Our Ethics
At Taylors of Harrogate, we want our teas and coffees to not only make you feel better, but to improve the lives of the people that grow and harvest them. Our independent family business buys the best quality, with respect for both the people and the planet.
Over decades, we have developed long-lasting, sustainable relationships with our growers and are founding members of the Ethical Tea Partnership, which helps producers meet internationally recognised standards. Our expert buyers regularly visit the farms and co-operatives that supply our tea and coffee and have a genuine rapport with our suppliers. More importantly, it also helps them to maintain or achieve certification with independent bodies such as Fairtrade and Rainforest Alliance.
By guaranteeing to pay our suppliers sustainable prices and a premium for quality, they gain vital stability to plan and improve living conditions in their communities and achieve and maintain independent environmental standards. By working together, we’ve also helped them reduce their environmental impact with natural water filtration schemes and the prevention of soil erosion through better farming techniques.
We also have a history of going the extra mile when it comes to the environment. 20 years ago our former chairman promised his children he would plant 1 million trees to help deforestation, something that actually produces more carbon emissions per year than the whole of the USA. In the end we planted 3 million trees with the support of our customers. But his vision was bigger than that – we’re now on a mission to save an area of rainforest the size of Yorkshire – the biggest county in the United Kingdom.
Her Majesty the Queen has also recognised our work by bestowing on Taylors of Harrogate the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise at Buckingham Palace. This award sits alongside previous achievements including the Business in the Community Award ‘Example of Excellence’ and The Queen’s Award for Enterprise For Sustainable Development.
The way you do business needn’t leave a bad taste in your mouth. In fact, we think knowing that everything is sourced responsibly might just make our tea taste better!
