Tea and Me

I’m back from my wonderfully relaxing holiday and ready to drink tea again. While I was away it was far too hot for tea apart from a quick cup of Tetley every day for breakfast (not an ideal choice but the only one my hosts had). So, having returned, my thoughts turned, of course, to Oolong. I’ll admit that my first mug (or three) was of my favourite blend – the Milk Oolong, but this morning I have turned my attention to the rather pleasingly named Oolong Shalimar by Kent & Sussex Tea & Coffee Co.   Ingredients: mango, rose petals They describe it thus: “Oolong Shalimar Flavoured Tea. A beautiful creation which will enchant every Oolong lover. In the far away Orient the name Shalimar stands for immeasurable wealth and unlimited power. The name best describes the flair of the lovely soft flowery half-fermented tea with the long slightly curled leaf flavoured with fruity fresh passion fruit. This wonderful flavour finds its counterpart in the decora...

Unfortunately, for me at least, the weather has turned hot again  😥  and tea drinking hasn't really been at the top of my list of things to do (nope, I still haven't yet tried making iced tea either, but I might have a go this weekend).  W hen I have been drinking tea I've generally been sticking to Oolongs as they're nice and light - Milk and Milk Caramel are still the best.   However, I have managed to sup a few mugs of a rather unusual Oolong made by T2 , who are a nice modern tea company with lots of bright square packaging, called Oolong Chocolate Chai . Ingredients: Oolong tea, cocoa husk, ginger, cinnamon, cardamon seed, cardamon husk, clove, chocolate chips (sugar, cocoa, lecithin: E322  soy* ), black pepper, flavouring *contains soy products They describe it thus: “A chocolaty, cinnamony, gingery, oolong combination laced with pepper. An intriguing sweet, bright and spicy flavour.” I think I was still reeling from th...

Hi everyone, I know it’s been a little while since I last posted but with the unbearably hot weather we’ve been having in good old Blighty (which does not suit me at all), and with getting home from work too late to do anything much but slump in a chair and moan about the temperature in my (33 degrees) sitting room, I haven’t really been drinking much tea, and where I have it’s tended to be an Oolong (usually Milk Caramel as I’m jealously hoarding my minuscule remaining stock of the China Milky for a day when I really need it). Yes, I know ice tea is a big trend at the moment, but to be honest, it’s not one I’ve ever really got into as I remember the pre-made stuff like Liptons Ice Tea and Snapple, which I tried and hated in the 1980s, and it was enough to put me off trying it again. Having said that, with all my favourite tea sellers now pushing their ice tea selections, and with warm weather no doubt set to continue for the foreseeable future, it is probably time for me to r...

Yes, I know I said I was going to review some teas from another brand, and I will, soon, but today’s tea is Blue Spring Oolong by the Kent & Sussex Tea & Coffee Co. (yes, it's another Oolong). Ingredients- Chinese Oolong and Mallow Petals They describe it thus: “Blue Spring Oolong is a very fine and rare Ti Kuan Yin Special grade tea from the Chinese tea growing province of Fujian. Blue Mallow flowers were added to this tea to represent the freshwater spring that was created by Guan Yin, The Iron Goddess of Mercy to rescue villagers from drought. This semi fermented tea is still traditionally hand crafted in small batches.” This is a delicate tea but is extremely drinkable. It has a light flavour, slightly floral, with that quintessential Oolong coming through strongly.  Of all the Oolongs I’ve tried, I would say this is the smoothest yet and one that you could easily drink a lot of without feeling that you’ve overdone it. Kent ...

Evening all :) On a day when I really need to relax I am trying Milk Oolong Caramel tea by the Kent & Sussex Tea & Coffee Co. and very interesting it is too. Ingredients: white tea, green tea, half fermented tea and natural flavouring They describe it thus: "Milky Oolong Caramel Tea is a new variation on our most popular Milk Oolong. This tea is based on a premium blend of white green and semi fermented loose leaf teas. This is a very special tea with a soft milky aroma and taste. Natural caramel flavour is added to make this a creamy temptation!" So, as I’m sure you’re all aware by now I’m very partial to Oolong tea and particularly Milk Oolong. I have to admit that Kent & Sussex Tea & Coffee Co.’s Milk Oolong isn’t my favourite version as it has a very subtle flavour, which is rather too mild for me. I much prefer something with a stronger milkier flavour and this is where the addition of the caramel makes this tea a winner. ...

