Glen Caladh Farm, Argyll
Islay and Duncan Henderson
In 2017 Duncan and Islay moved into a neglected farm on the shores of the Kyles of Bute in Argyll: a sheltered glen, areas of woodland and pasture, the sea loch on their doorstep and steep surrounding hills.
Both from farming backgrounds, the couple decided to move out of the city after 10 years. After a long tea research trip in India and Sri Lanka they came back to Scotland to start their own tea plantation.
Unique flavour profiles are found in Scottish grown tea and they are excited to be growing a crop that celebrates its Scottish provenance in its flavours and characteristics.
In Spring 2018 a few acres of the tea plant Camellia sinensis was planted amongst the wildflower at Glen Caladh Farm and one of Scotland's first tea plantations began to take root.
“We came to Glen Caladh Farm from Edinburgh in 2017 with the aim to grow a tea plantation, to have land that we could farm, enjoy and sustain. We work to maintain a mutually beneficial arrangement with the land here and create unique and delicious teas in the process.”
They installed a 23kw micro hydro system at the farm which keeps operations sustainable, and the farm is organic.
Argyll has heavy rainfall, an acid soil and a cool climate with temperate rainforest making it suitable for Camellia sinensis.
They believe that a definingly British drink being grown in Scotland will help an understanding and appreciation of this beverage and what goes into making it special. Islay and Duncan are focused on making high quality tea using traditional tea processing techniques.
Islay and Duncan are developing their own single estate tea Glen Caladh Tea and contributing leaf to Tea Scotland teas. Find them on Instagram.