Out of Africa, a new world of tea

Making tea for Malawi

 

As we approach Malawi's Independence Day on 6 July, Adeline Teoh reflects on the history of the African tea trade.

 

Think 'African tea' and one of two images are likely to come to mind. The first is the red needle-like leaves of rooibos, or 'red bush', a South African native infusion – no relative of our beloved Camellia sinensis; the other is of the large commercial plantations yielding quantity over quality for tea multinationals. 

 

Tea is not native to the African continent but was brought over in the mid-1850s and planted at the botanical gardens in Durban, South Africa. In the late 1800s, Scottish missionaries at Blantyre in Malawi attempted to establish orchards and other commercially valuable plantations, including tea and coffee.

 

Two things happened that crystallised tea agriculture in Africa: the British colonised Malawi in 1891 and the coffee plantations in Sri Lanka began failing due to disease. It was the failure of his coffee in Sri Lanka that brought Henry Brown to Malawi and it was Brown who turned seeds from the Blantyre tea plants into successful tea gardens, establishing the first commercial tea production on the African continent.

 

Today it's Kenya that produces the lion's share of tea for the continent, accounting for about 25% of the world's tea exports; Malawi accounts for just 1.7%, according to the UK Tea & Infusions Association. Much of this – from both nations – is produced at scale to be blended by the multinationals that own them.

 

In recent years, however, UK tea consultant Nigel Melican began working with Malawi's Satemwa Estate to develop specialty tea, focusing on its unique agricultural history and terroir. Founded in 1923 by Scotsman Maclean Kay, Satemwa is the oldest continuing tea estate in the country. While the first tea seeds Kay planted were Chinese varietals, in 1928 he imported Camellia sinensis assamica seed from India, which coped better with the climate and enabled him to expand for many decades. The estate is still family-run.

 

Melican's expertise helped Kay's descendants realise that the assamica bushes often used to produce bold CTC teas "could turn out delicate white teas with soft, floral rose scents, and mild, non-astringent green teas with notes of sweet and fruity apricot," describes The Tea Detective.

 

As for Malawi? It secured independence from Britain in 1964. Perhaps they raised a cuppa to that.

Want to learn more about tea culture at AUSTCS 2018? Tickets now available.

 

(Image credit: Satemwa Estate, Paper & Tea)

Buy tickets

FAQs

 

I am a business owner, but I want to come as an individual. Which ticket do I buy?
Simply buy a General Admission ticket. This will give you access to the two days of the seminar, including Welcome by Tea, our special guest presentations, and participation in the Volunteer Working Group discussions as well as meals: morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea. You will have your business name displayed on your delegate lanyard.

 

I am a business owner and I don't want to attend the seminar, but I would like to have a display table. Which ticket do I buy?
The Business Supporter package gives you a display space in the seminar area to promote your wares and we will display your logo across some of our collateral materials. It does not give you access to the seminar itself—if you would like to attend the seminar as well, you must purchase a General Admission ticket. 

 

I am a business owner and I want to attend the seminar and have a display table at the event. Which ticket do I buy?
Purchase both a General Admission ticket per attendee AND a Business Supporter package. This will give you full access to the seminar as a delegate and allow you to set up a display space in the seminar area to promote your wares. We'll also display your logo across our collateral materials.

 

Also consider Sponsorship, which gives you three General Admission tickets, the same display space as a Business Supporter package, PLUS extra promotional spots across the AUSTCS landscape, including a profile in our newsletter, banners and social media.

Bowls, brews and beverages in Brisbane

 

Winter is here, and we've turned the kettle on to welcome tea lovers in Brisbane for the very first AUSTCS BrewIN. 

 

Winter in Brisbane rarely dips to bone-chilling temperatures, but a warm-up is just what the city needs this July: a warm-up event to AUSTCS 2018, that is.

 

On 21 July, South Brisbane venue Wandering Cooks will open its doors to tea lovers – from curious newbies to camellia connoisseurs – thanks to the efforts of Queensland Regional Ambassador Kym Cooper.

 

The BrewIN is a lead-in event to promote AUSTCS 2018 but will also be a chance to introduce the many delights of tea to the Brisbane public and showcase locals including producer Arakai Estate, the two sisters from Moose Tea, AUSTCS members, and Kym's own label The Steepery. Special guests include AUSTCS member Tania Stacey of Cuppa Cha, Bo Wong, who will be conducting a tea bowl ceremony, and Misato Furumiya, a Certified Japanese Green Tea Instructor.

 

Also on offer will be tea and food pairings thanks to collaborations with Wandering Cooks' tenants, tea cocktails and unique teaware for sale from local ceramics studio Clayschool.

 

The event is free to attend, but the ticketed workshops attract a modest fee. See the Wandering Cooks event page for schedule details and to purchase tickets.

 

The BrewIN Brisbane
10am-2pm
21 July 2018

 

Wandering Cooks
1 Fish Lane
South Brisbane

Upcoming events

 

7 July: Out of Africa, Sydney

21 July: The AUSTCS BrewIN, Brisbane

 

Do you have an event to promote? Let events liaison Kym Cooper know!

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