About JP
JP
Jaideo Prasad (JP), expert horticulturist, tea grower, my grandad and the granddaddy of proper tea. Always ready to greet me with a large cup of steaming, aromatic tea, JP introduced me to the world of tea.
Our JP’s story begins with Hanumanbux Kanoi, my great grandfather. A keen agriculturist, Hanumanbux helped pioneer the technique of planting tea by hand in India earning him the highest civilian order, the Padma Shri in 1965 for his outstanding contribution to trade and industry. It was here that the seed to the family tea legacy was planted which would go on to be passed down through the generations.
As well as the prestigious tea gardens, Hanumanbux passed on his knowledge and zeal for cultivating tea. Like his father, my grandfather JP was a perfectionist, known for being extremely particular, especially when it came to his tea! Always hands-on when it came to managing quality, he dedicated his life to the gardens in Assam, India.
This passion, knowledge and quest for the perfect cup of tea has been passed down to me which has inspired this range of teas and infusions – all in honour of JP.
Me
Tea at my grandparents’ house was always an occasion, brewed patiently with herbs and spices for a perfect chai or served straight - a simple and delicious taste. It was this lasting memory from JP himself that left me with a fascination and zest for drinking different tea blends ever since. My quest for the nostalgic, quality tea of my childhood visits to India has always been the inspiration behind JP’s.
Over the last 11 years, spent mainly at a desk at Stone World, my thirst for tea amassed to 6 cups a day. Persistently disappointed with the offering from retailers I set out to create a brand that would really stand out from the crowd. The focus was incredibly simple: high quality, whole leaf teas with transparency on leaf grading & provenance. If mainstream wine and coffee were afforded these details, why wasn't tea?
Under the pupillage of the world renowned Jane Pettigrew from the UK Tea Academy, I gained an expert understanding of the world of tea: origins, leaf types, qualities & brewing techniques.
The introduction of functional well-being blends came from personal experience: a diagnosis with the autoimmune condition ITP. Seeking alternative, natural solutions to support the medication I was prescribed, I was introduced to CBD and was amazed at the benefits.
CBD still continues to support my daily life especially with sleep, exercise induced inflammation, skin health and daily stresses. Determined to share these powerful effects but put off by the bitter taste of CBD drops in its conventional form, I set about creating a range of great tasting natural functional blends infused with the highest quality water soluble CBD. Taking my traditional tea heritage and remixing it for a new generation of tea drinkers, to create a range of teas and infusions that help bring balance from pressures of modern life.
We are a new generation of tea drinkers and it is my mission to make JP's magic something that everyone can enjoy from the comfort of their own home.
Urvashi x
And the tea (+infusions)
Exceptional, artisanal tea. Carefully sourced, perfectly brewed and made for everyday drinking.
Do you ever read your box of tea whilst waiting for your kettle to boil, only to find a vague mention of ‘black tea’? We aim for our JP tea drinker to be informed about the exotic origins of where each tea leaf was plucked (Harmutty Estate, Assam) to the tea leaf grade (Tippy Golden Orange Flower Pekoe - only the finest for JP!) so you too can be a cuppa connoisseur.
Like fine wine, the subtle nuances of tea leaf varieties, origins and tea grades need to be celebrated. All of our ingredients are carefully selected to bring you exciting blends with sophisticated flavour profiles and aromas.
Hand packed in the UK, all of our teas come in 100% plastic-free, biodegradable pyramid bags allowing the tea leaves the room they need to infuse and give you the perfect, proper cup of tea. Each tea bag is individually wrapped in biodegradable envelopes so you can be a JP drinker wherever your day takes you.
Giving Back
Every year we support charitable organisations and causes to give back or raise awareness on issues that we feel passionately about.
In line with our mission to ‘give back’ as much as we can as a business, we have formally set a target of 2% of revenue to be donated per annum to charitable causes.
We were pleased to have surpassed our 2% target in 2021, supporting Friendsline, Breast Cancer Now and Kidney Research.