Turning over a new leaf is good for tea business

Hans Verhoosel and Amy Gallagher, who run Belgian coffee and tea house La Place Verte, in York, want to take their Lu Lin teas brand to a wider audience.

Lu Lin, which means "green forest" in Chinese, is sourced from small and medium-sized farms in the provinces of Zhegiang and Fujian. Mr Verhoosel and Miss Gallagher began selling the tea and accessories in York two years ago and now plan to attend trade shows in order to win business with other tea rooms and the hotel industry.

Mr Verhoosel, who comes from Antwerp, in Belgium, said they began importing because they were disappointed at the quality of loose-leaf tea available in Britain.

"One of the great attractions of Chinese tea is its strength, quality and diversity.

"Although we initially intended that these would be available only in our coffee and tea house, the feedback from customers was so positive that we also made the range available in the La Place Verte shop."