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 Geisha Getaway

Hello there,

Happy Hump Day! Time for another T2 tea review from the box I treated myself to at Christmas and this time I want to share a tea with you that really makes me smile.....the Geisha Getaway....

This is a flavoured green tea that reminds me of sunnier times. The sencha green tea is blended beautifully with pieces of pineapple and coconut to produce a sweet, summery cuppa!

This tea only needs to brew for 2-3 minutes and should be drank without any milk. The tea is a light green / yellow colour once brewed and has a tropical aroma that will have you dreaming of beach holidays. 

It might not be the tea for you if you're not a fan of sweeter teas, but if you are looking for something that will make you feel summery you should give this one a try!

I drank my tea hot (which was really enjoyable), but I imagine it would taste just as good served cold with ice cubes in the hotter months. The flavour is bold, tropical and refreshing.....I wonder if we could make a summer cocktail using it??

Do you have a tea that makes you smile? If so I'd love to hear all about it...leave me a comment below!

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

The Wednesday Tea Review - T2 Creme Brulee

Hello there,

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

Before Christmas I treated myself to "A Tea Party for Twenty" from T2 teas....but then I completely forgot to review the teas! Whoops! The box is a festive collection which includes twenty teas and tisanes from the T2 range. T2 is an Australian tea company who create innovative blends using real tea leaves (blends include banana bake and raspberry rush as well as a range of breakfast blends from around the world and more traditional teas) they have a real passion for tea and their shops are a pure delight to visit....which is where I found this pretty little box....

Inside the box...…just look at all those teas....

As there is only one Christmas tea in the collection I've decided to still feature these teas on the blog as you'll still be able to buy them in a T2 shop or on their website if you fancied trying them yourself.

I decided to start with one of the flavoured black teas - Crème Brulee. 

This is a black tea flavoured with a hazelnut praline flavour. It's supposed to be a decadent sweet treat - vanilla, hazelnuts and caramel flavours blended with a black tea. Enjoyed either with a dash of milk or black.

I decided to drink my tea black (as I usually enjoy tea without milk), and I followed the brewing instructions using boiling water and leaving the tea to brew for approx. three minutes.

Did I mention that T2 also have an amazing range of tea cups? This one was a gift from a friend, but I love all their china - worth popping into store just to marvel at the different colours and patterns!

Back to the tea....this is definitely a sweet treat...if you have a sweet crazing but want to avoid the calories this tea could provide the answer! You can taste the vanilla and the hazelnuts, which blend well with the black tea. 

I wouldn't drink this as a morning cuppa as it's too sweet, but it work perfectly as a guilt free afternoon treat. It also tastes good once its gone cold (I've got an awful habit of leaving cups of tea and coffee all around the house and finding them hours later!) - it was actually more refreshing once it had gone cold and I could imagine drinking it cold on a hot summer afternoon!

Have you tried this tea? If so we'd love to hear your thoughts....did you enjoy it black or did you try it with milk as well?

Thank you for popping by today....pop back next Wednesday to see which T2 tea we'll be trying next!

Rachel

The Tea Review - Jollybrew

Hello there,

Welcome back to Tea With Me and Friends - we hope you're having a tea-riffic week!

Recently the lovely people at Jollybrew sent us some of their teas to sample.....so we put the kettle on, got our favourite teacups out and got our taste buds ready!

Greg is the brains behind the Jollybrew, after becoming a full time Dad whilst his wife Sarah returned to work, he wanted a business he could launch from home. After falling in love with loose leaf tea, he decided that tea would be that business, with the mission to introduce loose leaf tea to the world.

Jollybrew was launched in late 2014, with just 15 blends - today they have 50 to choose from! Jollybrew blends are created by their team of master tea blenders, but around 30% of flavours are blended by Greg's own fair hands!

Greg sent us three teas to try - Elegant Earl Grey, Rosie Lee and Proper Peppermint

Let's start with the Elegant Earl Grey blend, which is from Sri Lanka In The Nuwara Eliya, Dimbula And Uva Regions and contains Black Tea, Cornflower Petals and Natural Flavours. 

Jollybrew recommends that you use one teaspoon per cup for this blend, brewing the tea for 3-4 minutes.

I found this tea has a subtle aroma, but a punchy and rich bergamot favour. The tea is dark amber in colour and tastes very refreshing. 

The Rosie Lee blend is a black tea flavoured with rose buds. The tea is from Sri Lanka in the Nuwara Eliya, Dimbula and Uva regions, and the blend contains Black Tea, Blackberry Leaves, Rose Petals, Rosehip, Natural Flavours.

