The Wednesday Tea Review - T2 Morning Sunshine

Hello there!

Happy Wednesday - welcome back to another tea review from Tea With Me and Friends. We're still working our way through the T2 teas that we bought at Christmas time - there are plenty for us to try!

Today we thought we'd share a breakfast tea with you - Morning Sunshine! Doesn't it sound wonderful?? It's also described by T2 as the ultimate breakfast blend, which is quite a claim to make. 

This tea is a blend of Assam, Darjeeling and Rwandan estate black teas. 

This tea should be brewed between 2-4 minutes, depending on how robust you like your cuppa in the morning. You can enjoy it with or without milk.....but you know me....I drank mine without!

This tea is designed to brighten your morning every day...

I thoroughly enjoyed this cuppa - it's got a bright bold flavour, which is a little malty. It's something that can be enjoyed every day and I found it complemented my morning cereal well. 

I often start my day with a cup of black coffee (yes, shock horror I know!), but I would happily replace that with a cup of Morning Sunshine.

If you'd like to find out more about this tea, or other teas in the T2 range pop by their website

Thank you for popping by today,

Rachel

The Wednesday Tea Review - T2 Southern Sunrise

Hello there!

Happy Wednesday! We hope you're having a good week!

Welcome back to another tea review from the T2 tea party box! This week we're sampling a flavoured fruit tisane from the range called Southern Sunrise....

This blend includes hibiscus, lemongrass and grapefruit and is inspired by the Australian summertime. It's a tisane designed to invigorate, with a wonderful aroma and sunny colour to the liquor. 

First disclosure ….I have no idea why I have included a fake pineapple in the photo...there is no pineapple in this drink! Maybe I just wanted to make the photo more summery?? The teacup I have used is another one from the T2 collection - I love this cup and use it all the time!

As you can see the tisane has a gorgeous yellow colour once brewed and the aroma as its brewing is so summery....that alone should lift your spirits!

The flavour is really interesting as the lemongrass really comes through, making it not an overly sweet brew. Once again I tasted the tea both hot and cold and I think I preferred it as a cold drink - it was very refreshing, perfect on a hot day.

I think you could drink this tea at any time in the day - first thing it's a bright and zingy hot drink, but drinking it cold in the afternoon would be very refreshing.

Have you tried this T2 blend - if so we'd love you hear your thoughts! 

Thank you for popping by today and don't forget to pop back next Wednesday to see which drink we'll be trying next!

Rachel

Time for.....a tea recipe with T2

Hello there,

Welcome back to Tea With Me and Friends!

This week we've been experimenting with our cuppa thanks to a fab tea recipe card that I picked up in a T2 store. T2 like to share tea recipes, combining their teas with different foods and drinks. As well as the fab recipe cards in store, you can also find a whole host of easy to follow recipes on

their website - including tea-infused ice cream floats, earl grey cakes and matcha mayo!

The recipe card I picked up had three different recipes on which used a different T2 teas - Banoffee Pie, Jersey Caramel and NY Salted Caramel....great for someone like me with a sweet tooth! I opted to try the NY Salted Caramel recipe which features T2 New York Breakfast tea (a black tea blended with cinnamon and vanilla), along with salt, honey and milk.

This recipe is really quick to make and creates a really satisfying cuppa! All you need to do is brew the tea for approx. 4 minutes, then add the salt, honey and milk to taste.

I'm not going to lie - its a bit bizarre adding salt to a cup of tea, but you've just got to go with it. The recipe called for a pinch of salt, I probably didn't add quite a pinch - I'd definitely advise adding the salt and honey a little by little, tasting after each addition. I then added a splash of milk, which made the tea quite creamy and made it look almost like a hot chocolate!

I really enjoyed this tea - once I got the balance of salt and honey right it tasted lovely. It's hard to describe, but it almost felt like I was actually drinking/eating pudding - it would be perfect after a meal when I have a craving for something sweet. 

I'll definitely be trying some of the other recipes on the T2 website and keeping my eyes peeled for more recipe cards!

Have you tried any of the T2 recipes? We'd love to hear which is your favourite!

Thanks for popping by today,

Rachel & Lorna

Fes-Tea-Val 2018 - Celebrating National Tea Day!

Hello there,

Welcome back to Tea With Me and Friends - we hope you're feeling tea-riffic today!

Here in the UK we are getting closer to the biggest par-tea of the year - the UK's only dedicated tea fes-tea-val takes place on the 21st and 22nd April at Chiswick House and Gardens. The fes-tea-val is to celebrate National Tea Day - a movement to get people drinker more tea! We believe there is nothing better than catching up with friends or family over a cuppa and so can't wait for this event dedicated to tea!

