Fraudster jailed for selling fake 'Scottish-grown tea'

A con artist who managed to deceive luxury hotels and stores by selling them “Scottish-grown tea” that was actually imported from abroad has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison. Known as Tam O’Braan to his customers, Thomas Robinson also duped tea growers by selling them supposedly specially engineered plants that could thrive in Scotland’s climate, but in reality, they were just purchased from Italy. His elaborate scheme, which included fabricating a story about being a former bomb disposal expert and the inventor of the “bag for life,” totaled a £550,000 scam over five years.

Robinson’s clientele included prestigious establishments like the Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh and the Dorchester in London, where he supplied various tea varieties with names such as Highland Green, Silver Needles, and Scottish Antlers Tea. Despite his solicitor withdrawing and Robinson representing himself during the sentencing at Stirling Sheriff Court, he expressed remorse for his actions, attributing them to his own “hubris and arrogance” that led him to believe he knew better.

Operating under the guise of The Wee Tea Plantation, Robinson claimed that his teas were grown on specific farmlands in Scotland, such as those in Perthshire and Dumfries and Galloway. However, investigations revealed that the tea was sourced from a wholesaler in Oxford and then resold at significant markups. Genuine tea growers eventually raised concerns, alerting authorities like Perth and Kinross Council and Food Standards Scotland, leading to the downfall of Robinson’s fraudulent operations.

Despite the damage caused to the emerging tea industry in Scotland, genuine tea growers like Richard Ross are moving forward, focusing on producing authentic Scottish teas through collaborative efforts. The sentencing of Thomas Robinson serves as a warning that deceptive practices in the food industry will not be tolerated, and those seeking to defraud consumers and legitimate businesses will face accountability for their actions

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