Today’s tea is the truly delightful  Oolong Formosa by the  Kent & Sussex Tea & Coffee Co. Ingredients: Formosa Oolong tea They describe it thus: "Oolong Formosa is a Speciality Tea which originates from the mountains of Taiwan. After plucking the loose leaf teas are fermented to approximately 50% and then wilted in the sun. Frequent turning of the tea in bamboo baskets during the drying process allows the Oolong to develop a mild aroma and large wild curly leaves. This Loose Leaf Tea is a real treasure." This tea is quite unlike any other Oolong I have tried so far.  It is far darker than the Milky, Fleur d’ Orient or Vietnamese Oolongs, being brown rather than yellow in colour and the flavour, whilst extremely pleasant, is far more substantial than the traditional Oolong taste and reminds me more of a Yunnan tea. That quintessential tea flavour which can be found in abundance in black teas is really picked up in this on...

Because of the current absurdly hot weather, I’m finding my usual go-to teas a little heavy and spicy and because I’m almost out of the China Milky Oolong  I’m having to ration myself because I can’t bear the idea of running out. I was intending to try the Strawberry Lemonade  fruit infusion from Bluebird Teas , as that sounds exactly what I need and should hopefully taste pretty good cold. Unfortunately, because it knows I want to try it the tea has completely disappeared – and believe me I have looked everywhere – well, obviously not everywhere as it is around somewhere, but I have looked in all the obvious (and some not so obvious) places and I can’t find it anywhere. Instead, I’ve finished off my stock of Rhubarb and Custard  tea (also by Bluebird and just as lovely cold as hot) and gone shopping for some more Summer-sounding teas.  Fortunately, the Bank Holiday has encouraged some tea companies to give discounts or giveaways and I’m all for it ...

Earlier this week, I and some of my work colleagues went to the Royal Horseguards hotel for afternoon tea as a farewell to one of our number who is moving on to pastures new. This was a new venue for me and I think I can safely say that the event was a success and the afternoon was enjoyed by all. Chicken and mayo, Cucumber and Philadelphia cheese, Honey roast ham and mustard, London smoked salmon and dill creme fraiche, Egg mayo and watercress, Crayfish Marie Rose crouton  As there were a few of us the tea took a rather more freeform approach than I’m generally used to with afternoon tea – some went for the sandwiches first, some dived straight into the cakes, and someone made a cream and jam sandwich with the scones. It was a bit chaotic but fun. There was also some champagne drunk, but most importantly for me, of course, there was the tea. Plain and fruit scones with Cornish clotted cream and preserve The teas on offer are mainly provided by Novus...

Today I’m trying another tea that was in the free goody bag from Camellia’s Tea House , the Vietnam Oolong . This was one of the loose teas, lovingly packaged in a small clear bag with a nice bright yellow ribbon and a handwritten label, which contained enough tea for three mugs. Initially, I had trouble tracking it down on their website until I realised that it is one of their special edition teas, which come in pretty, small, clear jars with cork stoppers (60g), which are really quite cute. They describe it thus: 'A gentle oolong tea, with a fragrant and flavourful cup. This particular oolong is plucked a few times during the year  from 25 year old tea bushes, originally brought back from Taiwan.' I will start by saying that I now realise I am rather fond of Oolong tea. I only discovered it a short while ago when I tried the  China Milky Oolong at the Corinthia Hotel. This, therefore, is the second Oolong I’ve tried and it’s very pleasant and has, what I...

Well . . . sort of. Yesterday, I was lucky enough to be taken for afternoon tea at the Corinthia Hotel’s Crystal Moon Lounge in London as a late birthday present from my friend Beryl. As it’s tea-related, I thought it would be good to share my afternoon and the lovely sandwiches and cakes they served us. As both a tea lover and a cake lover, I am a big fan of afternoon teas (I am actually considered the Queen of Afternoon Tea in my office because I’ve had so many – my 50 th birthday seemed to consist of nothing but afternoon tea for several months) and to my mind the Corinthia is one of the best venues in London and I have been there several times now. Unlike better-known establishments, the Corinthia is extremely easy-going and they don’t impose a 90-minute time limit that the more touristy places such as the Ritz, the Savoy and the Dorchester do and they always, unfailing, provide excellent service and a good level of knowledge about the products they serve. We spe...