Have you heard about Zealong Tea of New Zealand? Zealong Tea Estate is the only commercial tea estate in New Zealand producing 100% organic award-winning tea. It is located in Waikato and is widely regarded as a Waikato icon. They offer a wide range of tea selections including green tea, oolong tea, black tea, caffeine-free tea, tea blends, limited edition teas and more. 

The history of Zealong Tea

Zealong Tea Estate was founded by Vincent Chen in 1996. He discovered a camellia growing in his neighbor’s Waikato backyard and knowing that camellia is a type of tea, he thought “maybe tea could grow here too”. He imported tea plant cuttings from Taiwan and began developing a New Zealand-grown tea brand. He began experimenting with 130 seedlings – the only survivors after quarantine of 1,500 propagated seedlings. Zealong launched its first commercial tea products in December 2009. Not only has Zealong succeeded in establishing the first commercial tea production in New Zealand but the unique qualities of the tea are meeting demand from discerning tea drinkers around the world, including Asian countries where tea has been part of the culture for thousands of years. Zealong are pioneers of the New Zealand tea industry and have combined ancient techniques with new innovations to perfect production to maximize efficiency and optimize product quality.

What are the unique qualities of Zealong Tea?

Zealong Tea is New Zealand’s only commercial tea plantation. Zealong grows, processes and packages its tea in New Zealand and markets it as a niche product around the world including traditional tea-growing nations. The quality of the air, water, sunshine and soil makes Waikato area of New Zealand the perfect spot for growing tea and with the demand for organic products on the increase worldwide, Zealong is leading the way. Zealong wholeheartedly embraces the values of pōtikitanga (an ingenious spirit), tiaki (care for people, place, and planet), and pono (integrity, honesty and transparency), and proudly presents a unique, honest and credible New Zealand product to discerning tea drinkers. As the only New Zealand-grown teas, Zealong’s unique terroir has a major influence on the final flavor of the tea along with certified organic growing practices and world-class processing techniques.