“NOT FOR all the tea in China,” the old adage goes. Organic tea company Solaris Botanicals is only interested in the organic tea in China.

While much of the focus on doing business with China has been on high-tech and new industries, Solaris Botanicals is developing one of the oldest items going – tea.

Legend has it that tea was invented in China more than 2,700 years ago. Joerg Mueller, director of Solaris Botanicals, says his company has strengthened its ties with China and the group is planning to fine tune its supply chain there and get its next project off the ground there.

He visited the Beishan tea plantation – China’s first certified organic tea plantation – where Solaris sources its green tea. During his trip, Mueller visited plantations where Solaris sources its teas and saw a tea bush that is said to be over 1,000 years old.

“This was a real treat for me. Tea and blending have been a part of my life since a child so to see a wild tea bush of this age and quality was a great experience.

“We are also sourcing all our green and black teas as first flush teas, which is the first harvest in the year. This ensures that the plants are at its freshest for taste and antioxidant content.”

During the visit, he took part in a four-hour Chinese tea ceremony, where teas selling at €4,000 per 100g were served.

For Solaris, it is very important to source certified organic tea, since conventional tea plantations are some of the highest users of fertilisers and pesticides in any type of farming.

Solaris has been importing and blending first flush teas for the past five years and exports to the UK, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Saudi Arabia and Dubai.