Tea sourcing is funny but a lot of challenges especially right now the world still has COVID-19 virus, all travel are severely restricted, even already have vaccinated, it’s not 100% safe, for your safety it’s better to stay where you are, besides the plane ticket is crazy expensive, then how to get the tea sourcing job done?
Please note suggestions proposed below might be workable only in China.
Not anyone option is perfect, all have advantage and disadvantage, with farmer you can get the freshest tea and background stories but no QC, no shipping service, payment might be problem too and normally each farmer just make one tea, if you offer many teas then you need talk to many farmers, that’s a lot of work.
With tea broker or trading company, you will need to pay the commission or a higher price and might not able to reach the man behind the tea but quality should be reasonable and no big problem with shipping or payment.
How to pick? The advice here is it depends on the scale of your business, if you are small or just in the beginning, then to get 1st hand information is quite important to build your brand and have the real feeling with tea too, so option 1 and option 2 are recommended. What if you are big company or have mature business, then no advice here, they know what to do. But if you are not big company nor beginner, then I will recommend option 2 and option 3, at this time stable supply is important, with tea broker you still can get the information and you might not be able to pay so much time to communicate with each farmer.
Hong China Tea Company can’t fall into any category above, it produce tea, many teas by ourselves but also offer shipping/payment etc, it’s a mix of option 1 and option 2.
So only questions left is where to find that kind of people and how to talk to them.
Exhibitors List is where you can find the tea source, many tea factories, trading companies even medium size farmers attend it. It’s not the perfect option but the best option during this special time. China has all types of tea through whole country even in Tibet and a lot of tea exhibitions available every year, but the most important exhibitions is just 4-5.
The list can comes from this year or the past, actually the past is better. Unfortunately this list is not downloadable for the public from the official website, so you will have to call them and require it. Fortunately all the organizers of the tea fairs have staff speak English.
Here three key items will be listed only, tea fair, website and phone number.
| Tea Fair Name | Telephone Number |
|---|---|
| Xiamen Int’ Tea Industry Fair | +86-592-5959888 |
| Shenzhen Tea Fair | +86-181-2616-5003 |
| Beijing Int’ Tea exhibition | +86-132-6978-1410 |
| Shanghai Tea Expo | +86-183-2120-1992 |
| Guangzhou Tea Expo | +86-20-89231623 |
| Hangzhou Tea Expo | +86-4000-820-838 |
Tea exhibition is kind of like the World Expo, huge and only some of them can join, in contrast the local tea association is similar to rural market, everyone can join, however this list is longer but you can reach the silent producer.
