Meridian East · Tea

East African black tea

Kenya is the world's largest exporter of black tea. The liquors are bright, brisk and full-bodied, drawn from high-altitude growing across the Rift Valley, the Central Highlands and Nyanza, and production runs through every month of the year.

Grades

What we supply

Grade codes below follow East African auction convention. Availability moves week to week with the sale; tell us the grade and we will quote against the current catalogue.

CTC — primary export grades

BP1Broken Pekoe 1Largest CTC particle. Bright, brisk liquor with good leaf appearance — the benchmark blending grade for most export programmes.

PF1Pekoe Fannings 1The highest-volume Kenyan grade and the backbone of global teabag blending. Quick infusion, strong colour, consistent supply.

PDPekoe DustFiner than PF1 with a heavier, more coloury cup. Favoured where strength and rapid extraction matter.

DUST1Dust 1Finest CTC grade. Very fast extraction and deep colour — used in strong-brew and instant applications.

BMF / BMFDBroken Mixed FanningsSecondary grades. Economical blending material for price-led markets and soluble production.

Orthodox & specialty

OP / FOPOrthodox leafWhole-leaf orthodox production. Lighter, more aromatic cup than CTC, for premium loose-leaf and specialty packing.

SPECIALSpecialty lotsSelected factory lots and seasonal invoices bought against a cup profile rather than a grade code alone.

ORGANICCertified organicAvailable on request against confirmed volume and lead time. Certification details supplied with the offer.

Growing regions

Where Kenyan tea comes from

Region drives cup character as much as grade does. East and west of the Rift produce recognisably different teas, and buyers with a fixed blend specification usually anchor on one side.

Kericho & Bomet

1,800–2,200m

West of the Rift. Consistent, bright, brisk liquors with reliable year-round volume — the classic Kenyan export profile.

Nandi & Kisii

1,700–2,000m

Western highlands. Coloury cups with good body, widely used where strength of liquor is the priority.

Nyeri & Murang'a

1,800–2,300m

East of the Rift, Mount Kenya slopes. Brisker, more aromatic teas with pronounced brightness.

Kirinyaga & Embu

1,700–2,200m

Eastern highlands. Well-structured liquors, popular for premium blending and single-origin packing.

Nandi Hills orthodox

1,900–2,400m

Specialist orthodox production at altitude. Lighter, aromatic, whole-leaf character.

Regional — EAC

1,500–2,700m

Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi teas also sell at Mombasa, widening grade and price options.

1,400m1,750m2,100m2,450m2,700m

Kenyan CTC — main belt1,700–2,300m

Orthodox & high-altitude specialty1,900–2,700m

Wider East African region1,500–2,700m

Buying

The Mombasa auction, weekly

Mombasa is one of the world's largest tea auctions and the primary price-discovery mechanism for East African tea. Our tea is taken at the sale itself through licensed buying channels at origin, rather than bought as finished stock from a trader.

01 — Catalogue

Weekly sale

Lots are catalogued and sampled ahead of each sale. We taste against your specification before bidding, not after.

02 — Traceability

Lot to factory

Every purchase carries an invoice and lot number traceable to the producing factory, grade and sale date. The traceability sheet travels with your documents.

03 — Export

FOB Mombasa

Blending, packing, KEPHIS phytosanitary certification and container consolidation are completed at origin. CIF quoted on request.

Enquire about tea Samples dispatched on request