An Edinburgh-based entrepreneur has won the RHS Chelsea Sustainable Lifestyle Product of the Year [2026] at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show for an innovative tea product.
The Meadow Blend Tea, created by former botanist Dr Sally Gouldstone, is a loose-leaf herbal infusion made from botanicals grown, harvested and dried within a Scottish wildflower meadow with zero synthetic fertilisers, herbicides or insecticides.
Sally’s company Seilich creates unique and award-winning products, made from a biodiverse, uncultivated wildflower meadow which is the size of four and a half football pitches, located on the East Lothian and Midlothian border.
The Meadow Blend Tea was chosen as the winner after a gruelling interview panel featuring famous faces, including Dragon’s Den’s Deborah Meaden. It was up against tough competition, including a botanical interior design company and a plantable desk calendar, but came out triumphant not only for its taste but for its eco-friendly production methods.
The Meadow Blend Tea was shortlisted with just two other finalists in this category before being announced the winner at the world’s most famous flower show in London, which aims to inspire, educate and excite visitors about horticulture.
The tea promotes physical wellbeing by providing a caffeine-free botanical infusion full of naturally occurring plant phytochemicals, whilst mentally supporting rituals of calm and connecting people with regenerative land stewardship.
Global herbal tea supply chains typically depend on intensive farming systems, long-distance transport and limited traceability, but Seilich’s tea was shortlisted because it is grown within a nature-positive system where production does not displace biodiversity but actually sustains it.
Sally comments: “I am absolutely thrilled we have been recognised for demonstrating that herbal tea can be grown in biodiversity-rich perennial systems, scientifically managed for ecological function, and produced locally with full traceability.”
“It is such an honour to win this award and for a sustainable product created by our stunning Scottish wildflower meadow to be recognised on a global stage.”
Sally and her team have also designed and installed a mobile meadow at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show, featuring vibrant blooms and native grasses inspired by her wildflower meadow. The garden will be on display from 19–23 May and has been made possible through crowdfunding to allow Sally to design, create and install the unique show garden.
