Frequently Asked Questions

Natural flavourings are derived from natural sources and are used to complement or enhance the flavour of some blends. The source varies by tea. 

For example, the natural flavouring in our Milk Oolong is derived from milk, so this tea is not suitable for vegans or anyone avoiding dairy. Please check the ingredients if you have an allergy or dietary requirement.

Most of our teas and infusions are suitable for vegans, but there are some exceptions.

Our Milk Oolong contains milk-derived natural flavouring, and our Bollywood Chai Latte contains caseinate derived from milk. We also offer a Vegan Chai Latte as a dairy-free alternative.

Please check the ingredients on individual products if you have specific dietary requirements.

Different teas vary greatly in size, shape and density.

Large whole leaves, flowers and fruit pieces take up more space than smaller or tightly rolled teas, so the weight in each packet can vary even when the packet size is the same.

Yes. Our tin caddies come in two sizes:

• Standard Tin Caddy: 90mm diameter × 130mm height, holding around 125g of loose-leaf tea.
• Mini Tin Caddy: 65mm diameter × 85mm height, holding around 50g.

The exact amount varies depending on the size and density of the tea leaves.

Our caddy colours represent different tea types: Blue – Black Tea, Yellow – Herbal Tea, Lilac – Wellness Tea, Green – Green Tea, Red – Fruit Tea and Grey – White & Oolong Tea.

Our tin caddies are made from food-grade tinplate, which helps protect tea from light, air and moisture.

Tinplate is durable, reusable and highly recyclable, so our caddies can be refilled and reused many times before being recycled.

Yes. Our FORLIFE Stump Teapots are available in 400ml and 530ml sizes. We also stock the larger 700ml FORLIFE Curve Teapot.

Colours and availability may vary.

Yes. We sell replacement stainless-steel infusers for both the 400ml and 530ml FORLIFE Stump Teapots.

Please choose the filter that matches your teapot size.

Our 1.2L Clear Glass Teapot is dishwasher-safe.

Remove the infuser and rinse away any tea leaves before washing. You can either place the teapot in the dishwasher or wash it by hand with warm water and mild washing-up liquid.

Avoid abrasive scourers or harsh cleaning products that may scratch the glass or stainless steel.

Yes. We offer international delivery, so you can send tea, teaware or gifts directly to friends and family overseas.

Simply enter the recipient’s address as the delivery address at checkout. Delivery charges and times vary by destination, and customs charges may apply.

Yes. We supply a number of retailers, cafés and other businesses.

As stockists and their ranges can change, please contact us if you would like to find a stockist near you. You can also buy our full range of teas directly from our website.

The level of caffeine in a cup of tea can be anything between zero to 80mg depending mainly on the type of tea, but also on the quantity of tea leaves used, water temperature and the steeping time. Here is an indicative guideline for the level of caffeine per cup for different types of tea:

• Black: 27 to 35mg
• Oolong: 20 to 30mg
• Green: approx. 20mg
• White: approx. 15mg
• Pu-erh: 27 to 35mg
• Matcha: approx. 68mg
• Yerba Mate: approx. 80mg
• Herbal and fruit teas: Nil

In comparison to this, the amount of caffeine in a cup of coffee could range from 65mg to 175mg.

Yes. White tea naturally contains caffeine because it comes from the Camellia sinensis tea plant.

It is generally low in caffeine, although the amount can vary depending on the tea and how it is brewed.

No, not all our teas are organic. However, we are certified organic by the Soil Association and offer a range of certified organic teas alongside some conventional (non-organic) teas.

Our key focus is to buy the best tea from gardens and growers that are not only producing the highest quality, but are also more environmentally and socially responsible. Organic products are clearly identified on each product page.

The weight loss properties of tea are attributed to the presence of caffeine, a natural stimulant and catechins called epigallocatechin gallate or EGCG in them which are said to reduce the amount of fat absorbed by the gut and speed up the body’s metabolism.

