Warming Tea Tasting for the Weekend

When I booked two outdoor events for the final weekend in July, I had a vision of bright and warm days. However, the British weather did make tea tasting a popular pursuit! The best thing about events is the opportunity to gather people’s feedback on my loose leaf teas. So, what flavours were in favour over the weekend?

Opinions at the Open Day

Saturday 29 July was the Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust open day. This year, the event also marked 75 years of the NHS. As a local business and stall holder, it was great to be part of the celebrations of this amazing organisation. The event included music and dance performances, family-friendly activities and tours of hospital departments.

We all know that a cup of tea can make everything feel a little better, so I was delighted to be offering tea tasting for the event visitors. Through summer months, the fruit infusions are usually popular, but our Taste Award winner, Chic Lady Grey went down well on this occasion.

Lady Grey is a bergamot-infused Ceylon black tea, blended with tangy lime, sweet orange and blue cornflower. It pairs well with both sweet and savoury foods, making it the perfect accompaniment for afternoon tea. Some tea tasters described it as delicate and perfumed, others identified the citrus flavours and another called it ‘lovely and punchy’.

Thank you to everyone who joined our stall for a tea tasting and to the amazing NHS staff, who continue to do an amazing job in the most challenging of situations.

Tai Chi and Tea

An early start on Sunday morning, as I headed to Oh Salah Festival near Henley. This well-being event offered visitors a rich and varied programme of events, including Tai Chi and my talk, ‘The Power of Tea’, which focused on the health benefits of drinking 3-4 cups a day.

Did you know that the flavonoids found in many plant-based consumables, including tea, are good for your health? Flavonoids have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antiviral properties, as well as having neuro and cardio effects. Combined with a nutritious diet and regular exercise, drinking 3-4 cups of tea a day has a positive impact on your health, whilst helping to keep you hydrated.

With so many different types of tea available, you can mix things up! To give an example, start the day with an Emporium Breakfast blend and try Oolong mid-morning. Then, the Moroccan Mint Green Tea blend is a great afternoon pick-me-up, followed by a warming chai in the evening.

When the weather turned, many of the festival goers were drenched during yoga classes, music performances and circus skills. A warming cup of Mystic Moroccan Mint Tea was certainly welcomed by many, as they watched the closing ceremony performance.

Milk Oolong & Road to Marrakesh Tea

Tea tasters at the festival were fascinated by Milk Oolong and comforted by the aromatic spices of Road to Marrakesh.

Milk Oolong Tea

Milk Oolong is an intriguing tea, grown in China. It has a naturally smooth and creamy taste, as though you had added milk, yet without the need to add milk! This makes it a great option for people who are trying to remove dairy from their diet. Several people commented that ‘If you closed your eyes, you would think it had milk added’. Words used by other tea tasters were ‘smooth, ‘amazing’, ‘unusual’ and ‘clever’. The aroma of this tea also proved popular. One person said it smelt too good to drink and another commented, ‘Delicious, I love it, how do you get that smell?’

Milk Oolong is an unusual tea and in our more expensive range, however, the same leaves can be infused 3-5 times, meaning one spoonful makes multiple cups of tea.

Road to Marrakesh Tea

In the morning, the sun was out and our Chamomile & Rose infusion was popular, however, as the weather changed, so did the preferences of tea tasters!

Road to Marrakesh is our Sri Lankan black tea blend. It contains turmeric and ginger, along with cinnamon and carrot, which add natural sweetness. It can be drunk with or without milk. On a wet afternoon, the warming sweet spices were widely appreciated. I have to say, this is one of my favourites too!

Buckinghamshire Events

It was great to be involved in both of these local events. The organisers had worked hard to bring people together in positive and enjoyable ways. It was a pleasure to meet with other stall holders, including fellow Aylesbury business Wild Daisy.

If your Buckinghamshire event is looking for a tea-tasting stall and/or tea talk, please get in touch!