Last year Liz Gibson told us of the alternative use herself and her husband were making of their croft in Mull. Here Liz gives us an update on Tea production in 2016.
Liz writes, “2016 was a good year for Isle of Mull Tea. The main excitement was the launch of Isle of Mull Matcha. The world seems to be divided into those who think Matcha is amazing and those who have never heard of it. At the beginning of the year we were in the latter category. Now we’re aware of the history, the health benefits, the range of uses, and importantly the taste. It is a green powder produced by grinding the whole leaf, meaning that the whole leaf is consumed and none of the goodness left behind as usually happens when leaves are discarded.
Cafes often serve Matcha Latte – either with cow’s milk or almond milk. The traditional way would be to whisk in a bowl with hot water (boiled then cooled slightly). Special whisks are available online. This gives a strong flavour with just a hint of bitterness.
We were delighted that among the cafes serving our products Duart Castle Tearoom in Mull was an enthusiastic customer. They like to use as much local produce as possible. As well as serving Stem Tea by the pot and Matcha Latte the chef did occasional specials of Matcha cheesecake and crème brulee.
We also co-hosted an event “Cheese and Tea Pairings”, suggested by a French wwoofer (Wwoofers (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) who had written a paper on this concept. Less known than cheese and wine there is indeed a fair bit of information on the subject.
The Scottish Antlers Stem Tea has now sold out and we don’t intend to produce any more because it involves cutting up too much of the plant.
Perhaps when the plants are bigger there will be enough from the prunings but that’s a few years away. Meanwhile we have a good number of cuttings growing roots in the polytunnel. We’re discovering the need for patience as growing isn’t a quick process. We’ll be picking our 2017 first flush at the end of March and look forward to increasing our Matcha knowledge in the year ahead. It will continue to be available from www.weeteacompany.com
We’ll also be concentrating on the many other aspects of the croft here, including planting native hedging thanks to support from the Woodland Trust.
Isle of Mull Tea and our croft Mo Dhachaidh both have Facebook Pages if you want to follow the ongoing stories.
Liz and Martyn Gibson
