Entry Guidelines

The Leafies is open to any tea organisation around the world. From farmers and tea makers to tea suppliers and retailers, there is a category for all.

The Leafies showcase carefully crafted teas which bring out the complexities of the leaf and the unique flavours of the terroir.

• For teas (Camellia sinensis), only loose leaf, no teabags
• A minimum 50g of leaf for each tea.  If already prepackaged in slightly larger quantities that is acceptable to save repacking.
• Leaves can be processed in a traditional, artisan style or using modern mechanical techniques designed for high grade teas
• Contain only natural ingredients
• Available to buy online, even if only in small quantities

To enter your tea you will need to complete the online entry form and make a payment for your entry/entries. Once this is complete you will be asked to ship your tea to an address provided by us.

You will need some basic information about your company, such as the address and the contact details of the person handling your entry for The Leafies.

You will need to input the correct award category for the tea you are entering.

You will also need to provide specific brewing parameters for the tea/s, the month of  harvest (if not a blend) and the option to include a brief outline of the tea processing.

You can also share a short overview of the story behind your tea business. Any details on social or environmental initiatives can be entered later on in the Special Award categories if you nominate yourself.

You need to upload at least one photograph that represents your tea or your tea business such as the farm, your community, your team or even your packaging.

Finally you need the details of the bank card you are using to pay for your entry.

The price per tea entered into The Leafies is £85.00, however, this will be reduced to £65.00 per tea for entries of three teas or more.

For an additional fee of £40.00 per tea you can add the feedback service which will provide the scores on the judging criteria and the judges comments.

The Special Awards are free of charge and will be chosen by the judges, based on details submitted in the Special Awards part of the entry form. If shortlisted, you may be asked to provide more information.

Get in touch with [email protected] if you need help with your entry.

The closing deadline for completing the online Entry Form is now Monday 2oth September 2026. 

The deadline for the UKTA to receive teas is Monday 28th September 2026.

You will receive the details of  where to send your tea following completion of the entry form. It is an address in the UK.

This ensures we don’t receive teas without all the relevant information.

Please ensure that postage includes tracking as we cannot take responsibility for any missing entries.

Send at least 50g of each tea carefully sealed and packed in protective outer packaging. If you have a retail pack holding more than 50g, you can submit that to save you repacking.

Each tea entered must be individually labelled with the following information securely attached or printed on the pack

• Name of the organisation that is entering the tea (eg farm/estate/retailer/supplier/wholesaler etc)
• Name of the tea
• The Leafies Category Name and Number for which you are entering the tea
• Ingredients list (if not pure Camellia sinensis ie any blends and RTD)
• Brewing guidelines

Yes. When we have received your tea, we will notify you via the email you entered on your entry form.

There is no fixed limit to the number of Gold awards that may be given in each category for truly exceptional teas. However, if the judges decide that none of the entries achieve a Gold standard in that category, there may not be a Gold award.

There is no fixed number or limit to the number of Highly Commended awards. The judges will determine the number of Highly Commended awards based on the scores.

• Gold Award winners receive The Leafies Gold Award Trophy.
• Highly Commended winners receive The Leafies Award Certificate in their category.
• All winners receive The Leafies award-winning Gold/Highly Commended retail stickers.
• Winners have the right to use The Leafies award-winning Gold or Highly Commended marque on their website, in their marketing collateral and on their packaging.
• A selection of Gold Award winners from primary producer categories will be sold by Fortnum & Mason on the Rare Tea Counter in their London flagship store on Piccadilly.
• Winning teas will be highlighted in a global tea-focused market with worldwide promotional and networking opportunities.
• Some of the teas will be included in the UK Tea Academy (UKTA) training courses, the UK’s leading professional tea educational body.
• All winners have links to their names and background stories on the The Leafies and  UKTA website, broadcast in social media posts and in on-going events such as UKTA Academy Extras..
• Retail winners, blends and flavoured teas will not be among the selection for the Fortnum & Mason’s Rare Tea Counter which is specifically for small invoices of artisan tea production. We will however deliver a focused marketing campaign to generate exposure for the winning teas in the consumer press.

The Leafies celebration event will be held in London in January 2027.

We will announce the date and the venue on our website and through through social media.