New Zealand has exactly one tea plantation. Waikato, certified organic, every leaf traceable from the soil it grew in to the first sip in the cup. That plantation is Zealong, and its leaf fills the teapot for one on our tables at The Welder.
Why the plantation matters in the cup
Tea usually arrives as a blend, with leaf pooled from many growers and the origin lost somewhere along the way. Zealong is the opposite arrangement: one estate, organically certified, leaf traceable back to its own rows. We chose it the way we choose everything else on the supplier list, for taste and not for cost. So a pot of tea here is no afterthought beside the coffee machine; some people come in for the tea alone.
Ten teas, and how to pick one
The pot comes in ten varieties. Read the list properly instead of defaulting to whatever you always order:
- Green, Green Heart and Aromatic Oolong
- Black, Zealong's Own Grey and Lady Gatsby
- Zealong's Own Chai and Fire & Ice
- Rooibos with Ginger & Lemon Myrtle, and Chamomile & Lavender, both caffeine free
The greens pour pale and grassy, while the black goes amber and holds its heat longer in the pot. Aromatic Oolong lands between the two, toasted and faintly floral. Ask at the counter if you want a steer on which is which. The caffeine-free pair are the practical ones for a late-afternoon visit, when a second pot would otherwise keep you up.
The lattes, and the rest of the drinks list
Like tea with milk in it? The hot Zealong tea latte and its iced version are made from 100 per cent certified organic tea powder, with no sweeteners, additives or preservatives. Three of them: Jade, green; Velvet, roasted; Noir, black.
Beside them sits our chai latte, built from real tea leaves and organic spices, never a syrup or a premixed powder. The spice keeps working on the tongue after the cup is down. Most hot and cold drinks on the drinks list can be made with no added dairy, the one standing everyday swap we offer. On food it is a request, not a given. Our kitchen is small and without exclusive production areas for all of our different recipes, so traces may occur, and nothing is guaranteed safe for severe coeliac disease.
A pot each is the point
A pot of tea is a slow drink. It refills, and it cools at its own pace. Two people get a reason to stay at a table instead of drinking standing up, and that is the whole argument for coming with someone. A pot each and a mini dessert apiece buys an unhurried hour in a plant-filled room with an open kitchen you can watch.
Picture the second pour. The tea has darkened in the pot, one of you has broken a mini dessert in half with the side of a fork, and neither of you has looked at a phone. Tables move to seat four to eight. Two low tables and high chairs stand ready for children. Dogs are welcome, with a water bowl and metal table legs to clip a lead to.
Want the longer version? The high tea experience is $65 per person for 90 to 120 minutes with bottomless organic Zealong, bookable online for up to ten people. A vegetarian menu and a no-added-gluten option are selectable when you book. It needs 48 hours' notice, and one to two weeks for a weekend table.
Taking the plantation home
Zealong pyramid tea bags sit on the shelf. The Grand Tea Ritual gift box sits with our other premium gift boxes, alongside the tea pairing honey collection, and a ceramic mug made by Curios in Woolston in our hand-made ceramics. For something to serve with a pot at home, a petit four tray holds fifteen pieces, and they suit a tea table particularly well.
Walk in, or order ahead
Tea, coffee and anything in the cabinet need no notice at all, so a pot is always a walk-in. Petit four trays need seven days, and most other orders need two. Anything ordered online is collected in person from our patisserie inside The Welder on Welles Street in the central city, since we do not deliver. Open 10am to 9pm Tuesday to Saturday. The frequently asked questions page has the rest.
