MEET YOUR {OUTSTANDING} MAKER - THE TEA THIEF

Monsoon rain soaks the earth. It falls in sheets, cascading down the emerald terraces of an immense tea-laden valley. A lone figure watches at the edge of a ridgeline, his shadow engulfed by clouds advancing towards the basin. He makes his way between each verdant row, his roughened hands tracing delicate, rain-splattered leaves. He wears the simple, sodden clothes of a local merchant yet has travelled thousands of miles. He is a thief, but a thief with a purpose.

A century and a half later and a few thousand more miles away, the aroma of exotic teas fills a sun-drenched Auckland home. Here, the spirit of Robert Fortune, our figure amongst the emerald valleys of nineteenth-century China, lives on in Ruth Wynne and David Capstick. They are the passionate duo behind ‘The Tea Thief’ and are changing how Kiwis take their cuppa.

Ruth's quest for flavourful, caffeine-free teas during fertility treatment has blossomed into an award-winning business. The Tea Thief’s innovative blends and commitment to ethical sourcing have captured the palates and hearts of enthusiasts across New Zealand, culminating in a Gold Medal for their Dark & Handsome blend and a Silver Medal for their Summer Meadow blend at the 2024 Outstanding NZ Food Producer Awards.

Like their venture’s namesake, Ruth and David are driven by an insatiable curiosity for exotic teas. Their journey, however, does not see them covertly navigate China’s Yellow River valleys or the remote highlands of India. Instead, they use email and WhatsApp to forge relationships abroad, from Thailand's butterfly pea flower farms to Malawi’s sun-dipped Satemwa estate.

‘I’ve always been a tea enthusiast,’ says Ruth, ‘everywhere we go around the world, we suss out tea… our plan was to travel in 2020 to taste everything, but we had to find another way. So it’s done with email, WhatsApp, and everything else.’

These modern methods more than suffice. The Gold Medal-winning Dark & Handsome blend is a harmonious marriage of smoky black tea from Malawi’s Satemwa Estate, cacao nibs and husks from New Zealand’s Foundry Chocolate, and a whisper of guava wood smoke. It has a rich, complex flavour profile that's both comforting and invigorating. It's a campfire under the African sky, where the aroma of wood smoke mingles with rich, earthy notes of cacao.

‘It took over a year just trying different teas, ’ admits Ruth when asked how they devised this award-winning blend, ‘many, many cups of tea to get it right.’

At the other end of the taste spectrum, the Silver Medal-winning Summer Meadow blend is a refreshing, revitalising infusion of Manuka leaves, dandelion, and nettle crafted to cleanse, energise, and soothe. A celebration of native botanicals, it evokes the tranquillity of a sun-drenched meadow while leveraging the health properties of Manuka. Delicate and floral, it is a taste of New Zealand's untamed beauty. It soothes frayed nerves and serves as a reminder that, even in a bustling city, the wild is never far away.

But both Ruth and Dave’s passion for tea extends beyond exquisite flavour profiles. Their success at The Awards is a product of their experience and refined palettes but also a testament to the farmers they partner with and the fair trade practices they uphold. The Tea Thief champions ethical sourcing, partnering with plantations that empower women workers. ‘Women are often exploited in the tea industry,’ Ruth states plainly. ‘Both our Indian tea houses and the estate in Malawi have schemes focusing on gender equality and fair trade treatment.’ 

Ensuring these practices are evident in every cup presents unique challenges. Much like their nineteenth-century predecessor, the path hasn't been easy. International trade and regulatory hurdles prove constant, but the pandemic, while disruptive, also fuelled a surge in demand for comforting, high-quality tea. ‘The next step is moving to America. Through COVID, we had a lot of orders from America, but they have stopped now, as shipping is so ridiculous… we also want to find the perfect Japanese Sencha. We are searching for essentials and what works to blend them…we want to expand on our green tea. There is a certain Japanese tea house I’d love to get to.’ 

With the American market beckoning and new blends brewing, the Wyne’s are full to the brim from their home-based operation. Since Fortune's covert escapades centuries ago, the introduction and innovation of teas throughout the world have cultivated cultures obsessed with their cup of tea. Adventure and the pursuit of exceptional flavour continue to shape what we all drink, thanks to companies with a conscience, like The Tea Thief. So yes, they might have a lot on their saucer, but in Ruth’s words, ‘Life is too short for bad tea.’

If you’d like to find out why and support sustainable tea practices in the process, you can head to Tea Thief website here.