To target them, firstly you need to figure out which region of what tea you are searching, you will need a tea map, you can check another post about Howto Source Tea in China to know where is good tea planted.
Also here we will share our treasures with you one by one.
(Note: Information showed below is free to use without any charge.)
| Company Name | Mobile/Telephone Number | Company Name | Mobile/Telephone number |
|---|---|---|---|
| 武夷山市郑记岩茶厂 | 0599-5267788 | 武夷山市青龙岩茶厂 | 0599-5305194 |
| 福建省星愿(武夷山)茶业公司 | 0599-5201999 | 武夷山市嘉叶岩茶厂 | 13205998186 |
| 武夷山市岩茶厂 | 0599-5202676 | 武夷山凯捷岩茶公司 | 0599-5313456 |
| 武夷山市星村仙界岩茶厂 | 0599-5275388 | 武夷山市天心正岩茶业公司 | 0599-5306488 |
| 武夷山市幔亭岩茶研究所 | 0599-5201968 | 武夷山市九龙袍茶业公司 | 0599-5202555 |
| 武夷山市慧苑茶厂 | 0599-5202618 | 武夷山市夷宝斋商贸发展公司 | 0599-5113098 |
| 武夷山市裕兴茶业公司 | 0599-5112636 | 武夷山市雾源茶业公司 | 0599-5239466 |
| 武夷山市示范茶厂 | 0599-5262513 | 武夷山市传韵茶叶公司 | 0599-5265288 |
| 武夷山市一品正岩茶精制厂 | 0599-5301608 | 武夷山市岩韵生态农业公司 | 0599-5203011 |
| 武夷山市北岩岩茶精制厂 | 0599-5202968 | 武夷山市永生岩茶厂 | 0599-5262619 |
| 武夷山大唐茶叶公司 | 0599-5254990 | 武夷山市幔亭峰茶业公司 | 0599-5287379 |
| 武夷山市立生名茶中心 | 0599-5203399 | 国宏生态科技公司武夷山分公司 | 0599-5203818 |
| 武夷山市白云茶厂 | 0599-5262781 | 武夷山市福莲岩茶公司 | 0599-5112908 |
| 武夷山市琪明茶叶科学研究所 | 0599-5202992 | 武夷山市森淼鑫岩茶厂 | 13960640592 |
| 武夷山市大自然茶业公司 | 0599-5202808 | 武夷山恒杰生态茶业公司 | 0599-5238988 |
| 武夷山市夷发茶叶科学研究所 | 0599-5119086 | 武夷山市天明茶厂 | 0599-5275985 |
| 武夷山市三仰峰茶业科技公司 | 0599-5287336 | 武夷山市金泉岩茶厂 | 13950613396 |
| 武夷山市昌辉岩茶公司 | 0599-5285088 | 武夷山七碗之韵岩茶公司 | 0599-5235555 |
| 武夷山市星村长亨茶厂 | 0599-5266093 | 武夷山市名袍茶叶精加工手工坊 | 0599-5302074 |
| 武夷山市天林岩茶实验厂 | 0599-5201858 | 武夷山市岩中茗茶业公司 | 0599-5230368 |
| 武夷山市曹墩茶场 | 0599-5275838 | 武夷山市世进茶厂 | 0599-5202813 |
| 武夷山市仙茗岩茶厂 | 13809581730 | 武夷山市成隆天创茶业发展公司 | 0599-5315488 |
| 武夷山市齐云茶厂 | 0599-5262486 | 武夷山市中岩茶业公司 | 0599-8835418 |
| 武夷山市南方岩茶公司 | 0599-5201199 | 武夷山市红天下茶业公司 | 0599-5302212 |
| 武夷山市岩福茶厂 | 0599-5303522 | 武夷山市瑞泉岩茶厂 | 0599-5202695 |
| 武夷山市皇御茗茶业公司 | 0599-5202629 | 武夷山市状元袍茶叶公司 | 0599-5239139 |
| 武夷山市金垅岩茶厂 | 0599-5102996 | 武夷山市天邑茶叶公司 | 13950648897 |
| 武夷山市彭祖岩茶厂 | 0599-8356709 | 武夷山市黄岗山大安源生态茶厂 | 0599-5315722 |
| 武夷山市坡石岩茶厂 | 0599-5275085 | 武夷山市旭潭茶叶科学研究所 | 0599-5206157 |
| 武夷山市崇安岩茶厂 | 0599-5202053 | 武夷山盛世茶业公司 | 0599-5258700 |
| 武夷山市胜健岩茶公司 | 0599-5201938 | 武夷山市忘忧茶厂 | 0599-5256885 |
| 武夷山市九龙窠岩茶厂 | 0599-5202588 | 武夷山市磊石茶叶公司 | 13860075577 |
| 武夷山市大坑口岩茶厂 | 0599-5202193 | 武夷山市天心景岩茶厂 | 13706015566 |
| 武夷山市岩上茶叶科学研究所 | 0599-5202066 | 武夷山梁品记茶业科技公司 | 0599-8359888 |
| 武夷山市八曲岩茶厂 | 0599-5262689 | 武夷山市齐唯茶业公司 | 0599-5108108 |
| 武夷山市黄龙袍茶业公司 | 0599-5252800 | 武夷山古茶道茶业公司 | 0599-5237666 |
| 武夷山市仙凡岩茶厂 | 0599-5252979 | 武夷山市兔子哥茶厂 | 0599-5250432 |
| 武夷山市天岩茶厂 | 0599-5201636 | 武夷山市金沟岭岩茶厂 | 0599-5261271 |
| 武夷山市茶叶总厂 | 0599-5202404 | 武夷山市天心永乐禅寺岩茶厂 | 0599-5160066 |
| 武夷山市华飞岩茶厂 | 13850909338 | 武夷山市古粤茶厂 | 0599-5287618 |
| 武夷山市武夷农业生态园公司 | 0599-5300317 | 武夷山林海原生态茶业公司 | 0599-5105506 |
| 武夷山市北斗岩茶研究所 | 0599-5252987 | 节节清(福建)茶业公司 | 0599-5203633 |
| 武夷山市回春岩茶厂 | 0599-5202318 | 武夷山市茗兰茶业研究所 | 0599-5252118 |
| 武夷山市德牛茶厂 | 0599-5262436 | 中国武夷山范府大院茶业公司 | 0599-5105105 |
| 武夷山市益春茗茶公司 | 0599-5253159 | 武夷山天上游茶业公司 | 0599-5253055 |
| 武夷山市玉维正岩茶厂 | 0599-5252486 | 武夷山市九亩半茶业公司 | 0599-5303168 |
| 武夷山市岩骨花香名茶中心 | 0599-5252230 | 武夷山市瑞芳茶叶发展公司 | 0599-5275633 |
