A Blog For Dad: My Tea Drinking Inspiration

This is a photograph of my lovely Dad with his parents on the day he married my Mum. He was nearly nineteen, Mum was not even eighteen. They were married for thirty seven years before his death in 2008.

I loved my Dad with a love only a daughter can have for her father. Unconditional, absolute, ever lasting and even after his death, it's a love that continues to grow. And with that brings that unique pain a daughter can have at the loss of her father. Grief, they say, is the price we pay for love.

I was blessed with my Dad. He was superb. Funny, smart, intelligent, hard working and whom put his family first before everything and anything. He slipped easily into role as the cool grandad when the time came and was a doting on his grandson and grandaughter as he was on us.

From my father, I inherited not only a passion for The Beatles (we were Beatles buddies till the very end) but my obsessive, all consuming love for tea.

Of course, I've not always been a tea drinker. I was pushed to the tea side when I realised that drinking vast amounts of coke every day was perhaps not the way to go. But my Dad always said that once I got the taste for tea 'it won't leave you, Lau, it won't'. And it hasn't - as you all know!

Dad inherited his love of tea drinking from his Dad (also pictured). According to Mum, when they lived with my nan and grandad in the early days of their marriage, the kettle or the teapot was never cold. It was one cup after another after another ... rather like it is with me!

My Dad never lived long enough to witness my slip into tea obsession, though if he were here now, or if he's watching over us, he'll find it amusing. Or hysterical!

As a family, tea runs in our veins. For instance, when Dad treated mum and I to a day out, before we even walked around that museum or stately home, we'd have to find the cafe and have a cup of tea. Then we'd have one with lunch. And probably another one before we made it home. When we went on holiday and stayed in a caravan, tea bags were the first thing he packed.             

I'm not totally sure what Dad would of thought of the weird and wonderful tea's I have in my cupboard. Earl Grey would most likely not be for him, and I'm not sure what he'd do with a oolong. But you see, it doesn't really matter at all which tea you drink. It doesn't matter if you buy artisan or supermarket. If you spend  £15 on tea or £2.50. If you get comfort in whatever blend or brand then it's all good really isn't it?

Tea is simply awesome. Tea is simply great. Dad knew it then, and I know it now. But at the same time, there is just a hint of sadness, knowing I'll never share a cup of tea with him. It's kind of bittersweet.

I miss my Dad every day. That sense of loss subsides somewhat, but never leaves you. There are times when I'm desperate for a hug. I'm desperate for that cool, logical mind of his to tell me "everything is going to be alright". Not to worry. Not to fret. 'What's the worse that can happen?'.

I miss him in his just woken up zombie state when he 'just wanted tea'. 

But mostly, I miss him when I'm making a cup of tea. I miss not having the chance to make two.

Even now though, Dad's still guiding me. For without that obsessive love my family have for tea (on the whole we are tea total) I wouldn't be sat here writing now.

I've always been told I'm my fathers daughter. I look so much like him. I don't say much but when I do say something it mean's something, not just idle chatter. And through tea, I resemble him even more.

And never have I been prouder to do so!

Baraka Teas: Malawi Peony

Right now I've never felt happier or more comfortable in my life. I'm settled in my comfy bed, laptop on, sipping tea, watching Twin Peaks and about to blog - which has become one of the main passion's in my life.

Next to me, I have on one side a Malteasers Easter Egg (kindly brought for me by one of my favourite customers) and on the other I have a simple yet delightful white tea.

That tea is from Baraka Teas and it's a blend called Malawi Peony.

It's fair to say that Baraka Tea's are new to me. I have been very lucky to experience their tea through the really fabulous teatourist tea subscription service. I would highly recommend you check out the teatourist service. Each month I've had a box pop through the letter box and it's filled to bursting with some delicious exotic tea's. They really are a great service and honestly, you get such a wide variety of choice that you can experience tea in all shapes and sizes. I am in love with teatourist!

