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 - German Gymnasium, London

Hello there,

Welcome back to Tea With Me and Friends - we hope you're having a lovely day!

Last weekend it was a Birthday at Tea With Me and Friends Towers - so we did what we do best and celebrated with a spot of afternoon tea! I've eaten at German Gymnasium in Kings Cross before, enjoying their savoury menu, but I knew they also did an afternoon tea menu that took my fancy. I've spent quite a lot of time in the Rhine area of Germany and love the food and drink there.

So I rounded up my friends and headed on a new afternoon tea adventure!

German Gymnasium - Afternoon Tea

At German Gymnasium you need to decide whether you want an Austrian themed afternoon tea or a German themed one. Both have savoury and sweet options.....but for the traditionalists amongst you watch out as there are no scones! The options are made up of foods from the region, the staff were happy to swap some of the savoury items around (Anika had three egg rolls instead of the selection of three different rolls).

As you can see from the menus below, this is a great value afternoon tea....

Within the group some of us wanted the German and some the Austrian, so we got to see both cake stands. I'll be the first to admit that we had to Google some items to find out what they were (not sure why we didn't just ask the waiters!), it definitely was an afternoon tea adventure!

When the stands were served I was a little disappointed initially as they looked a little sparse, but in fact I found the portion sizes just right.

German Gymnasium - Afternoon Tea

The rolls were fresh and soft, with just the right amount of fillings. I'm not overly keen on fennel, so one of the rolls was a bit too "fennelly" for me, but otherwise the fillings were well balanced.

The sweets were all really different, again they were all fresh and a good size. I was a tad bit disappointed that my black forest gateaux was in macaroon form, but it was well made and I could taste both chocolate and cherry.

However, the Opera cake was probably the stand out sweet treat....

The restaurant knew we were celebrating a Birthday and so at the end of the meal they sang Happy Birthday and brought out a piece of scrummy cake....

.....but they obviously don't know me very well because look how many forks they also brought us - "just in case everyone wanted a taste"....

German Gymnasium is well located, opposite Kings Cross station, and is a lovely space to enjoy a meal in. The building was designed by Edward Gruning and was England’s first purpose-built gymnasium, with funding coming solely from London's German community. It was built in 1865 for the German Gymnastics Society (established in 1861 by Ernst Ravenstein) and hosted the indoor events London's first Olympic Games, back in 1866.

This is definitely a great value afternoon tea at only £18.50 per person, you can also add a glass (or two) of SchlossVaux Sekt sparkling wine for £4.50 a glass. For more information about German Gymnasium 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

Afternoon Tea News - Chocoholic's delight!

Hello there,

Welcome back to Tea With Me and Friends - today we are sharing with you a brand new afternoon tea which will be sure to delight chocolate lovers everywhere!

Launching today (14th April) is the all new The Montagu’s Green & Black’s Chocola – TEA

The Montagu’s Green & Black’s Chocola – TEA

The Montagu at the Hyatt Regency London have teamed up with Green & Black's to craft London's only entirely Chocolate Afternoon Tea! Treat yourself to this wonderfully indulgent Chocola-TEA.

Launched to celebrate Easter and the 25th anniversary of the iconic British brand Green & Black's, this afternoon tea features chocolate throughout all the cake stand.....yes even in the savouries!

Take a look at the menu here...

SAVOURY

Smoked Salmon Sushi Sandwich Cucumber, Dill Cream Cheese-Garnished with Green & Black's White Chocolate Flakes
Churchill Mini Burger with Chilli Chocolate-infused BBQ Sauce BBQ- Sauce infused with Green & Black's Dark 70% Chocolate
Venison and Milk Chocolate Pate with Fresh Raspberry-Braised with Green & Black's Milk Chocolate
Aubergine Mousse Éclair-Dusted with Green & Black's Organic Cocoa Powder
Coronation Chicken Sandwich-Homemade Green & Black's Chocolate Bread

SWEETS

Refreshing Lime Sorbet in Ginger Chocolate Cone
Passion Fruit & White Chocolate Macaroon Stack
Dark Chocolate Cupcake with Salted Chocolate DIY Garnish
Butterscotch Chocolate Tea Cake with Gold Leaf Garnish
Raspberry & Dark Chocolate Layered Mousse with Fresh Raspberries

EXCLUSIVE TEA

Maya Gold Cocoa Nib Tea- infused with orange, cinnamon & nutmeg a tribute to the UK's first ever Fairtrade product

The Montagu’s Green & Black’s Chocola – TEA

Apparently Sir Winston Churchill, the hotel's namesake, was rather partial to a bit of chocolate.....if so I think he'd approve of this indulgent chocolate focused treat!

For more information about this afternoon tea pop by The Montagu at the Hyatt Regency London website.

If you experience this afternoon tea we'd love to know what you thought...did the chocolate bread float your boat?

Thank you for popping by today,

Rachel & Lorna

Easter 2017 Afternoon Tea Round Up - Part 2

Hello there,

Welcome back to Tea With Me and Friends and our second look at the wonderful Easter themed afternoon teas that are available this year!

Today we're taking a look at the elegant offering from Hotel Café Royal,  a rather cute looking tea from Dorsett Shepherd's Bush and a chocoholics dream at Whittlebury Hall.

Enjoy an afternoon tea at Hotel Café Royal in London this Easter and you'll have a bunny joining you for tea.....well actually a rather cute macaron with bunny ears!

The bunny is an orange and pistachio macaron, and other Easter treats include Simnel cake with golden eggs!

Dorsett Shepherds Bush are serving hot cross bun scones at their Easter afternoon tea, as well as Chocolate nests, eggcellent biscuits and mini Easter eggs!

How cute are those biscuits?

Or how about this chocolate feast on offer at Whittlebury Hall...

This Easter afternoon tea features dark chocolate & praline brulee, spiced fruit & marzipan cake, milk chocolate & tonka bean brownie, Eton mess ice cream cone (yes you read that correctly!) and raspberry & lemon macaroons. Sounds tea-riffic!

If you enjoy an Easter themed afternoon tea this weekend we'd love to hear all about it - send us a photo on Twitter!

Thank you for popping by today,

Rachel & Lorna