Swindon & Wiltshire News
Wiltshire manufacturer opens UK’s first solar-powered tea factory
A Wiltshire manufacturer has opened the UK’s first fully solar-powered tea factory.
Independent tea brand Birchall Tea has opened a new purpose-built tea factory and warehouse in Amesbury, generating all the power it needs for its operations from 460 solar panels.
Any ‘spare’ energy is fed into the National Grid, and so far the company says it has produced 500,000 kWhs of clean energy.
The 32,000 sq ft building also uses air source heat pumps.
The family-run tea brand’s focus on environmental responsibility reflects a growing trend in the industry, as consumers increasingly demand sustainable practices from the companies they support.
In May 2020, Birchall achieved the Carbon Neutral International Standard, meaning all of its tea products are now 100 per cent carbon neutral.
Meanwhile, all its teabags are plastic-free.
Birchall Tea is a long-established British tea company founded in 1872, run by the Graham family for five generations, and best known for premium black teas, blends, and herbal infusions.