I always keep my tea's from teatourist stacked neatly in the pantry and this evening wondered what tea I was going to blog about. I fancied something light and my eyes set immediately on Malawi Peony.  

On the information card that come with each tea I was interested to note that Baraka tea's use tea that is grown without pesticides. I found that very interesting! Also, this tea is plucked in Africa which is vastly different from where tea normally comes from!

I absolutely love white tea. I find it's delicate and light and perfect, for me anyway, at times like Christmas and Easter when we all are eating a little bit more then we normally would. I find it's delicate lightness a perfect remedy for those times when we've all over indulged a little bit.

This tea comes in huge leaf form. I filled my teabag to bursting point but hardly took any tea from the packet. So big are the leaves, it's really great to look at. I love the dark brown and lush green colour of the leaves. A different and interesting tea to look at! I felt the leaves and they are nicely crisp and are just lovely to the touch.

You may or may not know about brewing white tea. It's a tricky tea that is even more delicate then green tea so you have to be very careful and very precise when preparing this tea. Ideally the perfect temperature for this tea is 80 so I turned the kettle off quite some time before it reached full boil. Pouring hot water onto white tea will scorch the leaves making the tea a hideously bitter mess. And white tea need not be bitter at all. I set the timer on the oven for three minutes - the recommended time for this tea and waited, not very patiently I will admit, to be able to drink this tea.

And oh, how beautiful does this tea look? It brews to a light honey colour. Just delicious!

This tea is tempting in just about every single way!

White tea does have that lovely earthiness that you get with green tea but in a far more subtle way which just adds to the long list of it's charms! And charming this particular tea is.

Firstly, the tea has a very smooth texture. It has that ease to it that makes you want to gulp it down in one hit. I like the slightly nutty element to this tea that is common in white tea. But the flavour of this white peony tea rolls across your tongue in the most delightful of ways.

For all it's lightness this tea has substance. It's delicate and feminine, but not wishy washy. It has depth to it's flavour. You do honestly feel as though you've had a decent cup of tea, yet do not feel weighed down as I can sometimes do with black tea.

There is a gorgeous sweetness to this tea. When you first take a sip of this tea you have that familiar vegetation type taste you get with white and green tea, which I find to be utterly mouthwatering. But beyond that, towards the end of the sip you have this wonderful sweetness come through that works hand in hand with the tea's earthy qualities. The sweetness doesn't feel like you've added sugar to the tea, it's not that type of sweetness, but it feels natural and healthy and the sweet taste just adds that bit of extra interest within the tea.

White Peony provides you with a light, fragrant, delicate tea, that is brilliant to relax to. It's comforting yet different enough to spark your interest. I love also how this tea stays just as lovely as it cools - some white tea's can go bitter and unpleasant as it cools down.

You feel as though it's healthy, too. That you are doing yourself a huge favour, not just by treating yourself to a tasty tea, but by drinking something so natural and fresh that you can only benefit healthy wise from this tea, too.

This is white tea in it's natural, purest form. Perhaps how it should really only be taken. And it really does leave those white tea's you can buy in the supermarket in the shade.

White tea's do take to flavours very well, peach and pomegranate are two flavours that work well with white tea. However, having experienced a very high quality tea such as this, well, I don't believe flavouring is needed. It's perfect as it is.

This tea is just absolutely gorgeous. It makes a lovely change from black and green tea and can easily work it's way into my daily tea drinking life! White tea is under-rated. Severely so. It's the George Harrison of the tea world. When you mention tea you immediately think of a sturdy John Lennon black tea, or a sweet and cheeky Paul McCartney green tea. But beyond those two famous favourites stands white tea. A talented tea that can easily hold it's own but somehow, always get's forgotten. And that is criminal in my opinion.

On the tasting cards it says this tea is perfectly matched with chocolate, which is handy as I do have a easter egg sat here next to me!