The event is divided into dedicated zones with themed activities and delicious food, drink and lifestyle delights in each.......and of course lots of tea samples to find your new favourite tea! The zones include, the Bou-tea-que, Tea ‘n’ Tipple Boulevard, The Tea Bazaars, Tea ‘n’ Treat Village, The Vitali-Tea Garden and the Picnic Park - just take a peek at the map.....

The event is open 10am-5pm on both days, with Tea & Tipple Boulevard open until 9pm so you can par-tea long into the night!

For more information and to buy tickets pop by the National Tea Day website

Thanks for popping by today,
Rachel & Lorna

The August Teatourist Subscription Box - take a peek here!

Hello there,

Welcome back to Tea With Me and Friends - today we're taking a peek at the August box from Teatourist to see which six teas we are discovering this month!

We always love it when a new Teatourist box falls through our letterbox - a delivery of tea is definitely better than bills! Each month Teatourist sends subscribers 6 tea tasters from a variety of different tea companies. This month's selection is called "fresh and frisky"- a selection of teas to extend that summertime love!

As always there is something for everyone, from green teas to a cardamom chai, a flavoured rooibos and a camomile blended with fennel and rose. Some of the tea companies will be familiar to hardened tea addicts, but there will also be some new companies to discover.

This month's selection.....

This varied selection of tea makes for a very pretty tea leaf photo.....

The clever thing about the Teatourist box is the tea is sent in little pouches, each pouch has enough tea for a couple of cups.....perfect for trying out new blends. If you like something you can buy more, but if a tea isn't to your taste at least you haven't wasted lots of tea and money. It's a great idea for anyone wanting to discover new teas and be a little adventurous with their tea drinking.

Each tea pouch comes with a brilliant little card which describes the tea and how to brew it, along with information about the tea company. I particularly like the tea tips they that provide, giving you tips on making the perfect cuppa.

If you'd like to find out more about Teatourist and their tea-riffic monthly tea subscription pop by their website!

If you've got the August box we'd love to hear which is your favourite box - leave us a comment here or get in touch on Twitter or Facebook!

Thank you for popping by today,

Rachel and Lorna

Friday Tea Review - adagio teas - part 2

Hello there,

Welcome back to Tea With Me and Friends - we're here with another tea-riffic tea review for you! Last week we brought you two hot teas from the adagio teas range....this week we are sharing one of their iced teas!

With summer (hopefully) fast approaching us in the UK (we can wish can't we??) we're starting to think of the warmer months and summer drinks. Iced teas are hugely popular in America apparently accounting for approximately 85% of all tea consumed, and they are often served sweet. Iced tea is also a popular choice across Europe - but it doesn't seem to be as popular here in the UK. Cold brewing is becoming more popular however, with more people experimenting with iced teas. So when adagio teas offered me the opportunity to try one of their iced teas I jumped at the chance!

Adagio Teas makes their iced teas using tea leaves rather than powders, selling pre-measured "iced tea-bags" that you simply add to a jug of water and refrigerate overnight. The pouches are just like oversized tea bags and each one makes about a litre of iced tea.

White peach iced tea - adagio teas

And it is as simple to prepare as adding the pouch to water, putting the jug in the fridge and waiting overnight. However, if you want your tea sooner simply steep your pouch in hot water for five minutes and then add ice to cool - I think the overnight wait is worth it though!

There are currently 8 different iced teas in the adagio range, including a blood orange iced tea, a mango iced tea and a citron green iced tea. I was lucky enough to be sent the white peach iced tea - combining a delicate white tea with sweet peach flavours.

White peach iced tea - adagio teas

This tea was sweet and delicate - not at all artificial and the peach flavour was balanced just right. Much better than black peach ice teas that I have tried previously - I think the white tea matches the peach flavour really well. All I can say is roll on summertime!

The iced tea pouches cost £6 for 6 pouches, but you do get a litre of drink from each pouch. I would definitely like to try the other iced tea flavours in the range too.

I'd like to say thank you to adagio teas for sending me the iced tea to try, but please note that all opinions expressed in this blog post are my own.

Thank you for popping by today,

Rachel

Friday Tea Review - adagio teas

Hello there,

It's Friday and we've written a blog post....that can only mean one....yes the return of the Friday Tea Review! It's been a while since we posted a Friday review, but we've been busy tasting teas ready to share with you!

