Bulk Rooibos Tea Direct From Our Farm
We offer various grades of rooibos, green rooibos, honeybush, green honeybush, buchu and a variety of other herbal tea blends and flavours. All products are available in bulk bags, vacuum-packed, or boxed.
Grades and Cuts
Rooibos Production and Processing
Planting
Rooibos seeds are sown between February and March and the seedlings are transplanted a few months later. It takes about 18 months before plants can be harvested.
Harvesting
The rooibos crop is harvested once a year during summer and early autumn (between January - April) by cutting branches 50 cm above the ground. Branches are cut and bound into sheaves and transported to the drying yard.
Cutting
Sheaves are machine-cut to uniform lengths of between 1.5mm and 5mm. Cuttings are then bruised to facilitate the natural plant phenolic activities which develop the characteristic colour and flavour of rooibos tea.
Fermentation
After watering and airing, cut and bruised green rooibos is laid out in heaps for 10-14 hours, allowing natural enzymes to oxidize and ferment the plant, giving it its deep amber colour and distinctive aroma.
Green Rooibos
A portion of the harvest is set aside before fermentation. Green rooibos does not undergo the same bruising and fermentation process as rooibos and is therefore higher in anti-oxidants and has a green flavour with caramel notes.
Drying
After fermentation, rooibos is dried under the African sun before being sorted and graded according to length, colour, flavour, and aroma.
Raw Dried Tea Grading
A trained grading team inspects and evaluates the rooibos tea, taking note of the cut size, leaf length, leaf colour, extract appearance, extract aroma, and extract flavour.
Vibrating Sieve
A vibrational machine filters out rooibos and a fine round of powder is removed in this stage.
Magnet - Metal Removal
Rooibos tea then travels over a 3,500-gauss magnet to remove any ferrous-metal contaminants that may be present from harvesting.
Rolling Sieve
The rooibos blend passes through a drum-shaped machine covered with a specially-made mesh that removes unwanted sticks, stems, and large twigs.
Maxi Sieve
This is where high-quality, tea cut lengths and sizes are sorted. During this stage, a superior grade of cuts are sifted out. Bulk bags capture the various cuts sifted through designated channels.
Indent Sieve
During this stage, sharp, needle-shaped cuts are removed from the superior grade cuts sifted by the Maxi Sieve. This stage is crucial to remove needles that could poke through teabags, and ensures a pleasant tea experience.
Blending
Raw material is blended in silos equipped with augers according to strict guidelines to meet customer requirements.
Pasteurisation
Rooibos is exposed to steam with a temperature of 160°C for 90 seconds. After pasteurisation, the tea is dried with hot air to ensure moisture content is below 10%.
Magnet - Metal Removal
The tea then travels over 3,500-gauss and 10,000-gauss magnets to ensure all metal contaminants are removed before being packed into 18kg kraft paper bags.
Lab Analysis
Analytical tests are run at our in-house laboratory and ISO 17025:2017 accredited external laboratories. Pesticide residue screening and microbial analysis are done on each finished batch. PPECB draws a finished batch sample and runs an independent analysis. Once a batch is approved, a Certificate Of Analysis (COA) will be issued combining all results and PPECB will issue an Export Licence.
Packing and Shipping
We then pack your order and ship it to your desired location worldwide. Tea can be packed in various formats such as bulk bags or custom retail packs.
Storage
Rooibos can be stored in the right conditions for many years. Our standard Best Before Date for natural rooibos is 4 years. Ideally, rooibos tea should be stored in a dry, room-temperature environment free from moisture or humidity.
Our Promises
Our vision is to make Carmién Tea the preferred rooibos brand in every household, by offering our consumers the finest selection of products, outstanding service, full traceability, and a direct link to the farm.
The entire process from growing the product in the fields to developing the best aroma and flavour is controlled by strict processes and measures. To maintain consistent quality and flavour, we adhere to the following certifications and are regularly audited by all these certification bodies.
Why Choose Carmién Tea?
COMMITTED TO
Quality
Carmién is committed to quality products, freshness, and exceptional taste. All our products are produced according to international food safety regulations and are regularly tested by our internal Quality and Product Development team.
COMMITTED TO
People
As a producer, processor, and marketer of rooibos products, we take full ownership of production from crop to cup, which enables us to fully commit to job creation and improving the lives of our workers. Our exclusive packing facility, Bergendal Rooibos, is 50% owned by farm workers.
COMMITTED TO
Nature
Carmién is committed to safe, ethical and earth-friendly farming and work practices. We have several certifications including Organic, Rainforest Alliance and Fairtrade to ensure we comply with strict international regulations to help us protect our environment with sustainable farming practices for generations to come.
COMMITTED TO
Health
All Carmién production conforms to the standards laid out by the BRC Global Standard Certification system with regular testing done at critical control points to ensure a hygienic, safe product. Final products are independently tested by the Perishable Products Export Control Board (PPECB) of the Department of Agriculture.
Why Choose Carmién Tea?
Bulk Enquiries
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, Carmién is one of the largest bulk Rooibos exporters in the world.
Several factors influence prices such as the cut, volume, and certification required. The final price will be determined after establishing your specific requirements. Please use the form above to request a quote.
We offer various bulk bag sizes: 16.5kg, 18kg, 20kg, and 450kg.
For bulk raw material, the MOQ is 1 Pallet or approximately 900kg.
On average 50 x 18kg bags, depending on the cut selected.
10 pallets
20 pallets
Yes, please visit our Private Label page for more information about the service.
Yes, we sell a wide selection of Carmién and Lize Mouton Collection products. Please visit our Branded Products page for more information.
Yes, pesticide residue screening and microbial analysis are done on each finished batch.
Yes, visit our Certifications page for more information.
Yes, visit our Certifications page for more information.
Yes, we offer rooibos products certified according to JAS, USDA, and Ecocert Europe Organic certification standards.
Yes, we offer Green Rooibos in various cuts and grades.
Both red and green rooibos come from the same plant, but rooibos (red bush) goes through a fermentation (oxidation) process which turns the green leaves to a reddish brown colour and develops its distinctive aroma. Green Rooibos tea has a slightly sweet, mild green (grassy) taste, with caramel notes and a smooth, enjoyable mouthfeel and flavour profile, while fermented (red) rooibos has a delicate balance of sweetness on the nose, slight astringency and full, smooth mouthfeel with a fruity caramel taste, amber cup infusion and typical sweet aroma.
Yes, we sell Honeybush and Green Honeybush raw and packed material.
Rooibos is made from the leaves of the Aspalathus linearis plant, while Honeybush is made from the leaves of the Cyclopia intermedia plant. Rooibos leaves have a needle-like appearance and produce a deep red liquor when steeped. Honeybush leaves are shorter and thicker and produce a red-gold infusion when steeped. In terms of flavour, Honeybush is sweeter and fuller-bodied than Rooibos, with earthy undertones, while Rooibos has a profile flavour marked by notes of caramel, wood and nuts.
Carmién Rooibos Tea was founded in 1999. Read more about Carmién’s history here.
Yes, we produce rooibos and ship directly from our farm in the Cederberg to ensure full traceability from crop to cup.
Rooibos is indigenous to the Cederberg Region of South Africa and was awarded GI Geographical Indicator and PDO Protected Designation of Origin status by the EU. Read more here.
Contact Us
International Trade Enquiries: +27 (0) 22 921 8900 | charlrudman@carmientea.co.za