Revolver tea scoops prize at the Great Taste Awards

The co-op won the prize for its organic Fairtrade mixed berry teabags

Revolver Co-op‘s Fairtrade and Organic Ceylon Mixed Berry Tea Bags have won over judges at the Great Taste Awards for the fifth consecutive year. 

Judges described the tea as having “good colour and strength, with a delicate balance of fruit/rose notes”. Filled with tea from Sri Lanka, the tea bags are 100% biodegradable and plastic free.  

Revolver chair John Boyle said: “Not only is our tea responsibly sourced but it looks great on the shelf, it’s environmentally packaged and it tastes great too. I’m proud of our team for getting this to market.”

“Incorporating a range of flavours was a key aspect of the product development,” added head of commercial operations Hannah Birch. “Over the last decade or so, our members and customers have become familiar with the subtle taste notes in our wide range of coffees, and we are known for our ability to showcase some of the best flavour combinations available from all around the world.

“These are exciting times for us. New product development is always a welcome challenge, as we are keen to offer a new opportunity for customers and members to engage with our cooperative, while at the same time building on the reputation we have established since the birth of Revolver.”

Helen Lloyd, a team member who played a central role in the development of the eye-catching packaging, said: “We needed to communicate these bright flavours to our customers through our packaging, and so from the outset of the design process, bright colours were on the agenda. We’ve used watercolour brushstrokes to provide the backdrop for the design, something which we feel represents the bright and blended taste notes in the tea.” 

Addressing recent concerns over waste produced by traditional teabags, Revolver says it has been quick to bring an environmentally friendly alternative to market through the new webbing, pyramid design. Made from soilon – a biodegradable mesh – the tea bags can o be broken down by microorganisms in the soil.

“Traditional tea bags are often composed of a plastic compound called polypropene”, says Helen Lloyd. “While the research is still in early stages, polypropylene makes up to 25% of the old school bags, which could potentially harm humans when consumed, as well as releasing microplastics into the soil when disposed of.”

“We looked at this very carefully when the research began coming to light, and it was obvious to us that introducing a safe, environmentally friendly alternative was of a critical importance. As a result, our teabags are composed of a biodegradable plant based compound called SoilOn, meaning when you buy a box of Revolver tea, you can do so without worrying about microplastics.”

The tea is supplied by one of the oldest tea companies in Sri Lanka, with 107 years under its belt. The tea is traditionally blended in order to preserve the quality of single origin pure Ceylon Tea.

Over the last five years Revolver has won ten awards from Great Taste Awards along its entire product range.