That Alice Temperley and Twinings Collaboration

Fashion blogs have being going mad for the Temperley/Twinings scarf, which is on sale from today, but I though a tea blog should dedicate a bit more to it too. But then I found this rather fab video which explains how the bergamot flower inspired Temperley (one of my favourite designers; if I was a) fashionable and b) rich, I would buy SO much of her clothing) to design such a lovely design. What excites me more is that there might be more tea-influenced designs coming out from this collaboration. I would love one of the scarves, but I doubt I'll be able to afford one. But tea caddies? Possible  Chinaware? Oh my, yes. 

The Desired

It's been a long time since I updated this blog; I've been busy with work and getting married and other stuff like that. I spent a week in Paris drinking horrendous tea in Montmartre and I visited Palais des Thes in Marais. I realised that I needed to get home to my own tea stuff and my favourite teas, pronto. I will be scouring the web for new, interesting teas- any tips, please do leave a comment below and I will chase them up!

For now, though, I thought I would post a list of desirable tea related items for your perusal...

British designer, Alice Temperley has designed this scarf for Twinings Tea, to celebrate their Earl Grey blend. The scarves are of a limited run of 1000. It's beautiful, but pricey at £115 and deliveries start July 1st. If you get one, I will be very, very jealous!

A perennial favourite of the blog, Mrs Stokes China  has expanded her site and includes lots of reasonably priced china for you to enjoy your daily cup of tea from. I am loving this little beauty, £15.

Although I don't think I would fit  into most of Urban Outfitter's clothes, I do quite like some of their homewares. This very cute teapot is part of a range of pretty, practical tea accessories.

This has been on my wishlist for a while... perfect if you want some pointers on high tea and some delicious recipes! Tea at Fortnum and Mason, £5.96

Belfast Brew- Suki Tea

Today has been a day of doing stuff (I haven't actually finished- I only came in because my hands are icy from repotting sweet peas) and the first flushes of spring are inspiring me to have a sort out of teas in my cupboard. This is one I discovered spring cleaning the tea cupboard. Yes, I have a tea cupboard. There is a lot of tea in there.

Anyone who knows me knows I am in love with anything Irish, so I had high hopes of this black tea. Belfast Blend is just Suki's branding of their Irish Breakfast tea. It's a combination of a malty assam and a new one for me, a Tanzanian tea (if you're interested in learning about Tanzanian tea, check out this link here)

I brewed the tea for about two minutes and added milk. The tea itself has a smooth, earthy and almost sweet and fruity flavour, with a punch of tannin at the end. The tannin however is not unpleasant, it just adds to the whole mouthful of tea. The overall taste is one of a quality black tea with a satisfying cleansing element.

I  must admit, before drinking, I was a bit apprehensive. Irish Breakfast Tea is stronger than English Breakfast tea and it can be foul if not brewed correctly- this, however, is lovely and is one I would consider giving to guests when they turn their noses up to 'posh' tea. I defy anyone not to fall in love with this Irish charmer! (I could have inserted jokes here about Blarney, but decided to spare you all...!)

Tea adverts from the past: Part 2

The blog will be back to regular action in the next few days. I am planning a few bits and pieces and thought, as a way to whet your appetite, I'd dust off a few vintage adverts for your delectation:

I've posted  vintage Japanese tea ads before, but I think that they are so pretty. I wouldn't mind one of these in a frame in the kitchen (but then, I am a known Japanophile, so where's the surprise in that?) These ads come from the period 1900-1929,  a time when Japanese culture was still very traditional.

I'm guessing that this is early 20th-century. Sri Lanka became a tea producing country after the British tried to plant coffee plants, which failed due to a disease. Production was changed to tea and  and the rest, as they say, is history.

I lovelovelove this one. When I first saw it, I was taken as to how much it reminded me of Tolouse Lautrec. Then I realised that owning this company would have been a dream job- tea and chocolate in one Parisian company? Bliss. Apparently, the artist always added cats to his work. I like him immensely.

(You can buy a print of this here)

Christmas teas

I've found that this festive season, tea has been very important to me when entertaining (mainly because a lot of my guests come to me in the day and drive...) As a result, I've been very impressed with the Christmas teas on offer this year.

A good bet is to buy, where you can, sample sizes of the tea. You don't want to buy a huge container of tea to discover that either a) you hate the stuff or b) you're totally bored of it by Boxing Day. I have a few different teas that I am working my way around.

Cup of Tea's Winter Selection box has been a particular favourite- each of the sachets contains enough tea for a couple of cups, meaning that, selfishly, I get to try the tea at the same time as my guest (I cannot recommend the Oolong Plum Pudding and the Toffee Apple teas highly enough; they are my favourites by far!)

Tea Palace  has an excellent selection of Christmas teas; I have Mulled Spice, Winter Whispers and Palace Christmas, all of which have proved popular with friends, although Mulled Spice seems to be the favourite. Their little caddies contain a really good amount of tea (about 10-20 cups) and are a great present for someone who might just be starting out on a tea adventure.

If you live in the UK or Europe, there is still time to get your order in!

Harrod's Heritage No 18 Georgian Blend

So, I haven't blogged for a while, what with various things going on in my life (I just spent a weekend in Ireland and my boyfriend asked me to marry him yesterday- life has been a bit unexpected!) but I thought I should get back to the important things in life- namely, tea.

Tea is massive in Ireland and, as a gift to the couple who were putting my sister and I up, we decided to buy them some special tea from Harrod's- their special Heritage No. 18 Georgian Blend. We bought the teabags in a caddy and duly presented it at dinner time. Thankfully, John and Margaret loved it and we were served some with some little chocolates after our meal.

The tea went down a treat. It's a smooth blend of Darjeeling, Assam and Sri Lankan teas which, as you would expect from the Harrod's name (and price tag!) is utterly delicious. The combination of teas is harmonious and almost velvety on the tongue. The top note of Darjeeling is definitely noticable- in blends of this sort, the lighter flavour can be lost and the earthier flavour of Assam was a pleasant grounding taste, without being overly 'tacky' or 'sticky'.

An expensive treat which may be perfect as a Christmas present for a great-aunt, perhaps?

Chah- Milk Oolong

Chah is a fabulous site selling high quality Asian teas. What I like about the website is that they have pictures of their travels in the 'About Us' section, which shows a connection with the plantations the tea comes from.

Milk Oolong has interested me since I first heard of it. It's a special tea that is affected by the area in Taiwan where it grows. Due to the climate, the tea grows and develops an interesting taste that is, in accordance with the name, slightly milky. It's a delightful tea with a little bit of sweetness.

When brewed, it has a smell that is common to many oolongs- slightly vegetable and earthy, but very clean (some teas can be 'earthy' in the sense of 'muddy'; not this one!) The taste is fragrant and lovely, the tea giving a gentle flavour on the back of the tongue.

I was a bit unsure as to what to expect, but this is a great oolong for a first timer wanting to venture away from the usual teas and try something a bit different. Very, very yummy!