Earlier this month, I was lucky enough to find myself attending a matinee performance of The Phantom Of The Opera. Before Mum and I watched the breathtaking show, we spent the morning in the glorious and sunny Covent Garden in London. Whenever I'm in Covent Garden I find it physically (and probably emotionally too!) impossible not to visit the Whittard shop. In fact I visited both shops, the store on The Strand and the larger store within Covent Garden itself.
On this particular visit Whittards were sampling a glorious loose leaf white tea. That blend is the fabulous Blend No 240: Chelsea Garden.
I am a huge lover of white tea. I love the delicate traits white tea has. I also love the fact that white tea is dainty enough for china cups and saucers and afternoon tea, yet, has plenty of flavour, too. By drinking this tea, you gain only a wonderful experience.
That day I was in the shop there were various samples available of black, white and green tea, but I will admit, hands up, I'm a bit of a sucker for anything floral, in particular rose, when it comes to tea, so this appealed to all my senses and I couldn't resist sampling this gorgeous tea.
Visually, this is a stunning tea. It's nature at it's very best, appearing in your box of tea. I love the lush tea leaves that come in various shades of green. It's vibrant and alive and healthy. Within those leaves you have pink tiny rose buds and rose petals which adds a dash of stunning colour. The appearance of the tea, with it's gorgeous rose scent is just about as close to perfect as you can possibly get.
As I make my own teabags at home, I usually fill each bag with three generous teaspoons of tea. This is carefully measured in order to get just the right amount of rose flavouring. Each teabag can be infused a couple of times, but I find by the third infusion the tea is significantly weakened so I'd say two infusions is just about right for a tasty cup of tea.
Considering this is a white tea, and white tea has to be handled gently, I boil the kettle and let it cool for a couple of minutes for pouring over the teabag. I infuse this tea for around three minutes. Personally, this is the perfect recipe for making the ideal cup of tea.
Well ... what can I say about this tea? I LOVE IT!
Rose scented tea's are often hit and miss, if I'm totally frank. A really good tea is a delight, but many cheaper rose tea's can taste somewhat artificial, soap like even, so my advice would always be pay as much as you possibly can if you want a truly natural tasting rose tea. Chelsea Garden costs £6.50 for 50g's but it's money well spent, in my opinion of course!
This tea is very smooth and very easy to drink. It's blended exceptionally well.
I absolutely love the taste of the actual white tea. The vegetation like element really appeals to me. This could be off putting for some but it isn't. It's smooth and is a really good base tea. It's refreshing and yummy but has that strength to it too to make it truly satisfying.
Naturally, the rose flavour is the more prominent flavour, but it's so delicate and gentle and the aroma when you open the tea packet is ever so slightly Turkish delight like. It's mouthwatering and just so gorgeous. Due to the addition of tiny rose buds and petals, the rose tastes as if it had been picked, freshly from the garden just before infusion. This is no oily, artificial addition. This is good, honest rose and it tastes as it should.
I will admit that I have crushes on several tea companies, but Whittard has become the latest love of my tea life. They are classy, they make totally fabulous tea, and they leave other names standing in the shadows. Their online service is also very good, but it's the shops where my heart lies. The amount of choice available is staggering. The quality is very high and uncompromised. I am hugely impressed with Whittard.
If you want a tea perfect for afternoon tea sat in the sunshine (when it eventually arrives!) then this is surely one of the best tea's to try. If you like your tea delicate with a nice floral flavour then do not hesitate in trying blend Number 240.
This is ideal served up with jam tarts, Victoria sponge cake or a strawberry shortbread.
Chelsea Garden is a truly sophisticated, classy and elegant tea. This is to be supped delicately and enjoyed at your leisure. Each sip should be savoured and adored.
I will end this review by saying you HAVE to treat yourself to this gorgeous tea. Because, lets be honest, you're worth it!
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