Pukka Herbs

Pukka Herbs: Making a Difference
The Mission at Pukka is to offer incredible organic herbs to optimise your health and well-being.

As a part of their commitment, Pukka are dedicated to giving back to the communities and environments from which the herbs are sourced. By building long-term relationships with their farmers, they ensure that - like the plants they cultivate - they are nourished year after year to keep growing so they can provide you with the highest quality herbs available. Pukka work closely with their farmers in India and Sri Lanka to embed the principles and methods of Good Agricultural and Collection Practices (GACP). They have systems in place that enable them to have complete traceability of every herb back to the source. Their man in the field, Ben Heron, visits the smallholders to teach them how to grow organically and harvest sustainably, whilst ensuring the highest standards are met. Sustainability is at the heart of all Pukka's herb production and they are involved in many long term regeneration projects which also involves the protection of endangered species.

Recently they launched a range of fairtrade green teas - green, mint green and lemon green tea. They have selected only the finest organic whole leaf green teas which are hand-picked by fairtrade growers around the world.

Each is specially blended by herbalist, Sebastian Pole, using the whole leaf which is gently steamed and rolled to retain the fantastic delicate flavour. This method ensures that the high levels of antioxidants are preserved along with the smooth, delicious taste. The three varieties of green teas Pukka use are sourced from fairtrade growers in China, India and Vietnam.

Sencha green tea comes from a pioneering project in China called Da Zhang Shan which means 'Great Barrier Mountains'. It is the first EU organic and fairtrade project in China and there are 15,000 smallholders, each owning a third of a hectare.

Oothu green tea comes from an estate in India called Singampatti which means 'Home of the Lion'. Some of the original pioneers of organic farming in India came from this estate. They are also Demeter certified because of the effective bio-dynamic growing techniques used. The fairtrade estate has a high social responsibility with schools, a hospital, creches and special shops with discounted food.

Suoi Gang green tea comes from Van Chan in Vietnam. The green tea is collected by H'mong and Zhao tribes from wild tea trees that grow in certified organic rainforests. Tea collecting is a part of their ancient culture which existed even before tea drinking became popular. The trees are grown to full height and therefore have a higher antioxidant level. No cultivation is involved as the trees are part of the local ecosystem.

As Pukka continue to launch new products, their aim is to work with more sustainable, fair trade projects. Not only does their involvement mean they are provided with the best quality herbs available, but it's great to know that the communities supplying them are flourishing over time. Long may it continue.