New Zealand has exactly one tea plantation. It is in the Waikato, it is certified organic, and every leaf is traceable from the soil it grew in to the first sip in the cup. That plantation is Zealong, and it is what goes into the teapot for one on our tables at The Welder.
Why the plantation matters in the cup
Tea is usually sold as a blend, with leaf pooled from many growers and the origin lost on the way. Zealong is the opposite arrangement: one estate, organically certified, with the leaf traceable back to its own rows. We chose it the same way we choose everything else on the supplier list, which is for taste rather than cost. It also means a pot of tea here is not the afterthought beside the coffee machine. It is the drink some people come in for.
Ten teas, and how to pick one
The pot comes in ten varieties, which is worth reading properly rather than defaulting to what 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
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
If you 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. There are three: Jade, which is green; Velvet, which is roasted; and Noir, which is black. Alongside them sits our chai latte, built from real tea leaves and organic spices rather than a syrup or a premixed powder. Most hot and cold drinks on the drinks list can be made with no added dairy, which is the one standing everyday swap we offer. On food it is a request rather than a given, and 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, it cools at its own pace, and it gives two people a reason to stay at a table instead of drinking standing up. 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. Tables move to seat four to eight, there are two low tables and high chairs for children, and the space is dog friendly, with a water bowl and metal table legs to clip a lead to. If you 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, with a vegetarian menu and a no-added-gluten option 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.
Ordering and visiting
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. Everything ordered online is collected in person from our patisserie inside The Welder on Welles Street in the central city, since we do not deliver. We are open 10am to 6pm Tuesday to Friday and 10am to 3pm Saturday, and the frequently asked questions page has the rest.