I'm really, really impressed with this tea. And if Baraka Tea's collection of other tea's are as lovely as this then us tea drinkers are in for a absolute treat! I really urge you to try this tea if you fancy trying white tea. You won't be disappointed.

I think that the pairing of teatourist and Baraka Tea is just ideal.And I'm so grateful to have been able to try this wonderful tea.

Thank you to Baraka Tea and to teatourist. Without either of you, I would of missed out on a treat of a tea. I'm off now to brew a second cup (the leaves can be infused up to three times!). And I'm sure it's just as good second time round!

Chash Tea: Jasmine Oolong

For me, every single cup of tea is a treat. A luxury. Whether it be a delicious Earl Grey or a creamy milky oolong. But there is a particular type of tea that really is a EXTRA special treat. A treat I rarely have as it's quite an expensive tea. A tea which every single sip is truly tasted, savoured and enjoyed.

That tea is Jasmine tea. It's often sold as Jasmine Pearls or simply as Jasmine oolong.

Today I have a wonderful Jasmine Oolong from Chash Tea.

According to Chash Tea's website,  this tea consists of hand rolled oolong tea that is scented with freshly picked Jasmine flowers. Just reading that is mouthwatering enough for me!

I will admit that I've had several cups of this tea to get a real feel for the blend and to be able to review it in the best way I can. And with each cup this delightful blend just gets better and better and lovelier and lovelier.

Upon first inspection of this fantastic blend I just about fell in love. The colour is absolutely awesome. And it's quite amazing to think that this tea has been hand rolled by someone with such care and respect for the tea. The tiny pearls are just lovely to feel, too. It's a gorgeous looking tea, with a light, aromatic quality. First impression's were extremely positive.

 Last Friday evening I was chatting to a very nice person from Chash (not sure who they were!) on Twitter and was given a brilliant tip in the preparation of this tea. Normally, I would boil the kettle and let it cool, but was advised that the better way to make this tea was switch the kettle off just before it reached boiling point. See, you learn something new every day!

So I have perfected the art of preparing this delicate tea. As you can see when the tea is fully infused it brews to a light golden colour which is just so pretty. I love how transparent it is. To look at it you'd think this tea would be lacking something because of it's pale colour, however, it's a tea packed full of flavour.  Healthy, glorious flavour.

As a general lover of floral tea and as someone who is getting to know oolong a lot better this is a tea made in heaven for me. I just love jasmine as much as I love rose or lavender flavoured tea.

I have tried several jasmine tea's, mainly all of them being a hit. However, I've also tried some terrible jasmine tea's and it all relies on how the tea is prepared. Some jasmine tea's are actually scented with real flowers, as this is, others use a jasmine flavoured oil and this is where you can go terribly wrong.If it's scented from fresh flowers then I'd advise you to try it. If it's oil, then don't! Oil can taste fake and rather acidic. So please don't be tempted to try a really cheap jasmine tea as I'm pretty sure it won't taste anything like this tea!

I love the fragrance of the jasmine in this tea. It's light and refreshing. And once you've infused this tea it really does fill the whole house with it's fresh floral scent. It's also very natural to taste and there is a light sweetness to it which is slightly addictive and incredibly moreish.

Underneath that wonderful taste of flowers there is a delicate flavour of green tea which is both satisfying but discreet. I think the tea is rather happy to let the jasmine shine in this tea.

One of the things I love about this jasmine tea is that you're able to take it at any point of the day because it makes for a warming, satisfying cup of tea. It does set me up at the start of the day and is especially lovely (for me anyway) to have in the evening as I find it is a tea that totally relaxes me. It's just beyond gorgeous!

Jasmine tea is the most luxurious tea going. There is absolutely no way I'll change my thinking of that. If you're be able to drink it as your "every day" tea then you're very lucky indeed. For me though, this is a treat and I'll only allow myself a couple of cups a week. However, when it is a treat, you appreciate the tea even more!

