For those of you who like to see the folk behind the business, here we are and when pushed to choose just one tea, this is our selection:

Jennifer Wood

Company Director in her 40s

Organic Dragon Well 

This tea does it for me when i need a refreshing bolt of something green with a clean, distinctive taste. It has that fresh, grassy, vegetal, nutty edge that I love and it's great to share with people whose only experience of green tea is from a dusty bag.

Edgar Thoemmes

Company Director in his 20s

2011 Canton Tea Co Special Puerh

Our own specially-commissioned raw puerh cake was my highlight of 2011. Young, light and intense and the moment, I know the flavours will mellow and mature with age, becoming smoother and rounder. I've put a few of these aside for myself to drink over the years.

Dan Taylor

Operations Manager in his 30s

Pouchong

This was my perfect introduction to green tea. I was expecting more astringency - dare I say bitterness? What I got was an incredibly refreshing, smooth, easy-drinking tea that keeps going through several infusions. Quite a revelation to a one-time, traditional bag-in-a-cup, tea-drinker.

Barney Allan

Senior Associate in his 50s

Ali Shan

A rounded, smooth, easy-drinking tea that is suitable for any time of day. I've seen the beautiful Taiwanese mountains and in the high-grown flavour, you get the taste of the terroir and the cool, misty slopes.

Kate Popham

Web and Communications Assistant in her 20s

Silver Needle

I love the delicate taste of Silver Needle. It really brightens you up first thing in the morning and after lunch - in fact anytime. The Chinese believe it makes your skin glow and is full of antioxidants but that's just a bonus - the taste is the big attraction.

Alice Evans

Operations Assistant in her 20s

Mi Lan Dan Cong

I taste a lot of teas for my job and of all the hundreds I have tried at Canton Mi Lan Dan Cong (one of the first I ever tried) is still my favourite. Every time I drink it I am blown away by the unmistakeable, intense fruity flavours; It's sophisticated, complex and really, really special.

Shelley Pearson

Customer Service Administrator in her 40s

Canton Chai

I've always liked a warming, spicy chai with milk and honey, but when I tasted the Canton Chai I realised it was also delicious without milk.

James Barnett

Financial Controller in his 30s

Organic Whole Leaf Peppermint

So far removed from the standard peppermint tea bag. This is so fresh and zingy its like a refreshing wake-up drink without the caffeine.

Simon Shepherd

Distribution Assistant in his teens

Canton English Breakfast

I drink a nice, strong cup of this in the morning when its cold. I never really drank tea before I worked here but I like this one.