Celebrated Cornwall - Jonathon Jones OBE and the Tale of Cornish Tea

I’ve known Jonathon Jones, of Cornwall’s amazing Tregothnan Estate, for many years - and was glad to hear he’d recently been awarded the OBE - which he richly deserves as he is a passionate man who constantly goes the extra mile to promote the fantastic tea they produce from the beautiful gardens high above the River Fal.

In the podcast Jonathon tells me all about Cornish tea - but here’s an article I once wrote about the estate’s amazing rhododendrons which also get a brief mention in our chat…

Some of the biggest early blooms in Britain have been braving recent storms to show their colours in Cornwall.

Magnolia campbellii has become the signifier for spring in England - and each year during this February weekend six ancient trees located across the county are famed for producing more than 50 open blooms apiece. 

Yesterday staff at Tregothnan Gardens had counted 47 open blooms - each the size of a dinner plate - but they say hundreds more are poised to open on Monday. 

“Tregothnan has been consistently warmer than Darjeeling in India all winter,” commented Jonathon Jones, managing director of trading at Tregothnan. “The famous flouncy pink magnolia tree comes from Darjeeling and often bursts into flower at Tregothnan at exactly the same time as its siblings in India.”

Mr Jones explained: “The magnolia was a confirmation to the botanists at Tregothnan that tea bushes would thrive alongside these trees, just like they do in Darjeeling. So the first tea in the UK was established and is now marketed as the most British tea in history.

“The forecast is for more winter warmth and a typically early spring tea season at the Europe’s largest tea gardens,” he added. 

The tea gardens are open by appointment and attract visitors from across the world, including the official twinning committee from Darjeeling. 

“Tea tourism has become a flourishing business, continuing with a fascination with our national drink,” said Mr Jones. “The charity weekend on 13th April is set to be the biggest yet, raising funds for iSight Cornwall.

“Premium tea sales have risen rapidly since the referendum to leave the EU, a phenomena that we believe is twofold. Tea offers comfort in times of uncertainty and is celebrated by exporters of Britishness to Commonwealth countries and the USA.

“Leaves picked in January are already on sale in top London stores,” said Mr Jones. 

Tregothnan’s rhododendrons