This week we are sharing some teas from adagio teas that we've recently been sent to try. Adagio teas are sourced directly from artisan growers, which means they'll reach you super fresh and full of flavour. Tea varieties in their range vary from traditional blends you know and love to something a little bit different - there is something for everyone within their range!

I've tried two rather unique teas to start my tea adventure with adagio teas - a white blueberry and an earl grey green....

Earl Grey Green - a twist on a traditional earl grey blend! 

early grey green - adagio teas

This is a blend of green tea, orange peels, natural bergamot flavour and blue cornflowers to produce a lighter version of a traditional earl grey. When brewed for 2-3 minutes you get a lovely pale yellow tea which has the aroma of bergamot.

The tea is light and refreshing - perfect for a sunny afternoon! The flavour isn't as intense as a traditional earl grey tea, but if you're happy with a slightly lighter tea then this is worth a try.

White Blueberry - a light, fragrant white tea blend!

white blueberry - adagio teas

This tea blends two of my favourite things - white tea and blueberries! I seriously cannot be controlled when there are blueberries about - there is something about the flavour that I just love and I can easily devour a punnet without realising! So when I saw this tea I knew I had to try it.

White Blueberry tea blends together flavour of blueberries with premium white tea from Fujian province, China. This tea can be enjoyed hot or cold - I opted for hot, brewing for tea for about three minutes.

The tea is very aromatic once brewed and a beautiful copper colour. The flavour is very light and delicate, the blueberries add a pleasant sweet taste. Not for anyone who likes a lot of flavour from their tea, but if you are looking for something light and refreshing this is a good tea to try.

I think it would make a really good cold brew tea as well - lovely in the summer months.

I'd like to thank adagio teas for sending me their teas to try, however please note that all opinions expressed in this blog post are my own.

Do you have a favourite adagio tea? If so we'd love to hear all about it - get in touch! If you'd like to see more of the adagio tea range pop by their website.

Thank you for popping by today,

Rachel

Time to..... explore the April Tea Box from Teatourist

Hello there,

Welcome back to Tea With Me and Friends - we hope you're feeling tea-riffic today!

It's always an exciting time when the next Teatourist subscription box arrives through the post - each month they manage to curate an exciting and diverse collection of teas that I have not discovered before! They package up enough tea for you to enjoy about four cups of each variety - meaning you really get a good taste, but there is not much waste if something isn't to your liking.

This month's collection is light and fun, perfect for springtime...it includes two black teas, three herbal teas and a veggie tea!

Teatourist April subscription box

In this post we are going to look at the first couple of teas I tried.....one of the black teas and the veggie tea! First off we have the Thieves Brew by Bev's Tea company. This 100% Vangedi Pekoe black tea is a medium caffeine tea from Sri Lanka,  which sounded perfect when I found myself in a rather delicate (self-inflicted) state on Bank Holiday Monday.

Thieves' Brew tea by Bev's Tea Company

The tea should be brewed with 95 degree water for 3-4 minutes to produce a cooper-coloured tea that will make you smile...

Thieves' Brew tea by Bev's Tea Company

The flavour is smooth, with a slight nutty note. I enjoyed it black, but it can be drunk with milk or lemon. Bev is a tea consultant, based in Scotland, who has previously managed a tea estate and set up a sustainable micro tea factory in Sri Lanka. I think it's safe to say she knows her tea!

Thieves' Brew was a very refreshing cup of tea, perfect for my delicate state....

The other tea that really intrigued me was the "veggie tea" from Leaves of the World. This company was started by The TeaNomads and it specialises in certified-organic tea and boasts one of the largest selections of vegan-friendly teas in the UK!

Pumpkins Go Bananas is a sweet brew which can be enjoyed hot or cold and is packed full of fruit and veg.....just take a look at the "leaves"....

Pumpkins Go Bananas - Leaves of the World

This tea is full of apple, carrot, pumpkin, pineapple, banana chips, ginger and coriander. It should be brewed using 2 teaspoons of leaves in 100 degree water for 5-8 minutes.

Pumpkins Go Bananas - Leaves of the World

 This pale yellow tea smells and tastes just like banana!

It's sweet and can apparently be enjoyed hot or cold. It's definitely something really different, that I wouldn't have tried if I didn't have this month's Teatourist box. I hope this post illustrates how diverse the Teatourist boxes can be - keeping both traditional and experimental tea lovers happy!

To find out more about these companies or the teas they offer pop by their websites - you never know what you'll discover!

Bev's Tea Company

Leaves of the World

Thank you to Teatourist for sharing another one of their tea-riffic subscription boxes with me. To find out more about their monthly boxes pop by their website.