This is just a pretty tea. It's pretty to look at, pretty to smell and certainly pretty to drink! But it's also solid enough to leave you feeling as though you've had a thoroughly decent cup of tea.

As we approach the warmer summer days, this is light and refreshing so perfect for this time of year. And certainly perfect for a lovely afternoon tea in the garden!

If you love floral flavoured tea's this is certainly for you. But also, if you are stepping into the green tea world but can't face drinking it unflavoured, again, I would recommend this gorgeous blend. It's tasty and delicate.

Chash Tea have an incredible amount of tea on sale on their online store. Do have a browse. I've easily found at least twenty tea's I'd love to try and certainly will be over the next few months. Till them, I'm off to treat myself to just one more jasmine tea!

Chash Tea: Orangery

Late last week I was very kindly approached by the fabulous team at Chash Tea asking if I'd be interesting in working with them. They offered me the chance to pick some tea's from their website for review here on the blog.

I'm always cautious when told by a company to pick something off the site. I never want to take advantage of a kind offer and always give the company a list of maybe five tea's and they can pick which they would like to send.

I'm a huge lover of orange in tea. I find orange and black tea work hand in hand. However, as far as I can recall, I've never had orange in green tea. Intrigued about how it would work, one of the tea's I put on the list was their Orangery. Thankfully, the team choose to send me a rather substantial tea to try!

As I snipped open the pouch the lovely, fresh aroma of orange emerged from the packet. It was just lovely and mouthwatering and I knew this was going to be an interesting tea.

Visually, this makes for an utterly stunning tea. I love how vibrant and fresh the green tea looks in the picture. As if it were only harvested yesterday. It's rich, green tones are just so pretty I could look at them for some time! Within the tea, sat bright bursts of orange from the orange peel that is included in the tea. It's certainly an attractive, aromatic tea!

I did have to remind myself during the preparation that this isn't a sturdy black tea that normally comes along with orange. It's a far more delicate and refined green tea and has to be infused properly if you are to get the best out of the tea. So, I boiled the kettle, let it cool for a few minutes and poured water on the homemade teabag, which, was stuffed generously with the tea. I timed the infusion period for two minutes and settled back to taste this tea, with, I have to admit, a great deal of excitement.

The first thing that I experienced drinking this tea was how lovely and earthy the green tea is. As vibrant and fresh as it looks in the photo, it has those traditional, earthy qualities that I adore in some green tea's that I've tasted. Though green tea is delicate, there is substance to the base tea, something to get your teeth into and really enjoy. It's sturdy and I love that quality of the tea. This tea will leave you with the same amount of satisfaction that you'd normally get from a robust black tea!

So does orange work with green tea? Yes, it does. I was slightly worried that it may not, but I was pleasantly surprised. The orange flavour  has a real depth to it, which I am so happy about being mad about orange tea. I love the citrus tones which are multi-layered as not only does this tea include orange peel, it also includes orange blossom too!

What the orange flavour does so very well is add that much needed sweetness to the tea and just calms down the earthy tones from the green tea. Not so much that it wipes the green tea out, but just adds a bit of delicateness to a rather robust green tea. The two flavours work exceptionally well. Both complimenting the other. I'm hugely impressed.

I know I say this quite a lot but I will repeat myself whenever I think it's necessary. It really does pay to spend a little bit more on your green tea. Of course, there is absolutely nothing wrong if you like supermarket brands. But to get that special element, that non-bitter beauty that is real green tea then you have to go online and buy it from companies such as Chash (and other's, too!) For it's companies such as this that use better quality green tea, finer ingredients and only sell fresh tea.

As snobby as it sounds, I have brought orange blossom green tea from a supermarket once and it was nothing but poor quality tea with orange blossom oil flavouring - you could actually see the oil floating on the top of the water. How is that even tempting to drink? It really does pay to buy green tea at the highest quality you can afford. That way you will get the best experience you can from the tea.  And I know this is very good quality green tea! Why? Because only the best quality green tea stays fresh and delicate even when it cools, cheaper, inferior tea is known to go bitter when cooled.

