From Malawi I headed to the last destination on the Africa leg of my training trip, South Africa, to learn about not only the black tea industry there but also Rooibos (Redbush) tea. Whilst South Africa does not produce a huge amount of tea like Kenya, we have been buying South African Teas for many years and in particular from one special estate, Ntingwe, and have dedicated a product to it especially, since we think it's so unique - Ntingwe Kwazulu Leaf Tea. For Yorkshire Tea, South African teas can provide lots of colour and body and is also the hub for other tea growing regions in the areas like Zimbabwe.

Now Rooibos is not technically a tea as it is not from the camellia sinensis bush, but with a rich red colour, naturally caffeine free and a sweet and refreshing liquor it makes a lovely hot drink at any time of the day, with of without milk. We have two great Rooibos products: Pure Organic Rooibos and Organic Rooibos with Natural Lemon Flavour. Rooibos is actually a type of dryland legume grown uniquely in the beautiful, hot and dry region of Cederberg. You'd be forgiven for mistaking it from any other shrub as the bush itself looks quite unassuming. Increasingly popular in the UK, Rooibos has been enjoyed for hundreds of years by the local inhabitants of the Cape and is renowned for having tasty and healthy properties. I went to see the the process from field to factory.

The mountainous Cederberg Regions experience long dry spells and very hot temperatures. Unlike tea, Rooibos thrives in dry, well drained sandy soil and has adapted over time to the sometimes harsh conditions by developing a long 'tap root' that can stretch up to 2m to find water. Like tea, Rooibos once harvested is oxidised before being sun-dried (there's plenty of sun for this!), sorted and packed for worldwide destinations. Since the process of manufacturing Rooibos is mainly conducted outside, there is one season per year when you can harvest - January to June before the rainy season starts.

Bye for now!

Suzy