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

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

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

The Friday Review - French Earl Grey - T2

Hello there,

Welcome back to Tea With Me and Friends - its been a while since we featured a new tea on the blog....but this week I enjoyed a lovely cup from T2 that I'd like to share with you.

This week I have been enjoying French Earl Grey tea from T2 - thanks to Lorna for the tea-riffic recommendation and the lovely T2 lady for letting me have a sample of the tea!

French Earl Grey - T2

In this tea the traditional Earl Grey gets a French fruity twist! This medium-bodied black tea base is full of fruity notes that play with the classic bergamot flavours in an uplifting cuppa. The ingredients for this flavoured black tea include...... black tea, flavouring, hibiscus, sunflower petals, rose petals, mallow flowers

I sampled this tea in teabag form....

French Earl Grey - T2

The teabag itself is rather luxious.....as its a handcrafted cotton teabag that encases your tea leaves and other ingredients. The needs to be brewed for just a couple of minutes to give you an amber coloured cup of tea....

French Earl Grey - T2

I found this tea to be very refreshing, a bit fruity, a bit floral....a bit citrus - perfect with a piece of cake or biscuit! A very enjoyable cuppa in the afternoon.

For more information about French Earl Grey or the rest of the teas in the T2 range pop by their website. Do you have a favourite T2 tea? Leave us a comment and let us know!

Thank you for popping by today,

Rachel

The Friday Review....Gyokuro from T2

Hello there,

Happy Friday! We hope you're well today!

Last week Lorna and I happened to pop into the T2 Tea store on Regent Street and spent a rather lovely time talking to one of the assistants in there. If you're not familiar with the T2 Tea brand, they are an Australian tea company who now have over 70 stores in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States.  They are Australia’s leading tea retailer, offering the country’s largest range of premium, fragrant tea and tea wares from all around the globe.

T2 Tea instore display - swoon!

As we looked around the gorgeous tea and teaware displays, the assistant told us about her favourite tea - Gyokuro which is a green tea. This tea can be brewed twice and you can even eat the leaves once you've made your cuppa!

T2 Tea Gyokuro Green Tea

Gyokuro is a highly prized Japanese green tea. The tea bushes are shaded to encourage a heightened level of chlorophyll. The emerald green leaves yield a refined brew with what T2 Tea describe as a sweet lingering flavour. This however, is an expensive tea...are you ready for this....it costs £24.00 for 100g.

I decided despite the expense that I needed to give this tea a go (it was pay day so I decided to treat myself!).....

T2 Tea Gyokuro Green Tea

The dry leaves are a pretty green colour, and I noted they were very fine. For this tea it is recommended that you use 1 tsp of leaves per 250mls of water, the leaves should be brewed for 1-3 minutes at 80°C (176°F). 

The tea once brewed is a little yellow colour...

T2 Tea Gyokuro Green Tea

The flavour is light, with a slight nuttiness to it. It's a very refreshing cup of tea, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I didn't eat the leaves this time, but I did brew them more than once giving me better value for money.

Was it worth the £24 price tag I hear you cry? Well, it was probably one of the best green teas that I have enjoyed at home.

I also might have treated myself to some new teaware while I was there too.....shhh...don't tell my bank manager!! It was far too pretty to leave in the shop though!

T2 Tea and pretty teaware

To find out more about T2 Tea and their range of teas and teaware pop by their website.

Do you have a favourite T2 tea? Leave us a comment below and let us know!

Thank you for popping by today.

Rachel

Friday Review... French Earl Grey from T2

Hello there,

You may remember that I recently visited T2 (you can see that post here).  Whilst there I was describing the themes for my Mad Hatter's Tea Party this summer and how I wanted things to be not quite as they seem, traditional with a twist if you like.  I was recommended their French Earl Grey as an alternative to good old English breakfast tea and given a small sample to try out at home.  

So this week I gave it a go.  From the moment I opened the packet I could smell the lovely aromatic blend and it looks so appealing.  It has a traditional, medium bodied, black tea base but they have added hibiscus, rose petals, mallow flowers and sunflower petals to add a fabulous floral and fruity twist.

The floral twist makes for a delicious cup of tea which is absolutely lovely on a summers afternoon.  It manages to taste bold yet be delicate at the same time - I find it very difficult to describe so suggest you have a try for yourself!

If you would like to try this tasty tea or find out more about T2 you can visit their website here.

Have you tried any traditional teas with a twist?  We'd love to hear about them if you have.  And if you do have a try of this lovely brew please leave us a comment to let us know what you think and help me describe it!

Thank you for popping by today,

Lorna & Rachel

T2

Hello fellow tea drinkers!  It's me, Lorna!  Surprise!

Anyway, I recently had the opportunity to visit T2 in Kingston.  "Good for you!" I hear you say, "But what on earth are you talking about?"  Well, T2 is the leading tea retailer in Australia according to their website.  They have been providing Australians with tea for 18 years, have been in the UK for about a year and just opened their branch in Kingston around seven weeks ago.

T2 Store in the Bentalls Centre, Kingston

Now, you'll have to bear with me as I'm a little more shy of taking photos that Rachel so I'll do my best to describe everything to you!  The shop is modern but still inviting.  The first thing you see is a large table absolutely filled with little dishes containing all the different varieties of tea available for you to look at and, more importantly, smell.  Dotted around the shop is all the beautiful teaware which is predominantly decorated with bright colours and bold designs.  Along the walls you can find boxes upon boxes of tea, neatly organised and ready to leap into your shopping basket!

I don't expect you to be able to read them
but just look at all those varieties!

So, I was minding my own business, sniffing all of the teas, when a lovely lady asked if I would like to try any teas and pointed to a large station at the back of the store with a huge range of both hot and cold teas already prepared and waiting to be supped.  Well, it would have been rude not to, would it not?  I tried six teas in total and completely fell in love.  

It was wonderful speaking with the lovely shop assistant (whose name I have shamefully forgotten) as she was passionate about the brand and clearly a fellow tea lover!  She listened as I told her about our forthcoming Mad Hatter's tea party (I'm sure we'll keep you updated) and gave me some samples which she thought my guests might like and would tie in nicely with the underlying theme of the party, namely that lots of elements will not be what they seem.

My personally selected samples

I also bought one of their lovely packs, the Cool Sorts collection which are a selection of fruity teas which although can be taken hot, are designed to be delicious when iced.

I'll stop rambling now, I just genuinely had a lovely experience and wanted to share it with you all.  I will most definitely be heading back into T2 at any given opportunity and if you would like some more information about T2 just pop over to their website but do try not to drool on your keyboard!

Thanks for popping by today, 

Lorna