I was really impressed with this blend. I thought it light, refreshing and just perfect for the upcoming warm and sunny days. It's rather like summer in a cup! Or at least sunshine in a cup! A true joy to drink!

Yes, green tea and orange are a ideal pairing. I really loved this tea!

I have other samples from Chash waiting to be reviewed. They will be coming up over the next week or so. For now, though, whilst I am binge watching series two of Twin Peaks, I think I'll indulge in just one more cup of Orangery.

Well, why not? I think I deserve it!  

Basilur Tea: Pure Ceylon

One of my favourite pieces of writing to read is a poem by Issac Watts, called False Greatness. My favourite part goes, as follows: If I could reach from pole to pole or grasp the ocean with a span,I would be measured by the soul, The mind’s the standard of the Man.

The poem was often used by Joseph Merrick, more often known as The Elephant Man. He used this line to sign off his letters. A plaintive cry, most likely, to the reader, telling them not to judge his outward appearance, but judge him by his soul and intellect. (For the record Mr Merrick was said to be caring and kind with a intelligence as sharp as a needle).

Of course we all judge things. Even when it comes to tea. When I first started out on my tea journey, when I didn't know a chai from a oolong or a green tea from a white tea, I would go, wide eyed into a shop, and pick the prettiest packaging, or the tea with the most impressive and complicated flavourings.

Experience, of course, changes our outlook. But during my lengthy tea education, I have learned that the most important way you can judge a tea company is not by the packaging, and it's not by the complicated, high flavoured tea's they produce (flavourings can hide a multitude of sins) but the quality of it's actual tea, both pure and uncomplicated.

When you strip a tea of it's adornments and take it in it's pure state there is nothing nicer, or if it's done badly, nothing worse. But it's pure tea that brings me the most joy.

Recently, I've gotten to know Basilur Tea.  A lovely man named Robert, reached out through social media and offered me some samples. From that point onwards I've been a wee bit in love with Basilur tea. I've tried several of their tea's and have been smitten, but it's with this blend, their pure Ceylon tea that I have found total joy.

When the Pure Ceylon tea arrived on Monday, I will admit (and I did tell Robert this!) that I was stood in my kitchen, in my pyjama's hugging this tea. I adore Ceylon tea and couldn't wait to try it on it's own, without anything added.

Firstly, I absolutely love the look of this tea. I love how the leaves are dark in colour and curled up into tiny little balls. In fact it reminds me of gunpowder green tea, because it has a similar appearance.

I generously filled a teabag full of tea and waited for it to infuse. I left it for several minutes and this tea infuses to a lovely, dark mahogany colour. Just so pretty to look at. But what of it's taste?

From the moment I tried this tea I realised that its going to be very hard to beat this! I don't actually think I've tried a pure tea that I've gelled with so quickly. Before I knew it I was on my second and then third cup! And this evening I'm blogging about the blend, so have had several today - purely for research purposes!

There is something so utterly delicious about this tea that it's almost hard to put into words.

It's a delicate tea, yet at the same time, satisfying too. Sometimes, I find delicate tea's leave me underwhelmed yet not with this tea. This is perfect to relax to after a hard day at work, or after a stressful day. It's comforting but still packs a wonderful punch.

As the tea cools, it takes on a slightly nutty element which as a fan of Yunnan tea, this was a very pleasing thing for me. From the first sip it leaves me wanting more. I cannot believe how addictive this tea actually is.

As a true tea lover I have many reactions to tea. "Yeah, that's nice", which roughly translates into, it's okay but I wont buy it again. When I'm starting to boil the kettle, and filling another teabag with a tea, before the previous cup has even been finished, then that just goes to prove how good a tea it is. And that's exactly what I did this afternoon.

