Who needs to make this choice?

Organisers with a Fairtrade procurement brief

You need evidence for the exact green tea being ordered, rather than a general statement about the brand. Check the product-level wording and choose a portion count that fits the planned service.

Caterers running self-service tea stations

You need portions that staff can count and replenish during breaks, alongside current ingredient and allergen information for the drinks and accompaniments served.

Event teams offering guests a choice

You may want green tea alongside other drinks. If an alternative sourcing scheme is acceptable, describe it by its own name rather than calling it Fairtrade.

What should you check before ordering?

Settle the certification requirement first, then check whether the exact tea and pack will work at the service point.

Priority What to check Your needs
Fairtrade status Read the exact pack or product listing for a Fairtrade claim. Fairtrade International describes certification as operating against standards checked through independent audits; another scheme’s name does not establish the same product claim. My event brief specifically says Fairtrade green tea, so I need wording that applies to the tea I will serve.
Tea identity Confirm the ingredients, bag count and net weight. Tesco Groceries lists Clipper Organic Fairtrade Green Tea as 80 bags of green tea, while a separately named Joybuy Clipper Fairtrade 80-bag, 232g listing identifies black tea. A familiar brand name is not enough: I need the delivered pack to contain green tea, not a similarly named black tea.
Service format Count portions against planned breaks and expected demand. Clipper Tea Shop lists a 250-envelope catering product; Tesco Groceries lists an 80-bag green-tea pack. Check the format of the exact pack ordered. At a busy self-service station, I want staff to know how many portions are available and when to replenish them.
Ingredients and allergens Keep current information for the exact tea and anything served with it. The Food Standards Agency’s March 2025 guidance addresses mandatory information about 14 regulated allergens in non-prepacked food service. Guests may ask about the tea, milk or accompanying food, so I need information staff can access during service.
Brewing and drink choice Follow directions for each tea rather than using one method for every product. Clipper Tea Shop specifies water left to cool for one minute and a 1–3 minute infusion; Teapigs specifies 80°C water and three minutes for its Mao Feng tea. Check whether any decaffeinated option meets the event brief separately. If I offer more than one green tea, I want clear instructions for each and accurate descriptions of the drinks on the station.

What can go wrong when ordering?

  • Calling every ethical-sourcing scheme Fairtrade

    A client asking for Fairtrade may not accept a different certification. Pukka says its teas are Fair for Life certified and that its packs show the certified ingredients and their overall percentage; that is a distinct claim.

    Write the requirement into the order and check the exact pack before using “Fairtrade” in conference materials.

  • Choosing a similarly named black tea

    Joybuy’s Clipper Organic Fairtrade 80 Tea Bags 232g listing identifies black tea. Tesco Groceries’ Clipper Organic Fairtrade Green Tea listing instead identifies 80 bags of green tea.

    Match the tea type, ingredients, bag count and net weight to the approved product before ordering.

  • Choosing pack size without planning servings

    An 80-bag box and a 250-envelope catering pack offer different portion counts. The suitable quantity depends on the number of breaks and how much green tea the event expects to serve.

    Estimate portions for each break, allow for replenishment and check how the venue will store any remaining tea.

  • Using the same brewing instructions for every tea

    Clipper’s pure green tea and Teapigs’ Mao Feng have different stated water and infusion instructions, so one station-wide instruction may not match both products.

    Put the directions for each tea where staff or self-service guests can use them.

Which brand ranges are relevant?

These brand examples illustrate different product claims and service formats; check the exact item rather than applying a claim to every tea from the brand.

Clipper

Clipper Tea Shop lists Organic Fairtrade Pure Green Tea in 250 catering envelopes, while Tesco Groceries lists an 80-bag green-tea pack. Both product listings state that the tea is traded in compliance with Fairtrade Standards, total 100%.

  • The 250-envelope listing gives caterers a specified portion count and a product-level Fairtrade statement.
  • Check the full name and ingredients: a similarly named Clipper Fairtrade listing on Joybuy is black tea.

Pukka

Pukka’s UK range includes green-tea blends, and Pukka states that all its teas are certified to the Fair for Life standard.

  • The range offers a different certification route when the event brief permits one.
  • Fair for Life is not a product-level Fairtrade claim. Pukka says certified ingredients and their overall percentage appear on pack.

Twinings

Twinings UK B2B lists a decaffeinated green-tea product and describes green tea in formats for business customers.

  • Its business listing gives caterers a specific green-tea product and format to assess.
  • That listing does not itself establish a Fairtrade claim for the product; check the exact pack if certification is required.

Teapigs

Teapigs lists a pure Mao Feng green tea with directions of one tea temple per person, 80°C water and a three-minute brew.

  • The product gives staff specific ingredients and brewing directions to follow.
  • If the brief requires Fairtrade, confirm a product-level claim on the exact pack before selecting it.

Joybuy green tea option

This decaffeinated, 50-bag green tea is an option for a conference tea station. Check the current pack for a product-level Fairtrade claim before using it to fulfil a Fairtrade-specific brief.

Tetley Green Tea Decaffeinated, 50 tea bags, 100g

Tetley Green Tea Decaffeinated, 50 Tea Bags, 100g

The 50-bag pack provides counted portions if the station needs a decaffeinated green-tea choice. Check the current pack for Fairtrade wording, ingredients and brewing directions before describing or serving it.

Joybuy

Conference catering questions

How do I check whether a green tea meets a Fairtrade brief?

Check the current pack or product page for a claim applying to the exact green tea. Clipper Tea Shop and Tesco Groceries state for their specified Clipper green-tea products that the tea is traded in compliance with Fairtrade Standards, total 100%; a brand’s general sourcing statement is not a substitute for checking the ordered item.

Does Fairtrade always mean the ingredients remain physically separate?

Not where an applicable product uses Fairtrade mass balance. The Fairtrade Foundation explains that companies must purchase the corresponding amount of Fairtrade ingredients even though ingredients may mix during processing. Check the exact product’s mark and wording before describing how its ingredients are handled.

How should staff brew Clipper’s catering green tea?

Clipper Tea Shop directs users to boil fresh water, leave it to cool for one minute and infuse the tea for 1–3 minutes. Check the directions on the pack being served, particularly if the station offers another green tea alongside it.

What ingredient and allergen information should be at the tea station?

Keep current information accessible for the exact tea, milk and accompanying food being served. The Food Standards Agency’s March 2025 guidance addresses how businesses selling non-prepacked food provide mandatory information about 14 regulated allergens; check the requirements applicable to the venue and its service.

Should disposable items be checked when planning the station?

Yes, check the venue’s location and the specific items before ordering them. Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs guidance for England restricts certain single-use plastic items, including plastic cutlery and expanded or extruded polystyrene food and drink containers; do not assume that guidance sets the rules elsewhere in the UK.