New Zealand's only commercial tea estate, Zealong, has marked its 10th year in business by taking out three major awards at Europe's fine food trade show Gourmet Selection in Paris.
The Waikato fine tea company won gold for its Zealong green, silver for its Zealong aromatic oolong and the gourmet award for Zealong black.
The awards were judged by French food experts as part of the AVPA Teas of the World competition.
Zealong general manager Gigi Crawford who has been with the organic estate company since day one and was in Paris to receive the awards, said they made a great anniversary celebration event.
Zealong tea is sold in such high-brow UK outlets as Fortnum & Mason, Harrods and Claridges and in fine tea stores in Germany, France and Switzerland.
Crawford said the awards built on Zealong's success at the US-based Global Tea Championships in recent years.
She said the jury at the Paris competition noted the gold medal-winning green tea's "great harmony and interesting spicy notes", and said the oolong tea had "good balance". The black tea they said was "very satisfying".