Editor’s Note: Last fall, World Tea News learned that Jersey Fine Tea – based in Jersey, a British Crown Dependency that forms part of the British Isles – was searching for a new assistant tea maker. No experience was required, and it was billed as an amazing opportunity for someone who was passionate about tea and wanted to enter the industry. As a result, Jersey Fine Tea hired Solenne Federici from the wine industry in France. And now, in this new “Diary” series at World Tea News, we hear from Federici and join her on her amazing journey as a newbie to the tea industry, as an assistant tea maker. Read Part Two of her story below, and click here to read Part One. – Aaron Kiel, Editor, World Tea News.
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Diary of Solenne Federici, Assistant Tea Maker, Jersey Fine Tea:
April 12, 2021
It's relatively cold outside at this time (7 a.m.) but we still decide to pick some tea. Picking tea can be challenging due to its need for precision, but it’s really quite calming and meditative. Once the picking is done, we transport the leaves to the tea cabin to make our second batch of green tea. This is an opportunity for me to familiarize myself even more with the process of this type of tea. My actions are slowly starting to be less hesitant.
April 14, 2021
We carry on cleaning the weeds around the tea plants and pruning the young tea bushes that were planted in 2020. At Jersey Fine Tea, we manage all weeding of the grass by hand to keep a close eye on the tea bushes, and to prevent them from damage from mowers and to keep them free from chemicals. This work requires a lot of energy and patience, but it’s nonetheless essential and complementary to the rest of the tea making process. Sometimes it can be exhausting.
April 17, 2021
Tonight I joined Alicia Gentili, Jersey Fine Tea project manager, and Tea Consultant Eunice Pallot, a former marketing director with Jersey Fine Tea, in the center of Saint Helier. We went to a quaint restaurant and talked of tea adventures over delicious Thai food. It was a real challenge for me to go into the city by car alone! I'm slowly starting to get more comfortable on the roads of Jersey (not that they are insurmountable, but it gets easier with daily practice).
April 19, 2021
We start the week with a second picking of tea on this sunny Monday. ITV News Jersey wants to film our tea making process. Alicia and I are filmed in the cabin making green tea, and it’s fun to explain the process to new and interested people.
April 22, 2021
A new local business magazine, The Jersey Maverick, asks to film us with a drone camera at the Simpson garden near the beach of Bouley Bay, which is a beautiful part of the island. We meet at 10 a.m. to begin plucking and is quite an exciting meeting! [See the video embedded below.]
April 23, 2021
Alicia doesn't want to waste the harvest from the previous day, so we decide to practice making a black tea. A first for me! I’m pretty happy with the result – a seasonal tea worthy of a 1st flush. A tea that has pep but no astringency!
April 27, 2021
ITV News is recording the field segment of their piece about Jersey Fine Tea. This time, we meet two cameramen and the interviewer at the heart of our tea field in Gorey. It’s also an opportunity for me to say “hello” to my friends – the cows – that stay right next to our tea field. I love them so much! They are so friendly and curious at the same time.
The new shoots have grown so much! While harvesting for the camera, we decide to use our leaves for a second batch of black tea. We pick almost one kilogram, which finally allows us to use the rolling machine.
See the ITV story here.
April 28, 2021
Tonight while having dinner, I take the time to reflect and take stock of my adventure so far. I am more motivated than ever to learn more and more about the world of tea, and to try to give the best of myself. However, I feel this sometimes-significant language barrier (French is my native language) despite all the efforts made by my team. This is expat-life!
April 29, 2021
Today, we are harvesting for our first batch of white tea. Making white tea requires much more meticulous work – only the bud and a single tea leaf are required. This is a great opportunity that allows us to explore the aromatic concentration of our young shoots during this time of year.
April 30, 2021
Today, we will be meeting at 8 a.m. to harvest for our fifth batch of green tea! Making several batches of tea gives us the opportunity to readjust our manufacturing methods before our production goes on sale. We take into consideration several parameters such as climate, harvest time, duration of withering, etc. Making tea is far from an easy task. It takes a lot of adaptability.
Jersey Fine Tea is experiencing an incredibly cold spring, which delays the new plant growth, but wer are now entering our full production season. I am living a dream that many tea friends from around the world would love to experience!
To learn more about Jersey Fine Tea, visit JerseyFineTea.com. And watch for more "Diary" series articles at World Tea News.