Thank you for popping by today,

Rachel

Time for Tea....with T2, Kingston Surrey

Hello there,

Welcome back to Tea With Me and Friends - we hope you're feeling tea-riffic today!

Did you know that Friday is National Tea Day here in the UK? National Tea Day is a chance for Tea lovers to unite in their love of tea - whether you attend the Tea Festival in London or just enjoy a brew at home with your friends and family. You can get involved on social media too, sharing your tea stories by using the #nationalteaday hashtag!

Ahead of National Tea Day I was invited into T2 which is located in the Bentall Centre in Kingston Upon Thames, Surrey for a tea masterclass. Lorna first introduced me to T2 a while ago and I thoroughly enjoy popping into their shops to have a sniff of the leaves and try the various teas (there are over 200 on offer!)......plus the staff are always so friendly. So I gladly accepted the invitation to meet Nick, store manager and learn a bit more!

This is Nick......who is full of passion and knowledge for tea (he even puts it in his stroganoff!) ....he makes a mean cuppa and wants to share his knowledge with everyone...

Nick - T2 store manager, Kingston Surrey

The philosophy at T2 is very laid back - the staff actually want to talk to you (imagine that!), they want to know what tea you enjoy already, how you brew your tea, what flavours float your boat. You're also encouraged to explore the numerous tins of tea....to have a smell of the leaves and try some of the teas (yes, they'll even brew you a cuppa!).

The first T2 store opened in Fitzroy, Melbourne in 1996 and today they have stores around the world. Every store I have been in has had the same friendly feel - lots of happy people wandering around gorgeous displays of teas and teaware.

The Kingston branch is exactly the same.....a feast for the eyes and the nose....

As we talked about the history of T2 and talked tea in general, Nick asked me questions about flavours I like and dislike and started brewing up some teas to try.

The stores are fitted out so you can sample both hot and cold teas from the whole range. If you fancy trying something new it's a great place to visit.

Today we sampled a white rose tea, French Earl Grey, a smoky London breakfast tea, Berry Oolong and a peach tisane to name a few!

Tea sampling - T2

Nick and his team are knowledgeable about tea in general (as well as T2 teas) and can guide you around the teas on offer in the current tea range. They are keen to show people how great tea can be and how easy it is to enjoy loose leaf tea at home.

If you have a T2 shop near you I would definitely recommend popping in and saying hi - you never know what you might discover.

Nick also showed me the T2 Teamaker - which lets you brew loose leaf tea at home (or anywhere) really easily and then serve it in your favourite cup simply by placing it on top of your cup (it looks kinda magical as the tea pours into the cup).

T2 Teamaker

I'd like to thank Nick for taking the time to talk to me about T2 and for taking me through so many teas. I learnt today that I still don't like Rose tea, but discovered a rather lovely New York breakfast blend that features cinnamon and vanilla (reminds me of pancakes!).

Disclaimer - Nick very kindly gave me a Teamaker and some tea to take home with me - however please note that all opinions in this blog post are my own and have not been influenced by this gift.

If you have a favourite T2 Tea we'd love to hear all about it. To find out more about T2 pop by their website.

Thank you for popping by today,

Rachel

What's inside the Teatourist February Box?

Hello there,

Welcome back to Tea With Me and Friends, we hope you're well today!

We're very excited to report that the February Teatourist has arrived with us - we first experienced the delights of Teatourist when their January box landed on our door mat earlier this year. Teatourist is a tea subscription service, which brings tea lovers six wonderful blends from different tea companies each month. To read more about the service pop by our last post.

Let's take a peek at the February box....

February Box from Teatourist

This month's box includes a selection of black and green teas from Cheshire tea, Edgcumbes, Good & Proper Tea, Oteas, Tea in the City and The UK Loose Leaf Tea Company. 

We have a breakfast blend from the Good & Proper Tea Company, which features Assam, Kenya, Ceylon and Darjeeling leaves.

There is also a full bodied blend from Edgcumbes tea blenders which features Orthodox Assam, Darjeeling second flush, Keemun and Lapsang Souchong.

Oteas have provided a tea bursting with health benefits, combining black tea with dandelion roots.

There is a lightly roasted oolong from Tea in the City.

Possibly the prettiest tea I have ever smelt....the Cherry Sencha from Cheshire Teas. This is a blend o Sencha green tea, rose petals and natural cherry flavour.

Finally we have a Gunpowder Organic green tea from The UK Loose Leaf Tea Company.

A great selection for either someone new to the world of loose leaf teas or an experienced tea lover!

