Prince Edward visits Ahmad Tea company in Chandler's Ford

Ahmad Tea has been formally presented with the King’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainability for its commitment to the environment and its charitable work.

Starting in a small shop in London Road, Southampton, in 1986, Ahmad Tea is now one of the top five producers of tea across the globe, enjoyed in over 65 countries worldwide.

On Wednesday, November 13, the Duke of Edinburgh presented Ahmad’s head of sustainability, Zahra Afshar, with the award.

Zahra said: “My grandfather was one of the two founding members of this company – he was devoted to charity which is an ethos we have maintained throughout the decades.

“Understanding the role that businesses like Ahmad Tea can play in lifting up communities is so important – we give around 20 percent of our profits to charity.

“One of my proudest moments was our project with Oxfam to build water holes in rural communities in Niger and because of our logo they call the pumps Ahmad Tea – that made me so proud.

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“The Duke was brilliant and he was really knowledgeable about tea – he said he had been to Sri Lanka to study how tea was brewed.”

The company’s charity work also includes building a cancer hospital in Sri Lanka and partnering with Southampton General Hospital, Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, and Macmillan Cancer Support in the UK.

The Duke of Edinburgh and Ahmad Tea Chairman, Rahim Afshar (Image: NQ) Ahmed Tea’s Chairman, Rahim Afshar, added: “After starting in London Road, we brought a small warehouse behind Debenhams in Southampton and 25 years ago we brought a unit here in Chandlers Ford.

“Eighteen years ago we built the site that we now call our home.

“Some of our clean water projects in Africa have made me extremely proud to be a part of this amazing company – it gives me a lot of satisfaction.

“It’s a great honour to receive this award and His Royal Highness was so kind to everybody.”