When did you develop
a love for tea?
I remember sitting at the kitchen table,
when I was eight or nine years old,
thirstily drinking several cups of tea – I’ve
loved drinking tea ever since. I love the
strong yet subtle flavours of black tea
and I enjoy its amazing qualities when
the tea is made loose in a pot.When and why was Planet
Organic created?
After a trip through Europe and America
in the mid '90s, where there seemed
to be an abundance of tea varieties
available, [I realised that] in Australia,
we seemed to lack such diversity. With
the aforementioned passion for tea,
combined with an equally high passion for
healthy living, Planet Organic became an
inevitable development.What’s the ethos that underpins
the brand?
We endeavour to produce high quality
and innovative Certified Organic teas,
with minimal packaging. We believe
that synthetic fertilisers, herbicides and
pesticides, which can lead to chemicals
and carcinogens in our food, should not be
available as a food choice. Planet Organic
supports a natural organic farming system,
which keeps our food healthy and clean.
In turn, this helps support the land, a clean
water system and the wildlife of our planet.Why is it important to create and
sell Certified Organic products?
If we are making a claim to consumers
that our products are organic, then it
is equally important that we make a
commitment to the product’s organic
integrity. By certifying all of our products
as organic, we can give the consumer a
guarantee that the Planet Organic brand
has a full audit trail of organic authenticity
in every product that exists – from the
plantation to the cup.Where are your ingredients
sourced and manufactured?
We bring our teas and herbs from
many countries. Some are native to the
countries of supply and they are usually
cut and dried on the farms where they
are grown. On arrival to us, we mill ouringredients to an appropriate size and
blend to match our tea recipes. A majority
of our teas come from Sri Lanka and India,
where we buy direct from the growers.What’s one of the most important
processes in tea making?
A very important process is fermentation
or oxidation. It is this critical stage of
production which determines whether
the tea will end up as a black, oolong,
green or white tea, by the length of time
the tea leaves are allowed to oxidise.
This stage can determine the colours and
flavours of the tea as a reaction occurs
which converts the polyphenols known
as catechins into flavanoids; these are the
antioxidants present in tea.Why is it important to buy local
and Australian produce?
Australia is a small market to operate
in commercially, particularly if you
choose not to make your products
available to major supermarkets. There
are also a disproportionately large
number of imported brands available
(which generally, perhaps because of
geographical remoteness, does not
seem to be reciprocated for Australian
brands in foreign markets.) So it is greatly
appreciated when Australians support
Australian brands and we would like to
thank our customers for supporting our
brand for the past 20 years.A passion for tea and
healthy living is what
inspired MARK NOBLE
to create Planet Organic,
a brand that has been
proudly producing organic
teas for more than 20
years. ANH caught up with
the tea connoisseur to chat
about tea making, organic
ingredients and why it’s
important to shop locally.V
Te a t a l k
Mark (fourth from the left) with the Planet Organic team106 | AUSTRALIAN NATURAL HEALTH naturalhealthmag.com.auLIVING WELL