‘Tea is much more than just a drink, it’s comfort, it’s ceremony, it’s theatre, it’s what I love about it,’ says James Green, founder of Holmes Chapel’s Tea from the Manor. ‘With tea, you get endless options, dragon well teas, teas that are blue when poured but then turn purple when you add lemon, teas that tell the stories of times gone by and teas that were once used as currency. It’s a wonderful thing.’
Stepping into Tea from the Manor’s base in Holmes Chapel has a similar comforting effect on the senses. The blending room, a quaint structure built by James and filled with treasures he has collected to decorate it, is filled with the tastes, textures and smells of hundreds of teas from around the world. In another room, huge pots filled with loose leaf varieties including Birds of Paradise, Blue Lady, traditional oolongs and fruit teas made with real fruit, of course, line the walls alongside rare blends that James has kept as collectors’ pieces. It’s the culmination of an almost life-long passion.
His love for tea started as a 16-year-old in the British army serving with the Gurkhas in Hong Kong.
‘I was too young to serve in the troubles in Northern Ireland when I first signed up, so I was sent to Hong Kong to serve with the Gurkhas, protecting the border,’ says James. ‘They don’t drink alcohol but this wonderful group, who really took me under their wings, taught me the appreciation of tea. I’d never really drank tea before, apart from an English Breakfast, and it was really very nice.’
James spent many years in active service in Northern Ireland, Hong Kong and Cyprus and continues to serve the 3rd Royal Horse Artillery attending veterans funerals. He was also awarded a gold PPMA by the regiment to recognise that, for the past 15 years, he has marched in the presence of The Queen, and now, in the presence of King Charles on Remembrance Sunday.
But it was in 2011, when daughter Charlotte was preparing to go to university, that they struck on the idea of selling tea.
‘It was a couple of years before she planned to go and I said, “Why don’t we get you some money together”,’ recalls James. ‘We kicked around a few ideas and realised we didn’t ever really see people selling tea at local markets.
‘I suggested we get some tea off the Gurkhas and pack it on our kitchen table and take it along to a few. At our first one, we sold every single packet within an hour. We had nothing left.’
Success poured in. Today, Tea from the Manor supply their bespoke blended teas to establishments from Michelin starred restaurants to tiny tea rooms and care homes – in fact their first order came from the prestigious Chester Grosvenor Hotel.
It is their traditional, personal approach that not only does James pride himself on but also something loved by their legions of customers. Impeccably dressed, with shirt and bow tie, James is the perfect ambassador for his brand. He does it with a formidable family team behind him- wife Julie, children Charlotte and Harry and soon to be son-in-law, David.
‘We’re a true family business,’ he says. ‘People love that we’re more traditional. Some may say old fashioned, but we give that personal experience. We hope that people feel we go the extra mile with our teas, our teas tastings and the blends we develop.
‘We are lucky to have customers who enjoy our products and think they are good value – we have not raised our prices in four years. Without the support we have had, I don’t think we would be the business that we are.’
As well as bringing comforting cups of joy to his customers, tea has also seen James through hard times, including when he was diagnosed with kidney cancer two years ago, and more recently had a fall, fracturing his spine.
‘Over the past couple of years, while recovering from cancer, I find sitting with a mug of tea and just relaxing and taking time for myself most soothing,’ says James. ‘Taking time to reflect on how lucky I have been.’
‘But tea can be a powerful thing. I did a talk at a care home where an elderly lady, in her nineties and with dementia, had just started staying there. She had not spoken much but when I asked her if she would like a cup of tea, she asked for Darjeeling. It turned out she grew up on a tea plantation and speaking about tea had triggered these memories in her. It was a powerful moment.’
As well as continuing to supply his loyal customers with the finest blends, whether loose leaf, or in their eco-conscious silky tea bags made with no plastics, James will also offer masterclasses this summer for tea lovers to discover more about tea and its history. The events will raise money for the 3rd Royal Horse Artillery Charity. Not only is it a chance to raise money for a charity close to his heart, it is also a chance to the stories behind the teas. On our tour, he points out a tea brick, compressed into a bar.
‘That one would have been used in times gone by to pay for things,’ says James. ‘A chunk would have been broken off in exchange for whatever the person needed. They were very highly valued in many parts of Asia.
‘I love the stories you can discover through tea. Russian Caravan tea for instance got its name from when people used to travel from China – perhaps 10,000 people and 3,000 camels – and they would travel all the way through to Russia. This group was called a caravan. Every time they stopped in the evening, they would get fires going and the smoke would drift giving the tea the camels were carrying a smoky taste. That’s how it got its name.
‘I love being able to share these kinds of stories and hope, through the masterclasses, I will be able to share them with more people as well as give back to a charity that has supported me through hard times.’
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