grown in Wales. made in Wales.
our story
Peterston Tea grows & makes single estate organic tea & premium kombucha in South Wales
We are really proud to be one of the first commercial tea farms in the UK producing 100% single estate tea.
We began growing tea (Camellia sinensis) in the fields of the Vale of Glamorgan in early 2014, and what started as a mini project to see what was possible soon became many thousands of plants.
We have been certified organic with the Soil Association for many years and have fully integrated an agroecological approach into our tea production — all part of a living, biodiverse and resilient farm system.
Growing tea here is not exactly straightforward — our Welsh climate is quite challenging and conditions are distinctly marginal — but this is actually a really good thing for quality tea! We use polytunnels seasonally, and are continually experimenting with new techniques to improve quality and push the boundaries of what's possible in UK tea production.
With much patience, learning and nurturing we are successfully producing very special, completely unique, award-winning tea… and premium kombucha.
A small farm with big ideas.
We grow all of our tea and fruit organically (Soil Association certified) and are passionate about promoting biodiversity on our farm and providing a habitat in which birds, mammals, insects, soil microorganisms and fungi can flourish.
It is important to try and provide a beneficial microclimate for our tea plants — they need shelter from harsh winds and are grateful of some shade when we get scorching hot summers. This is where agroforestry comes in — a system of growing both trees and horticultural crops on the same land to conserve, diversify and sustain natural resources. We hunted high and low for suitable companion crops and decided that we would incorporate a wide range of fruiting plants, Sichuan pepper and some nitrogen-fixing species of trees and shrubs.
Good environment. Good tea.
Growing trees alongside our tea has huge benefits — our tea plants get the protection they need, the soil structure is improved and they help form a perfect habitat for wildlife. It also means at certain times of the year we have some of these crops available for sale. We sometimes have surplus apricots and peaches available in the summer and yuzu fruit, apples, Sichuan and Timut pepper in the autumn and winter.
As seen & recognised
Our story has captured the imagination of food lovers and farmers alike. We've been featured on The Hairy Bikers Go Local, Prue Leith's Cotswold Kitchen, Just One Thing, and Celebrity Escape to the Country, as well as BBC Radio's Farming Today. We're proud recipients of a Great Taste Producer Award and a UK Tea Academy Pioneer Award — recognition that means the world to us as a small, independent farm.
FIND OUT MORE
Shop our Single Estate Tea
Explore our Organic Kombucha
Read Farm Notes — our blog from the field
Thank you for supporting a small Welsh farm doing something a little bit different.