When we had the idea to develop a Welsh health tea, I drew on my experience of selling health and slimming teas in my health spa several years ago. We wanted to develop a tea that would help improve people's health and wellbeing. We were also motivated by wanting to support local farmers and growers, who were affected by Brexit and the lack of subsidies coming through. That's why we make sure our ingredients are locally grown wherever possible.
We had early support from Aberystwyth University, AberInnovation and BIC Innovation under the Welsh Government and WEFO funded Future Foods programme. This support helped us develop a prototype tea, and also to identify the health properties of plants already growing in Wales. As a result, we selected Rhubarb Root as the main ‘health-promoting’ ingredient for our first blend.
Why we love Rhubarb Root:
- Rhubarb Root is a by-product – every year rhubarb is harvested, the roots are cut and some are replanted. The remainder of the root is thrown away. This might be a waste product for some but it's also a useful product in itself.
- Health benefits – the research teams at Bic Innovation and Aberystwyth University have examined papers which show that Rhubarb Root offers digestive support and is linked to other potential health benefits. It's also packed with vitamins and minerals.
- Supporting growers – we have partnered with a family business on Anglesey, that grows the rhubarb in deep, fertile soil close to the Menai Straits.
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Supporting other Welsh industries – through this venture we have developed a drying partnership with Madarch Cymru – The Mushroom Garden. This has also inspired the idea for our next tea, which has mental health and cognitive benefits. Watch this space!
We are also working with a Ceredigion wellness centre to grow lotus plants for their lake, from which we can use the leaves for our tea and the roots can be used for healthy lunches at the centre, and in the meantime, everyone can enjoy the beautiful lotus flowers.
Our Rhubarb Root tea has six other ingredients: Green Tea, Honeysuckle Flower, Cassia Seed, Lotus Leaf, Gynostemma, and Hawthorn Fruit. The main ingredient, the Rhubarb Root, is the main ingredient (nearly 50% of the content of each tea bag).
We have now developed a love for everything rhubarb root! We love its texture, smell, taste and most of all, how great it makes you feel after you've had it as part of your daily routine.
People who took part in the clinical trial said the experience of drinking the rhubarb blend was very positive. It left them "feeling clean inside"; "it just tastes healthy and good to me". Some also reported reduced bloating and gassiness, which made them keen to continue with the tea after the trial.
For more information on benefits, you can take a look at our research page. Not only are there positives for digestion and supporting a healthy gut microbiome, we've also seen a reduction in bad cholesterol. We are thrilled with the results, which have far exceeded our initial expectations.
Now that we’ve got our newly designed and packaged Rhubarb Root Tea ready to go, our trial participants will get a box as a big thank you for taking part. Everyone else can now also enoy the tea ehich is available through our online shop: tetrimteas.cymru/collections/tea-shop
We're so excited to hear how new customers feel about our tea and we hope you love it as much as we do!
Mari Arthur