WHEN world leaders put their heads together this summer to figure out some of the toughest challenges facing the planet, they’ll be fortified by a brew produced just down the road in Horningtops.

Cornish Tea started out in the attic of a house in Looe less than a decade ago.

Now from its factory just outside Liskeard the company is producing tea and coffee for sale all over the world — and it has recently achieved some significant milestones.

“In the first seven years we grew into a group of sheds on a farm near Liskeard,” said director Duncan Bond.

“Having learned our trade we grew like Topsy during the last two years and built a fully functioning factory that enables us to make our own tea and coffee, right here in Cornwall.

“We are now able to compete with the big boys like Twinnings, PG, and Yorkshire.”

In December 2020 Cornish Tea gained Organic Status, the badge of approval that demonstrates the company is focused on providing organically-sourced teas and tisanes, and producing and handling within very strict guidelines and production methods.

On January 16, the company obtained SALSA (Safe and Local Supplier Approval), placing it among the few tea factories in the UK with that status.

“We manufacture everything in house and are certified to produce own label for all the major brands such as Waitrose, Tesco, Sainsbury’s and now even our own competitors,” said Duncan.

“We are already manufacturing for many other tea brands in the UK.”

As the business grows, there’s been a need to bring in people with the skill sets to build specific departments, and Duncan says there will be more new roles to come.

“Our new quality development technologist manager, Sarah Pratt, is a good example,” said Duncan.

“A local girl from Landrake, she joins us from Premier Foods (Ambrosia Creamed Rice). She will keep us ahead of Government guidelines for health and safety for staff and customers.”

The whole Cornish Tea team were delighted to realise, when the news of the G7 summit coming to Cornwall was announced, that their drinks would be served up to the thirsty presidents and prime ministers converging in Carbis Bay.

“We supply both the venues, Carbis Bay Hotel and Tregenna Castle Hotel, so Cornish Tea and Cornish Coffee are the exclusive suppliers of beverage to the world’s leaders.

“Let’s see if we can get Joe Biden and Boris Johnson to take tea together and put a smile on Angela Merkel’s face. And as Ben Hitchcock said—– what a way to put the world to rights over a nice cup of Smugglers Brew!”

Duncan says he can hardly believe how far things have come since his initial conversation with his uncle Harvey and auntie Ann, and says he is thankful to all the staff for their hard work in getting to this point.

“I was trying to convince them that we could buy the machinery and build a factory. We had very little in the way of facts and figures, just Gary the engineer telling me we could do it. With Gary’s historic relationships, investment from Ann and Harvey, a whole heap of enthusiasm, some luck and hard work we did it.

“If we had written a business plan I don’t feel that we would have planned to get this far so quickly

“Here’s to fag packet calculations, motivation, belief and hard work.”