For this blend it is recommended that you use one teaspoon per cup and brew for 3-4 minutes for the perfect cuppa.

The aroma is very strong in this blend, the roses hit you as soon as you open the packet and they remain strong while the tea is brewing. The tea is a very pretty colour - a light amber, with an almost pinky hue. The flavour of the tea is very floral - I'm not a huge fan of rose tea, but if I was this would definitely hit the spot!

Finally we have the Proper Peppermint infusion. Jollybrew use peppermint leaves from the USA for their infusion and they recommend using 1-2 teaspoons per cup, depending on how strong you like your tea.

The tea has a strong, minty aroma, which is matched by an equally strong and  minty flavour. Its a minty tea that packs a punch!

Jollybrew teas can be bought online and start at a very reasonable £3.00 for a 25g sample pack. The range is extensive - there is something for every mood! You can buy the teas in loose leaf packs, and they offer 8 of their blends in tea bags. They also have a range of tea tools in their online shop - including some gorgeous cups and a tea timer. 

Jollybrew also offers tea lovers a subscription service, where from £9.99 a month you can have your favourite tea delivered to your door! 

For more information about Jollybrew pop by their website. 

I'd like to thank Greg for sending us these teas to try. Please remember that although we have received these teas for free, this has not affected our taste buds and all opinions expressed in this blog post are our own.

Thank you for popping by today,

Rachel and 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

The Friday Review - Natural Oolong, In Nature Tea

Hello there,

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

So, it's been rather a long time since we wrote a Friday review post showcasing a new tea that we've been enjoying....but fear not....we're back with a new tea for you to discover!

Today we're sharing with you a tea from In Nature teas - their Natural Oolong. In Nature teas is a family run company set up by the founder who moved from the UK to China, where he travelled and enjoyed some of the best teas in the world....which he wanted to share with tea lovers everywhere! In Nature work with small, family-run farms who use traditional methods to produce their teas.

For a small family run company, In Nature offer a great range of teas including three different Oolong teas. We had the pleasure of sampling their Natural Oolong tea which is known in Chinese as Nai Xiang-Jin Xuan, which translates as ‘fragrant milk’. Which is a great name for the sweet, creamy aroma of this tea.

 This tea is sourced in Taiwan and In Nature buy during Autumn when the leaves are best harvested. If you look closely at Oolong leaves, you'll see that they are twisted tightly....but watch them swell once they are added to water.

The leaves have a lovely fruity aroma to them, which hit you as soon as you open the packet.

To brew this tea, use one tablespoon of leaves per cup of tea you are making and allow the leaves to brew for just a minute or two to enjoy a light, refreshing brew. Your water should be boiling when making this tea, but beware of leaving it to brew too long - you don't want to ruin this delicate tea!

Once brewed you have a pretty peachy tea to enjoy....

The aroma was slightly less fruity once brewed, but it still smelt sweet and creamy. The flavour is light and refreshing, slightly fruity / floral - perfect for warmer weather. I really enjoyed this cuppa!

And just look at how much the leaves swelled with the water....

If you would like to try this tea it is available from the In Nature tea website and starts at £6.00 for 50g of tea. For more information and to see the other teas on offer pop by the In Nature website.

I'd like to thank In Nature for sending us their tea to try. Please note that although we received a complimentary sample of tea, this has not affected our taste buds and all opinions expressed in this article are our own.

Thank you for popping by today,

Rachel & Lorna

Time for....some cold brew tea from Ahmad Tea

Hello there,

Welcome back to Tea With Me and Friends!

Phew! If you're in the UK at the moment you're probably feeling the heat! Not that I'm going to complain....the sunshine is much better than our usual UK weather! But we do need something to help us cool down in this heat.....and so I was so pleased with my recent post from Ahmad Teas which included a selection of cold brew teas.

Cold Brew Tea - Ahmad Tea

Each of the teas are brewed using just a teabag and cold water and are ready in approximately 5 minutes. There are three different varieties to try - English tea, peach & passion fruit and lemon & lime.

So far I have tried the two fruity options...

Cold Brew Tea - Ahmad Tea

The peach & passion fruit did indeed brew in about five minutes giving the tea a lovely rich colour. The flavour is peachy, but I would try and brew it a bit longer next time to intensify the flavour.

Cold Brew Tea - Ahmad Tea

The lemon & lime tea brewed in under five minutes and the flavour was very refreshing. The instructions suggest you might like to sweeten the tea, but I found the flavour of this one to be great on it's own. This is definitely my favourite of the two fruit teas.

