Tea-totally!

Hey cuties!

Have I mentioned before that I like tea? Because I most definitely do. To be honest, I'm tea-totally obsessed with the stuff! I pretty much drink it by the bucket load - not exaggerating one bit - and I think it's hereditary, my Nana usually has two pints of it before starting her day, she even fed me luke-warm tea in my baby bottle when I was a little tot as I preferred it to milk!

Anyway, cute anecdotes aside, I figured as I'm quite the connoisseur I would share all my favourites of the moment for anyone that is equally as obsessed as me. (Also if there are any brands or flavours you love, let me know in the comments!)

 I picked up Heath and Heather Organic Imperial Matcha Green Tea along with the Coconut flavoured one last week as part of the Holland and Barrett penny sale and am so glad I did. It's a really fragrant green tea and is a mix of Chinese Sencha, South India Green and Japanese Matcha. Obviously like most health food junkies, I saw the word "matcha" and was immediately sold. It's not at all bitter, like I expected, but a really pleasant bedtime tea in my opinion.

Taylors Green Tea with Strawberry and Vanilla  (Again Chinese Sencha is the green tea of choice and it blends really well with the subtle strawberry and vanilla flavourings) This one I spotted in Waitrose one day, and seeing that it was made in Harrogate, knew it would be tasty, as Northerners do love a good brew! It's fruitier than some of the Twinings flavoured teas, which are a bit hit and miss in my opinion,  but not too sharp so that it detracts from the green tea.

My adorable little gold spoon had to make an appearance!

I mean can you get more quintessentially British than Fortnum and Mason loose leaf teas? I don't think so. Their packaging alone is so beautiful and ever so slightly ostentatious that you know it's going to be good! I actually bought this for my mum along with a few other yummy bits in a hamper from F & M. (Yes, yes, I'm a wonderful daughter) I've tried a couple of their teas over the years and I think the Jubilee blend is my favourite down to the fact that it's literally fit for a Queen and just so darn refreshing. Perfect for afternoon tea and scones. #SoBritish

Now I've probably been drinking various types of Vanilla Chai tea since I was about 13. I remember being in San Diego visiting family, and my friend Savannah gave me a mug of it alongside some cinnamon french toast, and let me tell you, I was hooked. (Note: if anyone has ever seen Eggo French Toaster Sticks over here then pleaseeeeee tell me!) Ever since, I've tried loads of different brands over the years, and I think the Tesco Finest Vanilla Chai is the best of the bunch, as it has the best balance of the spices with the subtle sweetness of the vanilla.

Ok so this Heath and Heather Organic Green Tea with Coconut is my jam right now. (I'm not actually the biggest fan of jam in all honesty, but you get my point) Coconut is just one of those ingredients that tastes good in everything, and this tea is no exception. It's definitely my new favourite green tea to cosy up in bed with for a Netflix binge. (You'll notice I'll find an excuse to drink tea at any and every occasion)

Now I'm sorry in advance if this one is harder to track down in store but my mum bought me the Twinings Gingerbread Green Tea around Christmas time cause she knew of my Gingerbread Latte obsession from Starbucks. Anyway this tea has a real bite to it, and it's perfect when you're feeling a bit lacklustre and need a bit of a zing to wake you up. It also feels like a bit of an indulgence but for practically zero calories!

How cute is this little tea strainer!?

 I came across a T2 shop whilst in Downtown New York and was in awe the second I walked in. There's a few in and around London too and I thoroughly recommend going, as it is a tea-lover's paradise. There were so many gorgeous loose leaf blends to smell and sample and after wanting to walk away with basically all of them I settled for the Lamington blend as it's great hot but also tastes incredible mixed with soya milk as an iced tea. I think it was the cacao and coconut flavours that sealed the deal to be honest. Can you blame me?

I recently did the JuicyTox Premium Cleanse, (read my review here) which involved me having no caffeine for the four days I was juicing, (something that horrified me at first, but was actually easier than I thought). As a result I'm trying not to be completely reliant on caffeine, so I like to have at least one caffeine free tea in my cupboard at all times. My current favourite is the Yogitea Detox blend, and I either have it first thing or just before bed. It's completely organic and contains liquorice, cinnamon, dandelion and cardamom, so has a really lovely spicy flavour, and is a great stomach settler.

All this talk of tea has got me rather thirsty, so I guess I'll be off to boil the kettle!

Thanks for reading your Dose of Teatime