As 2021 draws to a close, we look back at a season defined by steady progress and renewed purpose.
Across the Welcome Group, production has not only stabilised but improved in consistency. Our end-of-year evaluations show higher average cup scores across all factories – a result of tighter process discipline and continuous skill development.
At Welcome Tea Company, the introduction of maintenance processes has reduced downtime by 15%. Our field teams have expanded soil testing to include micronutrient analysis, improving bush health and leaf yield projections.
We’ve also strengthened our partnerships beyond our estates. Direct collaborations with small blenders now enable us to tell our teas’ stories more vividly – each batch carries not just flavour, but provenance and pride.
Looking ahead, our focus areas for 2022 are clear:
- Deeper investment in automation systems.
- Enhanced training programmes for our supervisors and leaf graders.
- Strengthening traceability across all units.
- Expanding to green and orthodox tea to meet new demand trends.
The 2021 season reaffirmed that, like the tea bushes we tend, our foundations grow stronger each year.
