After harvesting and curing, tobacco leaf is transported to manufacturing sites all over the world. The tobacco is allowed to age for up to three years in controlled environments to enhance its flavour.

Then the tobacco is prepared for processing and cigarette production. Transporting and humidifying the now brittle leaf has to be done with care, allowing for the fine art of blending to take place.

The major ingredient in each of our cigarettes is tobacco. A number of other ingredients may be added to the tobacco, including processing aids, humectants (which keep the tobacco moist and pliable), preservatives and brand-specific flavours. After the tobacco has been cut, it is stored in giant silos before entering the cigarette manufacturing process.

Manufacturing cigarettes is a fast-paced, highly automated process; machines produce between 8,000 and 14,000 cigarettes every minute. Spools of cigarette paper up to 6,000 metres long are rolled out and tobacco is placed on it. The paper is closed over the tobacco, making one long cigarette known as a "rod".

Machines slice this super-sized "rod" into much shorter lengths, insert filters, and finally cut the shorter lengths into individual filter cigarettes. Every single cigarette is checked at three different stages for the quality of its construction.

The cigarettes are then sorted into pack-sized groups, wrapped in foil to preserve their aroma, packed and put into shipping cases.

Although the manufacture of cigarettes is a highly automated process, it will never lose its human element. Supervision of the production process is vital: inspection of the leaf, blending, and quality assurance of the final product can never be left solely to machines.