The best thing about these teas are how quick and convenient they are to make - no need for boiling water or any fancy contraptions. Just make with cold water in your favourite glass and add ice!

Ahmad Tea sells these in boxes of 20 teabags for £2.20, for more information pop by the Ahmad Tea website.

I'd like to thank Ahmad Tea for sending me their cold brew teas to try - such perfect timing!

Thank you for popping by today,

Rachel

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 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

Tea Review - TweeTea for Children

Hello there,

Welcome back to Tea With Me and Friends - we hope you're well today.

Recently we were introduced to Treena from TweeTea - a collection of children's fruit tea. Treena came up with the idea of developing teas for children with her friend....over a cup of tea! They realised that when they met up for a good old fashioned catch up over a cuppa and a slice of cake that their children were quite limited in what they could enjoy, and a lot of the options were full of sugar. Treena wanted a healthier option for children which was tasty and also easy to prepare.

Twee Teas source all of their ingredients from reputable suppliers. They hand blend the fruit teas and sell them in pyramid teabags. The teas can be enjoyed both hot or cold, they are all natural with no added sugar or additives and contain no tannin or caffeine.

Currently there are three teas in the range - mixed berry, strawberry and vanilla and orange and pineapple. Treena kindly sent us the mixed berry and the strawberry and vanilla varieties to try......

Tweetea - mixed berry and strawberry and vanilla

The packaging is very cute - each has a sweet tea bird! Meet Berry-Boubou and Sunny Swift! 

The mixed berry tea contains Blackberry, Elderberries, Grapes and  Hibiscus, while the Strawberry and Vanilla contains Strawberry, Vanilla, Rosehips and Hibiscus. Each should be brewed for 3-5 minutes, developing really pretty colours in your cup.....

The strawberry tea has a really sweet aroma once brewed, it reminded me of the strawberry and cream sweets I enjoyed when I was little. However, the taste was much more mellow as the hibiscus came through. As the tea cooled it was interesting to see the vanilla flavour develop again - making the hot and cold versions of the drink quite different!

The berry tea is very subtle in both aroma and flavour, its not overly sweet but its sweeter than the strawberry tea. 

The teas are available in packs of 15 pyramids, which retail at just under £4 each. For more information pop by the Tweetea website.

We'd like to thank Treena for sending us these teas to try!

Thank you for popping by today,

Rachel and Lorna

The Tea Review - Cupsmith

Hello there,

Welcome back to Tea With Me and Friends - a couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of discovering a new coffee and tea company which is based in Farnham, Surrey. I met George from Cupsmith at the Farnham Maltings monthly market where he was selling both coffee and tea.

Cupsmith have been selling coffee for about a year and I discovered that they even roast their own beans weekly, in their lovely roastery. They added tea to their range shortly after and now sell online, at markets and directly from the roastery. Their range is deliberately simple and their Instagram feed is just gorgeous!

I chatted to George for a while about the range of teas on offer and opted to try Mr Crawford's Afternoon Tea (their product names and packaging are all super cute!). This afternoon tea blend includes black and green Chinese teas with jasmine petals, rose petals & bergamot oil. 

Mr Crawford Afternoon Tea - Cupsmith

The tea once brewed is delightful - its got a full flavour, but its not overpowering. It makes a perfect blend to enjoy in the afternoon with a slice of cake.....or anytime really! I've made my way through my initial bag fairly quickly!

The tea is sold in leaf form in pyramids, making it easier to enjoy a quality cup of tea at home. You can buy the pyramids in boxes of 15, 50 or 100 bags.

The other teas in the range include a robust breakfast tea, an earl grey, a peppermint tea, a "calm days" herbal tea and even a Christmas blend. Take a peek at the Cupsmith's website to read more.

I'm looking forward to discovering more of the range for myself - if you already have a favourite blend from Cupsmith let us know!

Thank you for popping by today,

Rachel

The Friday Review - Dragonfly Teas

Hello there,

It's Friday.....that means one thing at Tea With Me and Friends Towers....it's time for the Friday Review. This week we are featuring two teas from Dragonfly Tea who are celebrating 15 tea-riffic years!

To celebrate fifteen years of Dragonfly Tea, their new Tea House Collection brings to life all the passion, heritage and expertise for which Dragonfly Tea have become known. Their beautiful collection features 10 delicious artisan whole leaf teas, all sourced with care from the finest gardens around the world.

Dragonfly Tea were kind enough to send us two of the collection to sample at home....

Dragonfly Tea Collection

Just look at those beautiful boxes!

As you can see we tried the English Breakfast blend and the Bai Mudan White Tea.