| 武夷山市山水岩茶研究所 | 13706015533 | 武夷山映象武夷茶业公司 | 0599-5256028 |
| 武夷山市御茗正岩茶厂 | 0599-5202539 | 武夷山瑞岩高山茶叶公司 | 13960629966 |
| 武夷山市清心岩茶坊 | 0599-5202878 | 武夷山自然保护区天然正山小种红茶研究所 | 0599-5272011 |
| 武夷山市宛香茶叶研究所 | 0599-5203339 | 武夷山市甘氏茶叶公司 | 0599-5252993 |
| 武夷山市清风茶业公司 | 0599-5202196 | 武夷山市瑞进茶行 | 0599-5250436 |
| 武夷山市祥岩茶厂 | 0599-5103005 | 武夷山隆和茶业公司 | 0599-5258366 |
| 武夷山市绿岩岩茶厂 | 0599-5265003 | 西岸(武夷山)茶业公司 | 0599-5117513 |
| 武夷山市天心岩茶园茶厂 | 0599-5250568 | 武夷山市裕茗茶业公司 | 0599-5287388 |
| 武夷山市宝珠岩茶厂 | 13859496885 | 武夷山市夷峰岩茶厂 | 0599-5309115 |
| 武夷山市活源岩茶厂 | 13599312606 | 武夷山市玉柱峰岩茶厂 | 0599-5250683 |
| 武夷山市东升岩茶厂 | 0599-5199382 | 武夷山浩韵岩茶公司 | 0599-5275618 |
| 武夷山市绿苑岩茶厂 | 0599-5207369 | 武夷山市中远生态茶业公司 | 0599-5259055 |
| 武夷山市名岩茶业公司 | 0599-5205098 | 武夷山市千枞茶业公司 | 0599-5202196 |
| 武夷山清神阁茶业公司 | 0599-5207398 | 武夷山市丹石岩茶厂 | 0599-5106183 |
| 武夷山市武茗茶业公司 | 0599-5302869 | 武夷山市红绣球名茶 | 0599-5259798 |
| 武夷山市武曲岩茶厂 | 0599-5262683 | 武夷山市双龙岩茶厂 | 0599-5198546 |
| 武夷山市春城岩茶厂 | 0599-5275598 | 武夷山市实验茶厂 | 0599-5275918 |
| 武夷山市盛兴岩茶厂 | 0599-5287338 | 武夷山市舶缘岩茶厂 | 0599-5266566 |
| 武夷山市通仙茶业公司 | 0599-5306006 | 武夷山市林何茶厂 | 0599-5251069 |
| 武夷山市武夷老农岩茶厂 | 0599-5256401 | 武夷山市白龙岗岩茶手工坊 | 0599-5303811 |
| 武夷山市红袍王茶厂 | 0599-5173766 | 武夷山市云飞岩茶厂 | 0599-5250625 |
| 武夷山市夷仁岩茶精制厂 | 0599-5262197 | 武夷山市丹山岩茶制作中心 | 13905994852 |
| 武夷山市擎天岩茶厂 | 13509517481 | 武夷山市留源岩茶厂 | 0599-5206833 |
| 武夷山市岩龙茶厂 | 0599-5252282 | 武夷山市虎啸岩茶业公司 | 13706010568 |
| 武夷山市植茗茶叶研究所 | 0599-5252853 | 武夷山市天游晒布岩茶厂 | 13860010806 |
| 武夷山市南方嘉木茶业发展中心 | 0599-5425303 | 武夷山市玉华岩茶厂 | 0599-5203966 |
| 武夷山市九龙缘茶业公司 | 13950618111 | 武夷山市慧茗岩茶厂 | 0599-5252516 |
| 武夷山市奇苑茶业公司 | 0599-5152999 | 武夷山市青狮岩茶厂 | 0599-5202593 |
| 武夷山市桐木茶厂 | 0599-5272136 | 武夷山市正山小种茶叶公司 | 0599-5272109 |
In China, most people do not have email but over 99% have mobile phone and 99.9% have an instant messenger app called WeChat, thus the best way to contact is throught WeChat or phone call.
But most of people do not speak English or just have limited English, so long chat on phone is not workable but a lot of people can speak and understand simple english words, so phone call can be the way to get WeChat ID.
In China, WeChat ID = Wei Xin Hao, when you make call, be sure to use Wei Xin Hao instead.
Why do I recommend WeChat so strongly? Not just because most people have it but also there is a feature can help both parties, the translation, WeChat can translate for both parties automatically and I will say the quality is not bad.
Another feature will be big helpful is payment, you can pay to your supplier by WeChat money.
It’s very important for this opening phone call, but we are in different location, speak different language, have different culture and different accent, so you need a script and practice to avoid embarrassment, here we have a simple yet effective steps to guide you.
Here is a trick on WeChat ID, to keep it simple and easy for your supplier’s understanding, it’s better to set this ID as ABC+your phone number.
On the 4th step we choose to let you tell your supplier your WeChat ID instead of the contrast, because most Chinese people have poor speaking but can understand English letter and number.