When I was a child, the teapot took pride of place on the dining table. My father is a confirmed tea addict and he still likes his tea loose-leafed, served at the right temperature in a pot and strained into a decent china cup. Using a tea-bag is ‘slumming it’!
He inherited his love of a good brew from my grandmother, Jessie, who used to joke that it was actually tea, not blood, running through her veins and who, when she was a girl in late 1920’s worked for Typhoo.
Now you may have tried other types of tea – Earl Grey, Assam, Darjeeling and a good old fashioned English breakfast tea but there are a wealth of other teas to try from all over the world. It is truly possible to be as great a connoisseur of tea as it is of wine or coffee.
And read on – because I have an amazing giveaway detailed at the end of this post.
Many of us, of course, rely on the good old teabag dunked in a mug usually due to a lack of time or, for us parents, energy. But I think this is a shame.
I’m not suggesting our tea preparation should be anywhere near as complex at the Japanese tea ceremony but there is an argument for taking time for ourselves and creating a little oasis of calm in our busy lives whilst we sup a tea which can transport us to Japan or China, an aristocratic stately home or an orchard filled with fruit.
And with Mother’s Day coming up on 11th March in the UK, a selection of teas would make a lovely Mother’s Day gift, and one my grandmother would certainly have appreciated!
Gourmet tea from Adagio Teas
Adagio Teas recently sent me a positive cornucopia of loose teas to try, together with pots and cups in which to test them.
Their website is a great source of information about all things tea and you can read about the types of tea and how it is made.
Adagio make it easy for you to try different teas with their sampler packs which have incredibly romantic names such as Orchard Herbals and Honeybush Teas. There are Christmas teas and Berries teas as well as the names you will recognise, Red and Green Rooibos, Jasmine and Chai teas.
No tea strainer required
They also offer ingenious ways to drink your loose tea without the faff of hunting around for a strainer or having to drain the pot afterwards.
For example, the glass mug and infuser is a ‘have tea anywhere’ set that combines a glass tea mug with a removable stainless steel infuser. When done, remove the infuser and have a perfect cup of tea wherever, whether at home or in the office. The cover doubles as a coaster!
Adagio also offer special paper filters which replace the need for a tea ball. You simply place the filter in your cup or teapot and fold over the edge. They are made of taste-neutral wood and hemp fibres.
You’ll find plenty of clever filters in their teapots such as the gorgeous Nagoya teapot from Japan. It’s a cast iron teapots which are traditionally favoured for their elegant design, heartiness and ability to retain heat for long periods of time. Each tetsubin teapot is moulded, painted and glazed by hand and comes with a stainless steel infuser to make steeping and removing leaves easy.
If only teabags will do…
You can find a selection of lovely teabag gift sets such as the Comfort Collection which includes six different varieties of gourmet tea bags in a pyramid shape which gives leaves plenty of room to unfurl and fully infuse. In this particular collection you’ll find Golden Yunnan tea, Dragonwell tea, Wuyi Oolong tea, Oolong Goddess tea, Silver Needle tea and Jasmine Pearls tea. Don’t they sound absolutely beautiful?
The giveaway
I have a fabulous giveaway for one lucky Mother Distracted reader which comprises a selection of loose teas and all the teaware you need to make a beautifully fragrant cuppa at home.
You can see the prize in these two photographs.
The prize contains:
- Nagoya Teapot
- Nagoya teacups
- Matcha Tea Bowl Whisk Set
- Glass Mug & Infuser
- Tea Samplers of Earl Grey, Orchard Oolong, Teas of Japan, Black Teas of China, Premium Teas of China
- Artisan Comfort Collection – a gourmet collection of six full-leaf teas
- 2 packs of paper filters
- Other mixed packs of teas including English Breakfast and green teas.
Entry is via the GLEAM widget and the usual terms and conditions apply which you can find on my giveaways page. The giveaway ends at 11:59 pm on Sunday 18th March.
Adagio Tea & Teaware Giveaway
Good luck!
To find out more about Adagio Teas visit their website at www.adagiotea.co.uk. There’s 20% off your first order and deliveries over £30 are free.
Ex marketing professional turned family lifestyle blogger. I live in Cardiff with hubby Mat, Caitlin (10) and Ieuan (8).
I will love to try the Casablanca Twist. Awesome post and a lovely anecdote.
I LOVE tea but hate the *taste* of the tea bag! And apparently the t contain plastic.
No tea bags for me neither
Ooh, Casablanca sounds exotic!
