Placing an order: how a first program starts
Buyers usually start with the quote form: buyer type, market, product line, quantity band, and notes on the cup profile or format you have in mind. The desk replies in writing, usually within two working days, with a shortlist, a sample plan and reference minimums. From there the sequence is samples, an approved reference sample, a written offer, then bulk against the locked spec - the full path is laid out under procurement process. There is no minimum spend to start a conversation. The desk answers serious briefs and says plainly when a request does not fit the standing catalog, rather than bending a program that will disappoint you later.
MOQ: what the numbers actually are
Every line carries a typical reference range rather than a fixed minimum. The ranges below follow standing industry practice for this catalog, and the binding figure is always the one in the written offer, because format, grade and season move the number.
| Program | Typical reference range |
|---|---|
| Bulk loose leaf | 50-100 kg per line |
| Private label bags or tins | About 100-300 kg, or 5,000-20,000 bags per line |
| Pyramid bag filling | From the 100,000-bag scale per item |
| Custom gift boxes | 500-1,000 boxes |
| Tea sets | 300-500 sets |
| Empty pyramid bags | From the 100,000-piece scale |
What moves a range upward: custom blends, new tooling, seasonal leaf that must be reserved in the harvest window. What keeps it lean: standing catalog lines in stock formats. The reasoning sits on MOQ and lead time, and what it means for own-brand packing on private label.
Samples before bulk
In-stock catalog samples typically dispatch in 3-7 working days; custom blend samples take 7-15 working days as a reference range. Sample and courier costs are stated in the written sample plan before anything ships, so the invoice holds no surprises. Cup against your own reference and keep the approved sample as the bar the bulk must clear - the points worth checking before a release are listed in the sample checklist. Buyers who skip the cupping step usually discover a mismatch when their customers do; the sample round exists so that discovery happens while it is still cheap.
Private label and custom packing
Own-brand programs cover artwork, pack format and destination-market labels: pyramid bags, flat pouches, tins, cartons and gift boxes, with food labels prepared for the rules of the market where the tea will be sold. Minimums follow the private label ranges in the table above, and custom tooling or a new blend extends lead time into the 35-60 day band. Formats and materials are compared on packaging options, and the economics of own-brand packing in tea private label MOQ. Artwork is checked for print feasibility before it goes to press, which saves one proofing round in most cases.
Certification and documents
Documents travel with the lot: cupping sheets, batch lab panels issued by third-party laboratories, and certificates held by the supplying gardens, packing facilities or labs - organic (USDA NOP or EU), HACCP or ISO 22000 at partner facilities, and Rainforest Alliance material by order. Camellane itself holds no certificates in its own name; the chain is verified per program and papers are issued in your name with the shipment. What to ask for, line by line and market by market, sits under certifications.
Shipping, customs and delivery
Reference ranges: samples by courier 3-7 days; air freight 5-10 days; sea freight about 15-25 days to the North American west coast and 30-45 days to Europe. Tea ships at ambient temperature, sealed in foil liners inside cartons and kept away from odor in transit, since leaf picks up surrounding smells with embarrassing efficiency. Incoterms, consolidation and the import document stack are covered on logistics and shipping and in importing tea: the document stack.
Storage advice once the tea lands
Tea is shelf-stable but not indestructible: keep it sealed, dry, dark, odor-free and away from heat, and it repays the care. Green teas hold best cold in barrier packaging once opened; white and pu-erh teas can be aged on purpose if humidity and temperature are controlled. Practical per-category guidance sits in grading and storage, with green tea specifics in green tea shelf life. If your warehouse has constraints - heat, odor sources, limited cold space - tell the desk at the brief stage and the pack format can be chosen to survive it.
Payment terms
Payment terms are agreed per order in writing. There is no published house standard: the written offer for each program states currency, payment instrument, deposit and balance structure, and any credit terms for established programs. Programs that need invoicing or staged deliveries follow the same rule - the arrangement goes into the offer, in writing, before production starts. If a term matters to your cash flow, raise it at the brief stage so it is written into the quote rather than negotiated after samples have already moved. That single habit removes most of the friction first-time buyers expect from cross-border purchasing.