Hampstead Tea

Hampstead Tea: organic and biodynamic tea without microplastics

Hampstead Tea is a tea brand that sells 100% organic and biodynamic products, with over 30 years of experience sourcing directly from regenerative gardens. Its approach focuses on clean tea, free from pesticides, synthetic sprays, artificial fertilisers and monocultures, according to its own presentation.

The company presents itself as a pioneer in plastic-free tea bags: it uses unbleached paper, folded and stitched with cotton thread, without glues or PLA, so they are home compostable. The firm states that it keeps over 25 million tea bags out of landfill every year and maintains that its tea bags do not release microplastics into the cup.

Tea catalogue

The catalogue is organised into tea bags and loose leaf tea, with black, green and herbal varieties. Featured references include organic English Breakfast, rosehip and hibiscus infusion, and peppermint and spearmint, all in tea bags and priced from £3.99 according to the website. It also offers loose leaf tea in bulk, single origin teas and a wellness range.

• Black tea: Assam, Darjeeling, First Flush and Earl Grey.
• Green tea, including mint green.
• Herbal infusions and wellness teas for sleep, digestion, relaxation and focus.
• White tea, oolong, chai and flavoured teas.
• 1 kg loose leaf tea formats, 250 tea bags, whole leaf pyramids, accessories and gift boxes.
• Bigger packs, selections and an outlet section.

Plastic-free packaging and compostability

The company insists that its tea bags are genuinely plastic-free, unlike others presented as eco-friendly that contain plastic or bioplastic. Compared to materials such as PLA, it advocates the use of unbleached paper stitched with cotton, which allows home composting. The website includes a specific section on PLA and microplastics to explain this stance.

Sales, subscription and store presence

The online shop operates in pounds sterling and euros, and includes a subscription programme with savings, as well as bigger packs and a trade section. The brand has a UK stockists page and an affiliates section. At the time of analysis, the site warned of a warehouse move in September, with possible delivery delays and some items unavailable.

Informative content and resources

The site brings together materials on the brand's history, the beginners guide to tea, the keys to proper brewing and the explanation about PLA and microplastics. It also offers subscription management, FAQs, information on delivery and returns, terms, privacy and a contact page.