Man who sold ordinary tea as unique Scottish variety found guilty of fraud

A man who passed off ordinary tea as a unique, Scottish-grown variety and sold it to luxury hotels and retailers has been found guilty of fraud.

Thomas Robinson, 52, claimed to have cultivated the tea at his Perthshire estate using innovative techniques, but in reality it was sourced from wholesalers outside Scotland.

Operating under the business name The Wee Tea Plantation, Robinson fraudulently sold the tea to high-profile clients in the hospitality sector between January 2014 and February 2019.

In addition, Robinson, who is also known as Tam O’Braan and Thomas O’Brien, misled genuine Scottish tea growers by selling them plants under the false pretence they were a unique, locally-grown variety.

He also bolstered his credibility by fabricating academic qualifications and industry awards.

An investigation by Food Standards Scotland (FSS) found Robinson’s misrepresentations led to his clients losing a total of £584,783.

Robinson was found guilty of two counts of fraud by a jury at Falkirk Sheriff Court on Thursday.

Ron McNaughton, head of Scottish food crime and incidents unit at FSS, welcomed the verdict.

“This was not a victimless crime – individuals, businesses, and an emerging sector of genuine Scottish tea growers suffered real financial and reputational harm as a result of deliberate deception.

“I would like to thank the witnesses who came forward and supported the investigation – their co-operation was essential to achieving this outcome.

“It’s a strong example of how partnership working and the dedication and skill of our investigative teams make it increasingly difficult for those committing food fraud to go undetected.

“We remain committed to protecting Scotland’s food and drink sector from criminal activity and maintaining consumer trust.”

He added that the FSS investigation had been “highly complex and protracted”, requiring co-ordination with “partner agencies”.

He continued: “Fraud of this nature is often difficult to detect and even harder to prove, but we were determined to pursue every line of inquiry to build the strongest possible case.”

Robinson is due to be sentenced at Stirling Sheriff Court on June 25.