Each pouch has enough leaves to make about four cups - the perfect amount to try out a new tea, as well as a tea card that tells you all about the tea and the tea company. 

I have already tucked into two of the teas....

Discovering new teas via Teatourist

Tea and cake via Teatourist

For more information about how Teatourist works pop by their website.

We'd like to thank Teatourist for sending us their February.

Thank you for popping by today,

Rachel & Lorna

Teatourist January Box - closer look part 1

Hello there,

Welcome back to Tea With Me and Friends!

Our last post about Teatourist talked about the January box that we had received, which included six different teas for us to try. We were very excited to receive a diverse selection of teas from six different tea companies. Today we're taking a closer look at the teas in the box from Morgan's Brew Tea Company and Exclusivitea.

Teatourist January Box 2017

Let's start with Morgan's Brew Tea Company and their Gunpowder Tea, which is a Chinese Green Tea from the province of Zhejiang.

Gunpowder Tea - Morgan's Brew Tea Company

Morgan's Brew Tea Company is an independent, family run company which operates out of a 19th century stone townhouse in Welshpool, mid-wales.  I just love how  this tea company began....

 In 2006 Geoff and Anne Meredith took over Poppy's Tudor Tearooms in Shrewsbury Shropshire and their regular customers enquired about tea they could enjoy at home. So, a plan was born where the regulars would taste 50 or so different teas and chose an overall winner. The tea they chose was a black tea from Kenya and Rwanda... and that was the beginning of Morgan's Brew Tea.

Gunpowder Tea - Morgan's Brew Tea Company

Gunpowder tea leaves are rolled into small pellets and the tea is believed to taken its English name from the fact it looks like black shot power grains.

Morgan's Brew Tea Company has a top tip when buying this tea - look for shinny leaves and the smaller the pellet the higher quality the tea which gives you a more fragrant delicate tea.

I followed the instructions found in my Teatourist box and brewed myself a wonderful cup of green tea...

Gunpowder Tea - Morgan's Brew Tea Company

People often say they don't like green tea because they find it bitter, this is usually because the tea has been brewed with water that is too hot. The brewing guide suggests pouring the water into your cup first and then adding the leaves as this avoids scorching the leaves.

I found this tea to be well rounded and easy to drink. A nice, refreshing cup of tea!

Exclusivitea is a small boutique tea company, which specialises in sourcing teas from Sri Lanka. The tea company, which is based in Kent, works directly with the growers and suppliers bringing regional teas to tea lovers across the UK and Europe.

Pure Ceylon Tea - Exclusivitea

The tea included in the January Teatourist box from Exclusivitea is a Pure Ceylon tea from Sri Lanka. It's a Broken Orange Pekoe Fannings (BOPF) grade, which is the most common grade, from a single estate.

Pure Ceylon Tea - Exclusivitea

As you can see these are intensely rich black tea leaves, so I was looking forward to a good punchy cup of tea - perfect for first thing in the morning! 

Again, I followed the instructions on my brewing card, using just one teaspoon of the leaves and allowing them to steep and develop for three minutes.

Pure Ceylon Tea - Exclusivitea

I was not disappointed by this cup of tea - it was rich in colour and bold in taste. If you love your back tea, then I would suggest this is perfect for you. 

I really enjoyed discovering the teas from these two companies and look forward to sharing with you the rest of the teas in upcoming posts - watch this space!

Thank you for popping by today,

Rachel

Afternoon Tea News - Looking for a tea-riffic Valentines Gift??

Hello there,

Welcome back to Tea With Me and Friends.

Today we are sharing with you a tea-riffic Valentines gift idea.....perfect for the tea lover in your life (or maybe just for you!). The lovely folk at Piacha have put together the sweetest tea gift, perfect for your tea-addict Valentines!

Inside this box you will find eight different Piacha teas (yes eight varieties - told you it was perfect for the tea-obsessed individual in your life!), each stored in a cute little heart shaped tin....

Tea Gift from Piacha

How sweet are those tins?

The tea selection includes some of Piacha's most popular blends -  English Breakfast, Earl Grey Vanilla, Moroccan Mint, Ginger Chilli, Chamomile Citrus,  Rooibos Choc Cinnamon, Rooibos Rhubarb Fudge and my personal favourite Apple Green Tea.

Each tin contains enough tea for between 5 - 10 cups.

I know I would definitely love to receive this little black box this Valentine's Day (hint, hint Joe if you are reading!). For more information about this gift pop by the Piacha website.

Thank you for popping by today,

Rachel & Lorna