For Our New Tea Community

Westholme is the first commercial organic grower of the tea plant (Camellia sinensis) in Canada. The unique climate of the Cowichan Valley has allowed for the tea plants to root + grow over twelve years of seasonal cycles in the Westholme Tea Garden. In 2016 we offered tea out to the world for the first time. We now are producing five distinct tea styles from our 800 Camellia sinensis plants. We harvest three or four times a year - entirely dependent on Nature. The tea growing season at Westholme is typically May to September.

The tradition of tea is closely tied to place – the region, the mountain, the slope, the people. Westholme is proud to offer fine and pure teas that are an authentic expression of the land, soil, climate, history, and all the hands that have tended to the garden. The Westholme terroir (the characteristic taste and flavor imparted to a plant by the environment in which it is produced) continues to develop and is evident in each tea we offer. All of our tea is harvested by hand, organically grown, and processed in small batches.

Although producing our own tea began as an experiment in 2010 and is a rather small portion of what we offer at Westholme Tea, our relationship with the the tea plant extends out beyond the garden. Westholme has always been more than just a tea garden. We import, purvey and blend pure teas, herbs and spices from their traditional growing regions around the world. Our garden invokes an ever deepening appreciation amongst our Team for the wisdom of Nature in all things. What we learn in our Tea Garden informs much of how we work within the tea industry.

Thank you for the support which allows us to continue to grow our unique endeavour of bringing together thousands of years of old-world traditions with tea making innovation through our home-grown teas in the Cowichan Valley.