It’s been a year since many of us have been staying at home.
More than a million Filipinos have joined the popular Facebook group, Home Buddies, and have been inspired to improve their homes.
Many people have even gotten into coffee because they can’t visit their favorite coffeeshops. But what about tea?
If coffee is the drink that gets you going, to me, tea is the drink that calms.
English Tea Shop Organic Teas
I recently got my hands on some organic teas from the popular English Tea Shop. English Tea Shop is the leading specialty tea company in the UK. The company has won various accolades, and is respected in tea communities for its efforts at sustainability, Fair Trade, and authentic provenance.
Even though many of us are just staying at home, it doesn’t mean that we don’t get stressed! This is why it’s so on trend now to create calming spaces in our homes. After you’ve created your own calming space at home, isn’t it just better to enjoy that space with some tea? Just the thought of it brings some sort of serenity.
I really do love my teas. Coffee is the thing that gets me awake, and tea is the one that soothes me. While I’m a Pu-erh aficionado, and I think Jasmine tea is the best pair with Chinese food, I also give Western-style teas a try because sometimes they can get very creative with blends!
For the past week, I’ve been trying the various organic teas from English Tea Shop. I enjoyed English Breakfast in the morning, Sleepy Me at night, Turmeric Ginger Lemongrass during a rainy afternoon, and Chamomile again at night.
The English Tea Shop teas I tried were mild and didn’t have any harshness nor strong tannin / acidic taste. They are an easy drink, especially for those who are just starting a tea habit.
- The Sleepy Me blend tasted of chamomile, and it was smoothly lulling me to sleep. I had assumed from the packaging that it would have a stronger lavender component, but it actually tasted more chamomile-y. I could smell the lavender and the valerian before steeping though, and it smelled really good. A nice tea to help you unwind and prepare for bed. It’s an organic way to knock yourself out in case you have trouble sleeping 🙂
- The English Breakfast blend is a smooth, smoky blend of Ceylon & Assam tea. Since I don’t take milk with my English Breakfast tea, I tend to brew it mild. However, for this review, I also tried brewing the English Breakfast as it was meant to be (5 minutes in a teacup). The tea is rich, brisk, vibrant and robust, has hints of citrus and warm spices and can totally vie with coffee to wake you up when you’re sleepy! The aftertaste even reminds me of those smooth, malty whiskies (but this tea has no alcohol). This is my favorite of the ones I’ve tried 🙂
- The Turmeric Ginger Lemongrass blend was strongly reminiscent of curry! It really does smell like curry. But then, turmeric, ginger and lemongrass are all known to boost our immune system and help fight off viruses, etc… so I don’t mind. It’s a warming blend that’s nice on a cool, rainy afternoon.
- Chamomile – if you are looking for something to help you get sleepy, I suggest going for Sleepy Me 🙂 Sleepy Me is just has more of the things that will help you sleep, and it also has a chamomile base.
One thing I can say about these teas, is that they are very fragrant. When I first got my teas and haven’t found a place for them yet in my coffee / tea corner, I kept the opened boxes in my bedroom. My bedroom smelled so good – no need for any aroma diffuser! No worries though because each tea bag is individually packed and sealed.
Each box of tea contains 20 sachets, and it’s an easy-open box:
They also updated their packaging to a new design.
Colourful packaging reflecting Mother Nature’s beauty with a mandala design more attuned to the times
The uncertainty of the times calls for better self-care, and English Tea Shop products, with their new Mandala labels, helps to highlight the value of wellness and balance. Taking the time to sit and sip premium tea blends in a day of busy zoom meetings is a much-needed Zen moment everyone deserves to refocus and recharge.
The exciting, colourful packaging introduced into their products represents Mother Earth’s natural beauty and the colourful organic gardens that bring to life the wholesome tea blends.
Coming from the previously more playful and light-hearted teapot emblem, the brand is now introducing a mandala-inspired brand element. A geometric figure representing the universe in Hindu and Buddhist symbolism also means circle in ancient Sanskrit language. To English Tea Shop, the mandala represents the virtuous support system the brand aims to build between small businesses, society and the environment at large, which is at the heart of everything they do.
Additionally, to make it even more appealing to the wellness-conscious audience, the word “organic” is now front and centred to strongly emphasise English Tea Shop’s commitment to being 100% free from synthetic chemicals.
High standards for tea
With the distinction of receiving the SGS Covid-19 Control Program Certification, English Tea Shop is committed to providing quality products that have passed the standards of the world’s leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company. This means that the warehouse and production facilities of English Tea Shop have been found to adhere to the highest standards of safety while protecting their employees and teas.
True to its mission of providing a product that’s good for the health and Mother Earth, every purchase of English Tea Shop organic tea doesn’t only mean enjoying a brew that’s good for you, but for nature too. Sustainability and environment-friendly are not mere buzzwords for the team–it’s a way of life for the brand.
Wholesome Flavours for Wellness
Even as this pandemic has brought many challenges to the global economy, English Tea Shop’s passion for tea has never stopped growing. The founders believe that we can still celebrate life in every part of the journey by consistently supporting their tea-loving community.
Tea has properties to help relieve the effects of stress, with its flavonoids that act as antioxidants, protecting the body from free radicals. Drinking tea regularly also boosts the immune system, which is very important, especially in times like these. The flavonoids found in tea also serve as a beauty aid, helping skin stay supple and fresh for that all-important healthy glow. Tea’s relaxing properties also help bring a healthier state of mind, as its consumption lowers levels of the stress hormone cortisone.
English Tea Shop is a favourite among true tea enthusiasts for its perfect blends of organic and sustainably-sourced ingredients that come together to produce sensational brews. The brand offers a virtuous TLC or Tea Loving Care to the environment, the farmers, and their customers who enjoy sipping on their refreshing and robust or soothing selections as a welcome break from the pressures of the day.
English Tea Shop is a multi-awarded brand with a wide array of all-organic teas, from well-loved everyday teas such as Chamomile, Perfect Peppermint and English Breakfast to the super-tea combinations such as Turmeric Ginger Lemongrass. It also has the Wellness Me range, which helps alleviate our mind, body and soul, with variants such as Slim Me and Sleepy Me.
Make time for tea time by indulging in a soothing cup of your favorite tea blends today. English Tea Shop is represented in the Philippines by Clever Cats International Company, with their teas exclusively available at Robinsons Supermarket, The Marketplace and Shopwise stores nationwide. And as easy as making tea, have your perfectly blended tea delivered to your home when you order online from these stores via GoRobinsons.ph and Metromart. For more information, visit www.etsteas.co.uk. For inquiries, email [email protected].