Dragonfly Tea have created a ‘breakfast blend’ of exceptional quality, selecting teas from some of the world’s finest estates. For over 150 years, tea-makers have sought to compose the perfect accompaniment to the traditional English breakfast....and I have to say that Dragonfly Tea has done a wonderful job with this blend! It's a full bodied black tea, with slightly malty undertones. A really good cuppa to start the day!

The white tea comes from China’s mountainous Fujian Province. Known as ‘White Peony’, it is made from the delicate buds and most tender leaves of the Da Bai tea bush, favoured by the 11th century Song Emperors of China. Grown amongst the misty peaks, the leaves are gathered and dried in early spring and then lightly and skilfully cured using age-old techniques. This produces a lovely, light tea which has a slight nutty flavour. 

To celebrate these pretty teas I knew I needed one of my really pretty teacups....

To find out more about the new collection from Dragonfly Tea pop by their website.

We'd like to thank Dragonfly Tea for sending us these teas!

Thank you for popping by today,

Rachel

Festive Round Up - BRUU Tea Advent Calendar

Hello there,

Welcome back to Tea With Me and Friends.

If you love tea as much as we do here at Tea With Me and Friends Towers then we might have found something you'll love this December.......the BRUU Tea Advent Calendar which is filled with their  gourmet loose teas!

BRUU Tea advent calendar

You’ll get a mix of different teas in your advent calendar, which might include black, green, oolong, white, chai, fruit, herbal, mate and rooibos. If you’re lucky you may even find some of BRUU's most popular teas like:- If Terry’s Did Rooibos, Festive Warmer, Biscotti Black, The Earl of Winter, Mango Loves Yogurt, Lemon Meets Ginger Green, Lullaby Dreamcatcher, Liquorice Dream, Emperors Seven Treasures, Jasmine Green…

What you'll get?

25 fresh gourmet loose teas in number packs, with enough tea in each for 2-4 cups.

Twine and mini pegs (to hang your calendar!)

Surprises along the way

Stainless steel tea egg infuser

Tea coaster

Tea guide

Our teas

BRUU pride themselves on creating unique loose tea packed with only the finest natural ingredients. So, expect to find things like whole raspberries, orange segments, rose petals and fresh liquorice in their teas!

To find out more about the advent calendar pop by the BRUU tea website.

Thank you for popping by today,

Rachel & Lorna

Festive Round Up - Bluebird Tea Co

Hello there,

We hope you're feeling tea-riffic today! Here at Tea With Me and Friends towers we've been sampling more festive tea from the latest Bluebird Tea Co collection....plus pulling a rather special cracker!

 Let's start with the tea....which is called Snowball...

Yes....you've read the box right.....there is marshmallows in there! And cacao and coconut....all blended with black tea! 

Bluebird Tea's most famous Christmas tea blend even scooped a Great Taste Award this year, so I knew I was in for a treat!

This blend includes Ceylon black tea, coconut pieces, cacao bean, cocoa shells, desiccated coconut, mini marshmallows, chocolate chips and red cornflowers and it looks sooooo cute....

Bluebird Tea Co - Snowball teabag

Just look at those mini marshmallows!!!

This tea is brewed for up to four minutes and can be enjoyed with or without milk. I went for it without milk and enjoyed a really lovely cuppa! The tea when brewed has a lovely warm amber colour and smells sweet.

The tea also has a sweet and coconutty flavour, but not too sweet....in fact it's quite hard to describe the flavour. So hard that I took some teabags into my colleagues for them to try too....they also enjoyed the tea, but couldn't describe the flavour properly either! 

It's a bit like a party in your mouth when you drink this tea....it's a bit sweet with a spark of coconut and a hint of chocolate. More than anything it's warming and makes me smile!

Bluebird Tea Co - a cup of snowmall and a dinky mince pie

Bluebird Tea Co also has a creamy Snowball latte recipe on their website at the moment, take a peek here!

This week we've also been getting ready for Christmas by pulling a tea-riffic Christmas cracker....a cracker that contains tea!

Bluebird Tea Co Cracker......yes, there is tea in there!

Each box contains six of these tea-riffic crackers - inside the crackers you'll find a paper hat, an individually sealed Bluebird tea bag and a tea related joke. Perfect for tea lovers everywhere!

Now for the important bit......the snap is great! When you pull the cracker it makes a lovely, satisfying "snap"! I was also impressed with the contents....yep....more lovely Bluebird Tea....

For more information about the crackers pop by the Bluebird Tea Co website.

We'd like to thank Bluebird Tea Co for sending us their festive tea collection - pop back soon to see more festive teas!

Thank you for popping by today,

Rachel