ALTHOUGH Covid-19 has served up plenty of misery for Welsh food and drink producers, one Powys tea company admit the pandemic has allowed them to brew up a more secure future.

Welshpool-based Morgan's Brew Tea Company were forced online when coronavirus gripped Wales and the rest of the UK in March 2020 – but without the virus, owners Geoff and Anne Meredith admit they wouldn’t be in business today.

The couple were back in the food hall at the Winter Fair in Builth Wells last week, with the iconic event returning after being postponed in 2019. And even though there’s nothing quite like a cuppa and a natter with customers old and new at such shows, Geoff and Anne say they have the pandemic to thank for dragging them into the 21st century.

“It’s been tough because before the pandemic most of our income was from shows like this throughout the season but then, during the pandemic, we got shut off and lost 90 per cent of our business,” said Geoff.

“We’ve gone fully online now. It was only a short amount online before so the roles have been reversed. It was 10 per cent of our business before, now it’s 70 per cent.

“The pandemic forced us online and we had to shell out lots of money in order to do it but, ultimately, it’s been a good thing – without the internet we wouldn’t be here today.

“We obviously wouldn’t wish the pandemic on anyone but, ultimately, it forced us to look at new markets and new methods. It dragged us into 21st century and we’re now starting to get results.”

If you’re a traditionalist, perhaps the Morgan’s ‘Brecon Breakfast’ is a bit of you. Or, if you’re a bit more of an adventurist, you might want to give their fruity ‘Tropical Island’ or ‘Liquorice’ blends a whirl.

The fact the couple say their bestseller is ‘Counting Sheep’, part of the herbal infusions range, suggests there’s a fair amount of insomniacs in Powys, although not far behind it is their ‘Organic CBD Tea’.

CBD – aka cannabidiol – is a cannabis compound, one of 113 identified cannabinoids in cannabis plants. CBD is a substance naturally found in hemp plants. The hemp plants used for CBD tea and other supplements are naturally richer in CBD and the psychoactive tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) element, the principal psychoactive constituent of cannabis, will have been removed to at least acceptable levels.

While most of Morgan’s Brew blends are available for around £5, the CBD flavour is a little pricier, with 100 grams setting you back £18.50.

“Counting Sheep is the most popular as it helps people sleep, but people have also taken a big interest in a new one we have introduced, CBD,” added Geoff.

“It’s expensive. It’s like cannabis but the funny stuff has been taken out. It’s organic, it comes from the Baltic, there’s a café in Northampton who import it in and it’s on their production line.”

To discover more of the Morgan’s Brew blends, visit their website at https://morgansbrewtea.co.uk/.