Tea is the most consumed beverage after water. This wonderful beverage crop is grown main in tropical and sub-tropical regions. But no one would believe that tea can be grown in Belgium. As Alan Hope reported to The Brussels Times, Belgium’s first commercially home-grown tea (Camellia sinensis) on its way, in the greenhouses of Raf Lombout, a grower of pot plants in Loenhout in Antwerp province. The move into Belgium is part of the mission of Johan Jansen from Zundert in the Netherlands, a town which sits on the Belgian border south of Breda, some 10km from Loenhout.

Jansen started growing tea 13 years ago following a trip to China where tea was first discovered, and it took him eight years to develop the skill to breed a type of Camellia sinensis which would survive the European winter.

“I imported 130 genetic types from all over the world and started cross-breeding and distributing,” Jansen explains.

Jansen set out to spread the word, coming upon Raf Lombout, who grows amaryllis in his greenhouses for the pot-plant market.

Convinced by Jansen’s pitch, he has now set aside 2,000 square metres of his greenhouses for the growing of tea plants in tunnels, with the intention of growing more.

The company has now been in production for two years and the Tea by Me tea bags are on the shelves of 650 Dutch supermarkets.

The first harvest is due in April. Only the top leaves are harvested, and the next harvest should follow in about six weeks, and so on until next winter, when growth slows down and almost stops.

The resulting tea will be marketed under Jansen’s LocalTea label, but the plan is to give it its own Belgian label later. The 60,000 plants already in place should be enough to produce 200,000 cups of tea.

Jansen, meanwhile, has plans to expand his operation to France and Germany next.

“Tea with Nipun” always brings you news and updates not only from main tea origins, but also from rare origins like Belgium.

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References

1. Main Source: https://www.brusselstimes.com/news/business/157212/belgiums-first-tea-plantation-is-open-for-business/