It's hard to write about a pure tea. It's must easier to describe a flavoured tea. All I can say about this blend it it's bloody lovely. Easy to drink and is so very, very good for my soul. This is a joy to drink, and it makes me happy when I have a cup. Some women get those emotions from eating a huge bar of chocolate, for me it's Ceylon tea all the way.

If you don't trust me on anything else that I may write, please trust me on this. Basilur Tea produce some of the most gorgeous tea's I've had the pleasure to try. Their website is just awesome and they sell some of the cutest tea caddie's going.

But on a serious note, if you love high quality tea and want to experience something totally different then do look around their website. I'm certain you'll find something you'll absolutely love.

If my relationship with Basilur Tea were a romantic one, it would be one of those surprising meet and get married with six weeks types! Sometimes you just gel with a company. You gel with the tea they offer. You can't explain it. You just do.

Here's hoping you'll feel the same way. And lets be honest, there's nothing nicer then browsing a website looking for tea, is there?

Artisan Tea & Coffee: Pear and Cinnamon

Today I have a day off. And today I'm treating myself to sitting down and watching several episodes of that dreamy, often confusing drama, Twin Peaks. There is to be a new season and so I'm re-watching the first two series. And there is nothing I love more than settling down with a decent cup of tea. The two go hand in hand perfectly.

Yesterday I happily received a lovely sample from Artisan Tea and Coffee. So why not try a new tea on a day off!

I was contacted by a lovely lady called Antonette who said I could pick a flavour from her selection of tea's to feature on the blog. Rather oddly for me, who is by no means a huge fan of fruit tea, I opted for the Pear and Cinnamon. 

There was something that instantly appealed to me about the blending of two of my favourite things to eat. I couldn't wait for the tea to arrive!

This morning, when I snipped open the lovely red package the tea arrived in, I was blown away by the gorgeous fruity aroma of the pear. It smells so fresh as if the pears had only been picked yesterday. I filled a empty teabag to full capacity of this blend and stood happily as the tea infused, releasing it's lovely aroma all around the kitchen!

This tea is so pretty to look at, too. It infuses to a bright red colour. Full bodied and inviting. Just lovely!

This gorgeous blend makes just a lovely cup of tea. It's warming and comforting and instantly gives you a lovely lift in the morning's. The pear, with all it's freshness, makes for a wonderful summer tea, yet the added cinnamon will making it comforting enough for autumn and all those outdoors activities such as Halloween and firework night. A fantastic all rounder!

The pear is so fresh, so wonderfully sweet that from first sip you are drawn into this blend. It just is perfect. It's ideal if, like me, you're weight watching. It gives you that sweet hit without all the naughty things that come along with treats such as cake and chocolate. It's just very natural and fresh and feels somewhat healthy.

But this is a textured tea, which has several different layers. Alongside that sweet freshness from the pear you get that slight bite from the cinnamon. So from the first sip you get a burst of flavoursome pear, then the cinnamon bursts fully into life, making your tongue fizz. The after bite of the cinnamon stays with you long after the sip has finished, and even, long after you've finished the cup of tea.

This is a perfect blend of sweet and tangy. A tea that starts one way and finishes a totally different way. It's somehow refreshing and light yet warming and comforting. I'm not quite sure how Artisan have achieved such a contradictory tea. A tea that should be at such odds with itself yet work perfectly as a pair.

As I said at the start of the review (and indeed in other reviews) that fruit tea, on the whole, just doesn't work for me. However, what I have come to realise recently, is that it's the mainstream fruit tea's that I don't like. Companies such as Artisan and Bluebird, who include dried fruit rather then fruit flavourings in their blends create something totally different. They create fruit tea's that have lovely, smooth textures, multi-layered flavours and depth of character. Therefore, I expect that I will shortly be delving back into the world of fruit tea to see what's out there.

I can only thank Antonette from Artisan Tea & Coffee for sending me this perfectly crafted, ideal fruit tea. I'm so very impressed. Of course, I could be biased as I love pear's and I love cinnamon, but this tea is just perfectly blended that I would of liked it regardless.

