Saturday 29 February 2020

Tea's (Brews) I Drink in a Day


Happy Saturday! Today I bring you my Tea's I Drink in a Day post in Collaboration with Kim from Tea is a Wish. My post is a day last, as usual, because... well I'm lazy. If you want to read Kims post, you can do here (or click the image below!) and check out the kind of teas she drinks in her day! Mine is slightly different as I do drink a lot of coffee, so mine is more Brews I Drink in a Day. 



Firstly around 7am I'll start my day with a coffee. 9 times out of 10 this'll be instant coffee, but today I opted for something a little fancier and had a Bones Coffee Oh Fuuudge Coffee topped with hot frothy milk. I absolutely adore this blend and got their Festive Collection for Christmas. It has such a delicious fudge flavour and it really comes through without masking the strong notes from the ground coffee beans, Bones Coffee use a high quality bean and this shows in all of their blends I have tried. Black it's lovely, but adding hot frothy milk gives a very creamy, indulgent flavour. (I use Oatly Barista)


Then when I leave for work around 8am I'll pop a bottle of Cold Brew Tea into my bag to enjoy throughout the day. I'm drinking to wean myself off fizzy drinks (I've even given up Diet Coke for Lent!) and I'm not a huge fan of Water so this gives me the chance to up my liquid intake without getting bored. Today I opted for Cold Brew Snoozy Fox Tea from Small & Wild, I was actually gifted this tea from Kim through one of our Tea Swaps. The tea is a blend of sweet spearmint, lavender and chamomile and blue pea flowers. It was a very different blend but I loved the unique flavour and the cold brew really brought the flavours out.

Ingredients:
Rosehip (30%), Camomile (18%), Blue Pea Flowers (15%), Freeze-dried Apple, Spearmint (9%), Rose Petals, Linden Blossom, Lavender (3%)



Then once I get into Manchester, as I now work in the Centre, I generally get here around 9:15am. I usually pop to a coffee shop on my walk into work to grab a brew. It's been snowing/raining nearly every morning for the last few weeks so this has made the walk more bearable. Today I popped into Black Sheep Coffee who are quite a new coffee company to me but they're a hidden gem! Nestle behind a big building I came across them because I'd headed for Starbucks. But this is levels above Starbucks! I ordered a Latte with Hazelnut milk. It had a nice nutty under flavour but the coffee really came through, 100% a new favourite. 



Then once I'm in work, I usually work a 10am to 8pm shift. So I try to keep my caffeine to a minimum. But I will have 2 or 3 basic instant coffee's throughout the day. These are basic bitch things so I've left these out. I might throw in a peppermint tea to. 

Once I get home I usually try to grab myself a coffee to rest and relax whilst tea is cooking. This is usually around 9pm so quite late. My days are looooong! So I'll grab myself a nice coffee that usually comes from my Nespresso Machine. Today I have a Bianco Forte, thesis from their Barista Range which is personally my fave! I absolutely love these coffee's, they're strong and bold and perfect for that 'I'm hella tired' kinda mood. Topped with some frothy milk from my Nespresso Milk frother. 



Then at the end of the day around 10pm after tea I'll generally brew Me and Mum a pot of tea to wind down and relax for the day. Today I opted for Cocoa Power Ranger from Leaves of the World (use TEANOMADBECCA20 for 20% off!) because this is a really relaxing and soothing blend. The strong flavours from the liquorice and cocoa are my absolute fave. This is an adorable blend. 



What do you drink in a day?

Teaware | Bjorn Teaset by Viva Scandinavia


Item: Bjorn Tea Set
Colour: Glass
Brand: Viva Scandnavia 
Cost: £40.00
Buy Links: Online
Acquired: Gifted for Review
Materials: Borosilicate Glass, Silicone and Stainless Steel

Description: Brewing the feels indulgent, yet tea is one of the healthiest drinks you can make for yourself. Share your love of intoxicating green teas and flavoursome herbal teas with this glass-bodied teapot. This thoughtfully designed set if meant to be shared.


First of all I want to say thank you to Kees at Viva for sending me this beautiful set to review. This is truly a stunning piece and it fits so perfectly well on my tea ware shelf. 



The Bjorn tea set is my favourite of all the pieces Kees sent out to me. It's elegant, stylish and functional. It comes with four little teacups which are around Espresso size (sorry for coffee terminology). It would sit perfectly in the kitchen of any modern lifestyle. 


The teapot size is more suited to a 4 small cups of tasting, 2 teacups of tea or one big mug. Which is kind of perfect for me. I do also love that it comes with a serving tray, it makes this set more homely and perfect for guests. Which is a really nice touch, as seriously how many people own tea trays anymore? It's the little touches like this that VIVA seem to touch on so perfectly. 

The teapot does get very hot, given that its glass, this would be expected from this time. But the handle stays nice and cool and is perfect carry handle without spilling the tea. The little teacups also stay cool enough for you to drink, being double walled this is a great asset to these cups. But be aware that you tea will cool quickly too, as these don't hold a huge amount of tea the tea will cooler at a more rapid rate than it will with a mug or teacup for example. Although, the teapot keeps the tea hot for a really long time and this was something I was very impressed with. I am the kind of girl who makes a pot of tea and drinks through it slowly whilst I'm reading or blogging or catching up on youtube videos. Generally when my focus can be somewhat adrift. I do have a teapot warmer and obviously this helps, but this time I kept it tea warmer free and I did drink through the full pot before it went cold! 



Will you be trying out this tea set? Can I just say this tea set is exceptionally high quality, fit for purpose and stunningly beautiful AND it's only £40!! 



Rebecca x

Wednesday 12 February 2020

Tea | Saffron Chai by Balaggan

Company: Balaggan Tea
Tea Type: Black
Acquired: Bought 
Buy Online: Ocado (Although you can all their Blends here)
Loose/Bagged: Loose Leaf in Tea Temples

Description: 

A truly regal and vibrant blend of finest golden tip Assam tea, saffron and sweet fennel seeds.


Fragrant & Exotic
Nothing indulges the senses and soothes the soul more than a steaming cup of chai. Every family in India makes it slightly differently but we love blending ours with the young golden tips of top-grade Assam, as they taste the smoothest. We then add the perfect balance of whole or chopped aromatic spices to deliver a fresher flavour and more authentic Punjabi experience.
Hand blended, Inspired by the Punjab, 100% natural ingredients, Premium tea leaves from ethical plantations, No preservatives or additives, No artificial colours or flavours
Ingredients: Indian Assam Black Tea (55%), Fennel (44%), Saffron (1%)



Review: 

I bought this tea at The Great British Tea Festival* in Derby. I had bought a couple of their teas last year at the same event. (I'd Picked up Chocolate Chai, Green Chai and their Tropical Chai). But I really wanted to get something that was more traditional, so had intentions of buying their Original Chai. But when I smelt this tea I just knew this is the one I'd prefer. 

This was their Stall at The Tea Festival. The colours are just incredible.

The black tea is such a good quality leaf and gives such a bold and wholesome flavour to this tea. It stands up well against other strong flavours in the blend yet mellows them all together in the same instance. 

The Fennell and Saffron are such lovely additions to this blend and being two of only three ingredients they had to be able to pack a good amount of flavour. Which they do. Saffron is truly an exceptional flavour and I don't think I've ever tried it in tea before. Saffron and Fennel are beautifully paired together. The sweetness from the fennel and the distinct spice flavour from the saffron is just perfection. 

I really loved this tea. It's a spectacular blend with bold and flavoursome notes with underlying spice and sweetness. Perfect for the colder weather. And it might be nice as a latte (if you're into that kinda thing).

Rebecca x