About Hyson

Hyson is direct-from-Sri-Lanka Ceylon tea at a price that makes other brands' Ceylon look like a label tax. Established in 1985, it built its UK following on pure Ceylon black tea sourced straight from Sri Lankan estates, trading on a simple advantage: sitting close to the gardens rather than buying blended bulk through a long broker chain lets it offer genuine single-origin Ceylon character without the markup. Alongside the pure black it became unusually strong in fruit-flavoured Ceylon, built on the same single-origin base.

The range runs from Premium Breakfast and Pure Ceylon Black through an extensive fruit-flavoured line, peach, pineapple, strawberry, blackcurrant, kept gentle and natural. Because the supply chain is short and estate-direct, the freshness is genuinely noticeable and the pricing reflects cutting out layers rather than quality. For our shelf Hyson is one of the best value propositions in the catalogue. The Pure Ceylon Black is the reference for what a Ceylon cup should be, brisk and golden with no off notes. The fruit-flavoured Ceylon line is the real surprise: because the base is genuine single-origin rather than a generic flavoured platform, the peach and pineapple taste like flavoured Ceylon rather than flavoured anything, and they beat the supermarket equivalents at the same money. It is a single-origin specialist priced like a commodity, which is an unusual and very useful thing to be.

Key facts

• Direct-from-Estate Ceylon Single-origin Ceylon tea sourced directly from Sri Lankan estates, with the Lion Logo certification on every box guaranteeing world-class Ceylon Tea Board quality.
• Fruit-Infused Ceylon Range Signature fruit-infused range using natural essences (Peach, Pineapple, Blackcurrant, Lemon, Strawberry) on a brisk Ceylon base, not synthetic flavourings.
• Lion Logo Certified Every Hyson box carries the Sri Lankan Lion Logo, a quality mark guaranteeing the tea was grown and packed in Sri Lanka to the world-class standard.
• Independent Sri Lankan Brand Unlike most British tea brands which blend Ceylon with Assam and Kenyan tea, Hyson is single-origin Sri Lankan, keeping the cup as the growers intended.

The founders

Brand timeline

1. 1985 Hyson founded in Sri Lanka

   The Hyson brand is established in Sri Lanka under Empire Teas Ltd, building a direct-from-estate Ceylon tea business focused on single-origin Ceylon black tea and natural fruit-infused Ceylon blends. The Lion Logo certification on every box guarantees the tea is grown and packed in Sri Lanka to the world-class Ceylon Tea Board standard.

2. 1990s UK retail expansion

   Hyson expands into UK retail through specialist tea shops and the South-Asian grocery network, building a loyal following on the strength of authentic Ceylon body and a fair per-cup price compared to British-branded Ceylon teas. The fruit-infused range (Peach, Pineapple, Strawberry) launches around this period.

3. 2000s Fruit-infused Ceylon range

   The Hyson fruit-infused Ceylon range becomes the signature, gentle natural fruit-essences on the brisk Ceylon black-tea base. The Blackcurrant, Lemon, Peach, Pineapple and Strawberry blends differentiate Hyson from competitors who lean on cheaper synthetic fruit flavourings.

4. 2015 Premium Breakfast Tea launches

   Premium Breakfast Tea launches as the flagship 100-bag everyday breakfast cup, positioning Hyson as a credible British-breakfast alternative to Tetley and PG Tips at a similar price point but with the body of a proper Ceylon base.

5. 2022 Plastic-free tea bags

   Hyson transitions the tea bag range to plant-based PLA biodegradable mesh, replacing the polypropylene sealants of standard tea bags. The outer carton is fully kerbside recyclable across the UK.

6. 2026 Stocked at Teas.co.uk

   Hand-picked into the curator selection: Hyson Premium Breakfast Tea 100-bag and the full fruit-infused Ceylon range (Blackcurrant, Lemon, Peach, Pineapple, Strawberry).

Sustainability

Hyson sits within the Sri Lankan tea sustainability framework, with all leaf sourced from Ceylon Tea Board certified estates. The tea bags transitioned to plant-based PLA biodegradable mesh in 2022, removing the polypropylene sealants used in traditional tea bags. The outer cardboard carton is fully kerbside recyclable across the UK and the inner foil pouch is recyclable through supermarket soft-plastic collection points. Single-origin sourcing also means a shorter supply chain than blended British-brand teas.

• Plant-Based PLA Bags Since 2022 all Hyson tea bags are plant-based PLA mesh, home-compostable, with zero polypropylene synthetic plastic sealants.
• Ceylon Tea Board Certified All leaf sourced through Ceylon Tea Board certified estates, supporting Sri Lankan growers and the long-standing Ceylon Tea quality standard.
• Kerbside Recyclable Carton The outer cardboard carton is fully kerbside recyclable across the UK and the inner foil pouch is recyclable through supermarket soft-plastic collection points.
• Short Supply Chain Direct-from-estate single-origin sourcing means a shorter supply chain than blended British-brand teas which combine leaf from multiple countries.