ceylon (clearly squirreling away the best samples so no-one else could use them!!!).  So what better combination of teas to use than his award winning recipe.