TeTrimTeas – Grower Collaboration Opportunity

Mari Arthur and Justin John, both from Carmarthenshire, established TeTrimTeas in September 2020 as a not-for-profit, Wales-based venture, to achieve three main goals:

1. To develop a tea with health-related benefits around weight loss and good gut bacteria.
2. To work with Welsh growers to source 100% of ingredients from Wales.
3. To establish a business model to bring wider economic, social and environmental benefits through community shares and benefits, a net zero business and to develop social contracts with local growers and farms.

TeTrimTeas is headquartered in Trimsaran, Carmarthenshire but Mari and Justin plan to work with suppliers across Wales for ingredients, packaging and expertise.

In January 2022, Aberystwyth University and Future Foods concluded initial research on the initial ingredients, working with us to identify our own recipe. This was followed by additional funding from the Welsh Government in order to decarbonise the product by identifying more indigenous ingredients to replace the more exotic ingredients, again sourced from locally growers. The plan is now to complete this ingredient replacement, conduct healthy volunteer trials in the autumn for taste as well as monitoring the health benefits, and to get ready to launch in early 2023.

In the meantime, Mari and Justin want to identify more local growers to discuss ways of growing and sourcing all remaining ingredients from Wales for future iterations of the heath tea. The long-term goal is to establish a collaborative relationship, where TeTrimTeas invests in the growers to help diversify and build resilience to their product range.

Justin, who has studied Marine Biology, Agriculture and has PhD in Cancer research, as well as a background in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry, said:

“Our vision is to develop quality, nature and science-based herbal teas to improve health and wellbeing, with ingredients grown in Wales and a profit share with local growers and communities. We understand some ingredients will take years before they are ready, but we are keen to invest today to secure a future supply with growers throughout Wales”.

Mari, has a background in marketing and sustainability said:

“We planned for three initial stages of development for TeTrimTeas. The initial stage was to identify ingredients and quantities, so we have a recipe ready to blend. This was completed earlier this year. The current stage is to identify growers to grow existing ingredients as well as to plan for alternative and more indigenous ingredients (for example the replacement of Senna with Rhubarb root as they have a similar genetic fingerprint). The next stage will be early next year where we blend and go to market with the first iteration of tea while we grow ingredients for future iterations.”

Other key components of the business are:

1. To support the growth of stronger local economies across Carmarthenshire, and Wales, with profits returned to the community and local growers.
2. To employ local people from hard-to-reach groups with employment challenges, for example adults with learning difficulties, mental ill-health or ex-offenders etc.; directly and as part of social contracts with growers.
3. To grow carefully and sustainably and to sell through ethical channels, keeping profits in Wales.

TeTrimTeas is keen to hear from growers and suppliers that will be interested in working with us on the current list of ingredients:
Green tea. Honeysuckle. Hawthorn. Honey. Rhubarb root. Lotus leaf. Cassia seed. Ginseng (Gynostemma).

For more information, please get in touch with Mari or Justin:
mari@tetrimteas.cymru | justin@tetrimteas.cymru