NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Lifestyle

Annoyed customer sparks furious Twitter row over 'misleading claims'

By Rachael Burford
Daily Mail·
6 Dec, 2016 08:03 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

While most people would assume that the tea leaves were obviously not grown in Yorkshire, the jokey reply did not go down well with this Twitter user. Photos / Twitter, Christine Cornege

While most people would assume that the tea leaves were obviously not grown in Yorkshire, the jokey reply did not go down well with this Twitter user. Photos / Twitter, Christine Cornege

A bizarre row broke out between an enraged Leicestershire man and the Yorkshire Tea company about where its product was produced.

Twitter user 2SpikyHairedWweFans, a wrestling fan from Leicester whose real name is Imran, called out the tea company for not growing their leaves in England's biggest county.

It all started innocently enough when he wrote: "Hey can you tell me which part of great Yorkshire you actually grow your tealeaves in that are used in great Yorkshire Tea."

@YorkshireTea hey can you tell me which part of great Yorkshire you actually grow your tealeaves in that are used in great Yorkshire tea?

— 2SpikyHairedWweFans (@2spikywwefans) December 5, 2016

Seeming to assume the question was a joke, the person behind the Yorkshire Tea Twitter account replied: "Yes of course. We grow it in our massive hydroponic tea plantation two miles beneath the surface of Dewsbury."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

While most people would assume that the tea leaves were obviously not grown in Yorkshire, the jokey reply did not go down well with 2SpikyHairedWweFans.

Yes, of course. We grow it in our massive hydroponic tea plantation two miles beneath the surface of Dewsbury.

— Yorkshire Tea (@YorkshireTea) December 5, 2016

He tweeted a screenshot from the Yorkshire Tea website detailing the company's tea growing plantations in the rainforest.

you wouldn't be telling porky pies now would you? As your website states different! pic.twitter.com/BGhxwHZrU9

— 2SpikyHairedWweFans (@2spikywwefans) December 5, 2016

What followed were a series of outraged tweets about how the Yorkshire-based company were "lying" to their customers.

He ranted: "So basically the only thing Yorkshire about your tea is the packaging that has Yorkshire written on it?"

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

He added: "You should state this fact in your advert."

This man is very cross about tea not growing in Yorkshire. Can someone please let him know that everything's OK? He's not listening to us. https://t.co/FR2ytWdM5V

— Yorkshire Tea (@YorkshireTea) December 5, 2016

The bemused Yorkshire Tea spokesman continued to humour the Twitter user.

They wrote: "English Breakfast tea isn't grown in England either. We're sorry to be the ones to break this too you."

If this is a lie too, we're quitting Twitter. https://t.co/xLyy8nsQ4k

— Yorkshire Tea (@YorkshireTea) December 5, 2016

The argument did not go unnoticed by other users on the social media site.

Discover more

Entertainment

Baby resembles actor Danny DeVito

27 Nov 12:30 AM
Lifestyle

Groom bans 'unattractive' bridesmaid

01 Dec 08:42 AM
Employment

The 'red flags' that cost you the job

06 Dec 05:59 PM

Users took to the site to express their "outrage" at other products that had "misleading" names.

Dave said: "What?! Really? Hang on a minute, I've just discovered there are no virgins in my olive oil!"

@CromulentTweets added: "You mean to tell me HP Sauce contains zero Houses of Parliament and wasn't made in one?"

Kevin Swann joked: "Oh and did anyone mention thousand island dressing yet?"

Kelly said: "I was always disappointed to find no angels in my cakes."

Josh Reynolds added: "Wait until he discovers Caesar doesn't make salads."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
The tweets sparked a game on the social media site with users expressing their 'outrage' at other products that had 'misleading' names. Photo / Twitter
The tweets sparked a game on the social media site with users expressing their 'outrage' at other products that had 'misleading' names. Photo / Twitter

After a flurry of joke tweets and a "private" conversation with Yorkshire Tea, Imran appeared to realise the mistake.

He finally brought the argument to an end with the tweet: "I've never been [one] to be afraid of holding my hands up and saying I'm wrong, which in this case I was. Yorkshire Tea humbled me."

I've never been 1 to be afraid of holding my hands up and saying I'm wrong, which in this case I was @YorkshireTea humbled me

— 2SpikyHairedWweFans (@2spikywwefans) December 6, 2016

He told MailOnline that the "most hilarious part" is he is not even a tea drinker.

Imran, a wrestling fan account run by a man from Leicester, called out the tea company. Photo / @2spikywwefans Twitter
Imran, a wrestling fan account run by a man from Leicester, called out the tea company. Photo / @2spikywwefans Twitter

Imran said: "People haven't actually realised I was being sarcastic when I asked them which part of Yorkshire the tea was from.

"I had all ready researched where they source their tea from. The whole reason I started the debate was I felt the farmers who grow the tea for Yorkshire to source are the real hero's behind Yorkshire tea and should get more recognition.
"In a private message with Yorkshire tea, they sent me a map that detailed different places around the world where they source products but also put a lot back into the local communities.

"They also went onto explain they are not a conglomerate and pay above the fairtrade price. I don't even drink tea this is the most hilarious part.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Also all the people thinking they are smart saying tea doesn't grow in England might want to check Cornwall out, we export British tea to China for their consumption."

Please do be nice to @2spikywwefans - his message feed must be a bit bonkers!

— Yorkshire Tea (@YorkshireTea) December 5, 2016
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Lifestyle

Premium
Lifestyle

How to tackle your to-do list if you struggle with executive functioning

17 Jun 06:00 PM
Premium
Lifestyle

Josh Emett and the eclair that became an icon

Premium
Lifestyle

‘They come at you’: The grandmothers playing rough at a kids’ sport

17 Jun 06:00 AM

Sponsored: Embrace the senses

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Lifestyle

Premium
How to tackle your to-do list if you struggle with executive functioning

How to tackle your to-do list if you struggle with executive functioning

17 Jun 06:00 PM

NY Times: Conditions like ADHD can make starting and completing tasks feel impossible.

Premium
Josh Emett and the eclair that became an icon

Josh Emett and the eclair that became an icon

Premium
‘They come at you’: The grandmothers playing rough at a kids’ sport

‘They come at you’: The grandmothers playing rough at a kids’ sport

17 Jun 06:00 AM
How often you should be cleaning your toilet, according to experts

How often you should be cleaning your toilet, according to experts

17 Jun 12:12 AM
Help for those helping hardest-hit
sponsored

Help for those helping hardest-hit

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP