ABOUT Barbets

We are a British-Taiwanese family that wishes to share the joys of a good Taiwanese cuppa with the British public.

Taiwan produces a wonderful variety of delicious teas, with tastes and flavours running the gourmand gamut from light and delicate to full bodied and oxidized. All of which stem from the same versatile tea plant - camellia sinensis. In the same way that certain areas of the world are held in high regard for their wines, Taiwan is equally distinguished with its tea.

What's a barbet?

The Taiwan Barbet, known in Mandarin as 五色鳥, the Five Colour Bird, is a sound that you will be greeted to when visiting the island. The trill of the bird is distinct and reminds you that you are somewhere subtropical. As well as the delightful sounds of the Taiwanese barbet, the colours reflect the major tea groups, most notably, green; black and red. The latter colour is the one Taiwanese refer to for black tea.

It's all about taste

At Barbets we strive to work with boutique tea houses and farmers who have a passion for their teas, with nuances to their flavours through their unique processing and roasting techniques.

We have the enviable task of sampling hundreds of variations of tea and asking the farmers to help us tweak their recipes for the tastes that will be loved by people in the UK.