Why The Organic Tea Project Doesn’t Use Artificial Flavours in Tea

Jonas Allen July 25, 2025

Do you really need flavouring in tea?

We’ll keep this simple: if tea leaves already taste incredible, why mess with them?

At The Organic Tea Project, we work only with organic whole leaf teas that carry the natural flavour of the land they come from — the elevation, the rainfall, the soil. Just like a fine wine, a quality tea has its own terroir.

You wouldn’t add bubblegum flavour to a pinot noir (we hope). So why add “strawberries and cream” to a black tea?

The problem with artificial flavours in tea

And yet, many tea brands do just that. Artificial flavouring has become a quiet shortcut — one that:

disguises poor-quality tea dust,
stretches out production costs,
creates a cup that smells like dessert but tastes like disappointment.

If you’ve ever sipped a tea that felt more like perfume than a brew, chances are it was flavoured with a lab-made additive, not real ingredients.

The Organic Tea Project difference

We believe you can taste the difference. That muscatel note in our Darjeeling Green Tea? It’s real. That smooth edge in our Earl Grey? It comes from pure bergamot oil, never a synthetic substitute.

When tea leaves are grown right and handled with care, they don’t need any help from a lab. Our teas are:

Certified organic
Free from artificial flavours
Blended only with real spices, herbs, and oils

From our Masala Chai spiced with cardamom, cinnamon and ginger, to our naturally malty Breakfast Tea, you’ll always get true flavour — never “tricked up.”

Tea is too good to fake

We’re here for the authentic flavour of tea — not a shortcut. That’s why you’ll never find artificial flavours in our blends. Just clean, whole leaves grown in organic gardens, blended with care.

👉 Explore our full range of organic teas without artificial flavours and taste the real difference.

Frequently Asked Questions About Artificial Flavours in Tea

Why do some tea brands use artificial flavouring?

Artificial flavours are often added to mask poor-quality tea dust or to create novelty blends at lower cost. They make a tea smell appealing but rarely add true depth of flavour.

Is Earl Grey naturally flavoured?

Traditionally, yes. Authentic Earl Grey is flavoured with oil from real bergamot oranges. Many cheaper blends, however, use artificial “bergamot flavouring.” At TOTP, our Earl Grey is made with organic whole leaf Assam and real bergamot oil.

How can I tell if my tea has artificial flavouring?

Check the ingredients list. If you see “flavour,” “flavouring,” or “nature-identical flavour,” it’s artificial or lab-made. A truly natural tea will list only the base tea leaves plus real spices, herbs, or oils.

What’s the difference between natural and artificial flavour in tea?

Natural flavour comes directly from real plants — for example, bergamot oil in Earl Grey or cinnamon in Masala Chai. Artificial flavour is chemically created to mimic these tastes, without using the real ingredient.