Bob Zheng
Founder & CEO
Bob is a native of Badong. After years as a Huawei executive overseas, he returned home to start a solar light business. One night, driving a few friends up a treacherous mountain road, the car skidded. They nearly fell off a cliff.
That cliff now stands behind our base. Every day, Bob sees it – a reminder of the second chance he was given. He decided to do something that serves these mountains and the people who call them home.
He discovered that over 96% of tea globally contains pesticide residues. The land where tea was first discovered was being poisoned. He decided: if tea began here, it would be restored here.
How he won their trust: He speaks the local dialect. He knows the culture. For eight years, he invested without profit – convincing over 1,000 farmers to abandon chemicals, one family at a time. Many elderly farmers didn’t believe him at first, but now they are grateful for Bob's vision. Some have since passed away, but the tea trees they planted still grow.
“They died, but the tea they planted is still here. Their spirit stays.”
The scale of his vision: Today, Bob oversees over 530 hectares of organic tea gardens – certified by China, the European Union, the United States, and Japan. The company works with more than 700 farming families and has lifted over 3,600 people out of subsistence farming.
- Former Huawei overseas executive
- Member, Shennongjia Forestry District Political Consultative Conference
- Shenzhen City Class B talent
Quilla Chau
International Brand & Marketing Director
Born and raised in Hong Kong. Quilla earned her BBA in Marketing from Hang Seng University. But the city never felt like home. Only when she arrived in Badong, deep in Shennongjia, did she finally belong.
What she brings to the brand:
- Translates Chinese to English – keeping the soul of every story alive
- Writes website copy, shapes brand voice, and crafts all written content
- Directs, records, and edits video and photo content – from concept to final cut
- Leads international market entry – one honest relationship at a time
She is the bridge between our company and the English‑speaking world. She doesn’t just translate words – she translates culture, trust, and the quiet dignity of our farmers into messages that global audiences feel.
Before tea, she built the skills we now rely on:
Organic farmer
she understands the land
Zero‑waste and organic food retail
she knows international conscious consumers
Herbalism & wellness centre work
she lives the health story we tell
Content creation
as a singer‑songwriter and featured artist
- TimeOut Hong Kong (Nov 2018):
“5 Female Rappers You Must Know”
JA Company Programme (2012–2013)
– First Place: Best Product/Service, Best Booth Design
- Most Popular Product/Service & Booth Design
- Finalist for Company of the Year
Her rule:
Only promote what she truly loves and believe in
"I’ve found the land where I belong,
A cause that keeps my spirit strong.
A tea that heals and longs to share
Peace and joy – right now, right here."
Albion G. E. Turner
International Sales & Education Director
When Albion first came to Shennongjia, he knew he wanted to stay. But to truly belong, he needed a Chinese name – when in Rome, do as the Romans do.
Quilla’s godfather – our tea master Donny – spent an entire night thinking. The next morning, he smiled and said: “南方之嘉木也。” – the very first line of Lu Yu’s Classic of Tea, where tea is called “the fine tree of the south.” And so Albion was given the name 嘉木 (Jiā Mù).
Then the tea master added a blessing: “May you be evergreen and resilient, like the tea tree – and may you always be part of our family.”
Albion is the first Westerner to call Yanduhe, Badong, home – a village so small it does not appear on most maps. He was also the first foreigner to step foot into the wild tea mountains of Shennongjia. Today, he and his life and business partner, Quilla, have made this remote corner of China their second home.
Fluent in English, French, and German (now learning Mandarin), Albion bridges cultures without losing meaning. His career spans 25 years as an educator – teaching students and leading teacher development – combined with high‑level commercial experience.
Now, as our Sales & Education Director, he does two things:
- Opens international markets – one honest relationship at a time – bringing our fully certified organic teas to buyers in Europe and beyond.
- Teaches English to local children and adults in Badong, and welcomes foreign visitors to Shennongjia – offering immersive experiences in Chinese tea culture, organic farming, and mountain life.
He doesn’t just sell tea. He opens a door: for locals, he shares the world; for the world, he shares the quiet dignity of these mountains and the people who have cared for them for generations.
“Let’s wake up the world to real tea. One country, one cup, one inspired customer at a time.”
In the 19th century, British agents disguised themselves as merchants and travelled deep into China. Their mission: to steal the secrets of tea. That act of espionage, combined with the Opium Wars that reshaped Hong Kong, changed the world's tea trade forever.
Today, a different story is being written.
A Hong Kong woman and an Englishman have chosen to live not as takers, but as guardians – in a tiny village called Yanduhe, next to the tea farms and the factory. They work alongside local farmers, protect ancient wild tea trees, and honour the culture that gave tea to the world.
Not in secrecy, but in full transparency. Not for exploitation, but for healing.
This is tea's second chance. And ours.
– Quilla & Albion, Valley of Yan
Many hands, one vision.
Meet the people behind the tea.
For partnerships, wholesale inquiries, or just to say hello – we’d love to hear from you.