New range of Chinese teas introduced for hotel and catering trade

The Lu Lin range, which means 'green forest' in Chinese, currently contains over 40 speciality teas, including green, oolong, black, pu erh, blooming and caffeine-free herbal tisanes, with prices starting at an equivalent of six pence per pot. The company also supplies teapots, hot water jugs and infuser mugs. As well as providing "top quality" teas, Lu Lin offers knowledge, guidance and training to organisations in the hotel and catering sector, covering subjects from developing a balanced tea menu to what pots to use, free-of-charge. Chief executive officer Hans Verhoosel said: "We already have a wealth of knowledge of Chinese tea and experience in working with it. This includes considerable understanding of the types available, their characteristics and which regions excel in producing the different types. "We differ from many competitors by working directly with our farmers, all of whose operations I inspect personally during my regular visits to China. We also have an employee permanently functioning as our purchasing and logistics manager in the country and orders are shipped straight from there to customers worldwide, typically being delivered in four to five days. "All that means we have the tightest possible control over quality – literally from picking to pouring – plus our carbon footprint is kept to a minimum and our teas reach hotel and catering sector customers in the freshest state achievable."