If you, like me, have drunk and been revolted by too many supermarket fruit tea's, then I advise you to give this blend a go. It's just lovely and satisfying and this morning has certainly put a smile on my face. I'm already up and ready for cup number two!

Whittard: Blend No 216: Elderflower Earl Grey

I will admit that I have had this gorgeous little caddy from Whittard for nearly eight months. I've enjoyed several cups of this but haven't got around to blogging the contents, so, this evening I really fancied a cup of this blend and thought now was the perfect time to write a blog about it!

This gorgeous blend is Whittards lovely Blend No 216. Elderflower Earl Grey.

When I purchased this tea last July, I was wondering around London's Covent Garden. It was an especially happy day as I was going to see a performance of the hit show Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. As I said in a recent review of another Whittard tea, when in that area of London it's neigh on impossible for me not to go in and purchase something.

I think I fell in love, at the beginning anyway, with this cute mini caddie because it's simply tiny. You can buy this in bigger versions but not only being strapped for cash but also strapped for space, I thought my exasperated Mum (who is frustrated at the amount of tea entering this house) may not appreciate a huge caddy so sold her on the mini ones! It's cute, it's compact, it's gorgeous!

 As you can see this is a richly coloured, dark leaf Ceylon tea (it's all about the Ceylon right now!) that is dotted with colourful elderflower blossoms. It's a stunning tea with a gorgeous aroma.

I took a empty teabag and filled this up with three teaspoons of this marvelous blend. I left it to infuse for several minutes and unlike most Earl Grey's which go to a dark colour after infusion, this lovely tea brewed to a light copper colour.

Earl Grey is a blend that I absolutely adore. Understandably, it's with caution that I try the many variations. For instance, vanilla Earl Grey didn't go down well. Nor did Creme Caramel. But I like Lady Grey, Duchess Grey, Cornflower Grey ...

So, I jump in with a new member of the Grey family with great enthusiasm but with some caution.  However, with this Elderflower Grey I need not worry. This is a perfect edition to the Grey family. Tasty, floral and gorgeous. It's feels as established and traditional as the original blend of Earl Grey. It feels old, in the nicest possible way.

Last night I reviewed the gorgeous Earl Grey from Basilur tea. Again, Ceylon is used in that brand and it went down as a hit. I love the fact that Whittard are using the delicate, yet utterly scrummy Ceylon tea in it's blend. It's just so gorgeous, so adaptable, so able to work hand in hand with whatever flavour is added to it. Darjeeling maybe the champagne of tea's, but in my opinion Ceylon should hold that title!

It's also well known that as much as I love Earl Grey, I also love any tea that has anything remotely floral added to it. This could possibly be a tea made in (Laura's) heaven.

The Elderflower adds a wonderful flavour. It's not like rose or lavender, it's a lot lighter, more delicate then those. But, it lifts the tea to a new height. It's fun, it's like sunshine in a cup, it's perfect for the spring days ahead.  And the Elderflower is the perfect pairing with the Ceylon tea, too!

There is a lovely lightness to this tea. So, actually, it does make a pleasant change to traditional Earl Grey, which, depending on what brand you are drinking, can sit a little heavy if the bergamot used is too strong. I love how easy this tea is to drink, it's smoothness is just wonderful.

This is the ultimate afternoon tea blend. Best served with cake in china cups and saucers! However, it's also nice to drink if you fancy something a bit lighter in the evening. I'm really enjoying it and I don't tend to drink too much tea this late in the evening.

What is also nice about this tea is when it cools it doesn't go horrid and bitter, it retains it's lovely flavour.

When I first tried this blend last summer I wasn't totally sure about it. That was likely my fault as I think I may, being distracted, had stewed the tea. But it certainly has grown on me in the intervening months.

And much to my mum's dismay this WILL be a tea that I buy in larger quantities. This could possibly be the tea of this year's summer. Quite possibly!