Crop to cup journey 

Four hours north of Cape Town lies the Cederberg, an ancient place where time stands still. It is here within this harsh landscape that Rooibos grows and nowhere else in the world. We travel through treacherous mountain passes where our red espresso® Rooibos tea growing slowly on the high altitude plateaus, as close to nature possible, wherever we can find space in and amongst natural vegetation.

Up in this semi-arid, isolated area, everything is done differently. Altitude, soil chemistry, microclimates and surrounding vegetation all contribute to the superior quality of our Rooibos. Mechanization and irrigation are not an option and our Rooibos bushes must struggle to survive. This, and traditional farm methods of yesteryear hold the secret to our bolder, richer tasting tea.

Rooibos runs in the blood of the farming community who help us plant, harvest and cut our tea; year after year. With an intimate knowledge of their land and craft, they have perfected the art of a process handed down through generations.

When the tea is ready, it is hand harvested. Harvesting Rooibos takes place in Summer, between January and April each year. Starting before the sun comes up, our harvesters cut ripe, green Rooibos by hand with Sickles.

Green turns red - Our tea is expertly fed through a cutting machine to a size that is unique to red espresso®. This cut Rooibos is then laid on a shallow heap down the centre of a large tea drying court and watered with pure clean mountain water. Almost instantly, heat builds up and the tea transforms from bright green to a dark reddish-brown – and builds up to 36°C (97°F)! It is left to ferment overnight. In the morning the bees tell us our tea is ready. It smells like honey!