However, there is limited scientific evidence to prove the weight loss properties of tea owed to these compounds, which incidentally are found in all teas rather than just green tea as they all come from the same plant Camellia sinensis.

But one thing is certain that substituting tea for other high calorie or carbonated drinks would invariably result in lowering the amount of calories consumed and hence aid weight loss.

After all tea consumed without milk, sugar or other additives is a zero calorie drink.

Explore our guide to discover the health benefits of tea.

Being a social enterprise we are as much committed to the protection of the environment as we are to our social causes. We are hence always looking at ways to reduce our environmental impact in everything we do. Here are a few examples:

TEABAGS: Our pyramid teabags are made from a trademarked material called NeoSoilon® which is a PLA (polylactic acid) mesh filter produced from 100% non-GMO sugarcane. This material is biodegradable and can be completely broken down in recycling facilities. They cannot however be turned into compost in your back garden as they are only commercially compostable.

RETAIL PACKS: The outer box of our retail packs is made of cardboard which is 100% recyclable. The clear inner bag is made of a material called Natureflex, which is a bio-film based on renewable resources (wood-pulp from managed plantations) and is fully compostable.

TIN CADDIES: We pack the tea directly into our tin caddies which means there is no other packaging involved. Our tins come with an inner lid which helps in keeping the tea fresh. You can refill them by buying our retail packs or larger refill packs and reuse them for a very long time. They are hence a very environmentally friendly option.

OTHER PACKS INCLUDING CATERING BAGS: Many of our stand-up pouches and bags are made of a multi-layered material that includes Paper, Natureflex NKME and BioPBS which are all commercially compostable.

However, industrial composting facilities capable of processing these materials remain very limited in the UK, meaning much of this packaging can ultimately end up in landfill or incineration.

We have hence moved to mono-material LDPE #4 pouches. Being made from a single recyclable material, our new pouches and bags have a clearer and more practical end-of-life route while still providing the protection needed to keep our teas fresh.

Our current stock is a mix of the earlier biodegradable bags and the newer recyclable ones until we have exhausted all the older packaging.

OUTER PACKAGING AND CARTONS: While we maintain a stock of new boxes and other recyclable packaging material, we always strive to reuse all boxes or packaging that we receive from our suppliers if they are in a good enough condition. This is the reason why sometimes you may find that your parcel has been packed in a box which is not completely new or we have used a packing filler that is a bit different from our standard one, or even a plastic one because it's better to reuse it than to throw it away and add to the landfill.

A social enterprise is a business that generates income for the greater good of the society or the environment rather than to merely distribute it to the shareholders. 

There is no official definition of a social enterprise, but the one put forward by the UK government states that ‘a social enterprise is a business with primarily social objectives whose surpluses are principally reinvested for that purpose in the business or in the community, rather than being driven by the need to maximise profit for shareholders and owners'. So, this is the one that we like to follow as well.

According to Social Enterprise UK, a business is defined as a social enterprise if:

• Your business has a clear social or environmental mission that is set out in its governing documents.
• You are an independent business and earn more than half of your income through trading (or are working towards this)
• You are controlled or owned in the interests of your social mission
• You reinvest or give away at least half your profits or surpluses towards your social purpose
• You are transparent about how you operate and the impact that you have

No, we are not Fairtrade, but much more than that. The concept of fair-trade was created to protect the interest of small-scale farmers and to make sure that they are getting a fair price for their produce. 

Most tea gardens are however owned by wealthy individuals or corporations that manage to sell their teas at a premium due to the demand supply gap for high quality teas. The poor in the tea gardens are the workers and the labourers who subsist on a daily wage and would gain little or no benefit from the fair-trade certification bestowed onto their employers.

We on the other hand, work directly with the poor and serve primarily the educational needs of the children of tea garden workers or those who depend on the region for their livelihood. 

For this we put aside 50% of our net profit and hence consider our operations much more than being fair-trade.