Science Weekly A Scottish tea mystery: green shoots – episode one
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Oct 28, 2025 Tam O'Bran, a self-styled tea grower and entrepreneur, shares his bold dream of cultivating tea in Scotland on the Dalryrka estate. Nicola Davis investigates the intriguing discrepancies in his claims, from supplying luxury hotels with award-winning teas to the mysterious circumstances surrounding his methods. As local growers become intrigued and Tam's persona gains media attention, doubts arise about the authenticity of his success. With questions about tea’s growth conditions and the provenance of his products, the story unfolds into a captivating quest for the truth.
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Charming Pitch At The Dorchester
- Nicola Davis met Tam O'Bran in 2015 and found him charismatic and self-assured as he promoted his Scottish tea venture to luxury hotels.
- Tam claimed to propagate camellia sinensis for years and sold Scottish-grown tea to places like the Dorchester and the Balmoral.
Buyer Turns Grower Nearby
- Drinks writer Richard Ross heard Tam's story on the radio, visited Tam and bought 500 tea plants to try growing tea on his family's land in Scotland.
- Richard and others formed the Scottish Tea Growers Association with Tam at the centre of the network.
The Bucket Of Questionable Tea
- A French news crew visited Tam's plantation and picked leaf for cameras, producing a large tub of processed green tea that Tam said came from Richard's plants.
- Richard later suspected the amount and type of leaf (silver needles) could not have come from his plants in February.