I would love to try the berry blues
I would love to try the apricot green x
I’d love to be a better connoisseur of tea – hope I win !
Berry blues sounds good
Would love to try the Irish Breakfast, its one tea i havent tried, tried most, because i do love my tea
I’d love to try the chamomile 🙂 I drink chamomile tea most nights and I’m fascinated as to how much difference there is between brands!
would love to try the Chocolate Chip tea as a chocoholic it sounds delicious!
I’d love to try the orchard oolong. ALl the teas sound delicious
I would definitely love to try the OOLONG. I have some great oolong once, but I have only found not to good oolong since. Aren’t the pots great too? I think I am in love with the cast iron teapot.
Irish Breakfast
Pina Colada tea sounds interesting!
I’d love to try the orchard oolong and the Irish breakfast tea ror the mornings
Never tried anything like the Pina Colada so that would be amazing to try
Irish breakfast sounds good
Earl Grey
matcha cinnamon Apple sounds yummy
i would like to try berry blues
I would like to try the Jasmine Phoenix Pearls
I would love to try the Jasmine Phoenix Pearls
I would love to try the Assam Harmony. I like a good strong Assam so this new variation sounds interesting
I would love to try the Golden Yunnan tea. Plus I absolutely adore the teapot
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the berry blues
irish breakfast x
One tea i would like to try is the green rooibos bonita
Earl Grey Moonlight sounds interesting!
I’d most like to try the Lemongrass Ginger
I would love to try the Apricot Green, it sounds lovely
Berry blues sounds great
I would like to try the Earl Grey
casablanca would be my first choice x
The casablanca twist sounds absolutely incredible
the jasmine phoenix pearls – i love jasmine and would love to try this – while in sunshine in the garden!
Irish Breakfast Tea
the berry blues
Sounds wonderful as I love Tea lovely prize to offer love to try the Casablanca
I’d love to try the black dragon pearls
the Chocolate Chip tea
Berry blues!
Love the sound of cinnamon apple
Love the sound of cinnamon apple.
Berries blue sounds delicious
I would love to try the Black Dragon tea it’s sounds delicious and interesting
I’d like to try the “apricot green”
Peppermint! Love peppermint tea!
The matcha!
The chocolate chip tea sounds wonderfully delicious!
I’d like to try the Irish breakfast tea. I wonder if it’s much different than ordinary loose tea
Casablanca Twist sounds like my cup of tea!
Earl Grey.
BERRY BLUES
Irish breakfast sound nice
I’m intrigued by the Black Dragon Pearls!
So many, I’m such a tea fiend… this snow has made me fancy their winter collection though, especially the spiced apple chai
I’d love to try Apricot Green, sounds delightful!
I’d like to try the Coconut Tea
Berry blues sounds great
I’d love to try the matcha tea
The Black dragon pearls sounds awesome and havent seen anything like tahat around so would love to try that!.
I would love to try Jasmine Phoenix Pearls
Berry blues looks amazing, great colour
I’d love to try all of these teas!
I would love to try the BLACK DRAGON PEARLS
I’d like to try the Irish Breakfast tea.
Love to try the chocolate chai x
Berry Blues looks like it would be tasty.
I’d love to try the Magic Potions teas
I would like to try the caramel tea
Earl Grey Bavo
Apricot green sounds delish, so would love to try that one first!
I would love to try the matcha tea!
I love trying different kinds of teas and often wonder whether I should invest in an infuser.
Wow, what a fabulous prize, thanks so much. I’d love to try the “Berry Blues” tea
i would like to try the earl gray bravo
Would like to try berry blues
I’d love to try the peppermint tea.
I am a massive tea drinker and would like to try Berry Blues
Berries blue
I love th sound of the mango tea, I’ve tried lots of fruit teas but not mango before so this would be great to try
be nice to win this
I love the Nagoya Teapot & cups, I’m a real tea person so this would be wonderful!
Earl Grey Bravo, love Earl
Grey and tried lots of variations
I love the sound of the casablanca twist
The teas sound delicious, the teapot looks amazing as well as very practical, and the glass mug and infuser is a brilliant idea.
Would like to try the Irish breakfast tea thanks for the chance to win
I would like to try the Pina Colada Tea
I would love to try the berry blue, as it sounds lovely.
So many to pick! Love the sound of jasmine phoenix pearls
The Pina Colada sounds lovely x
The chamomile tea I love drinking it before bedtime
apricot green
i would like to try the peppermint tea
Teas of Japan! Also the oolong, as I have tasted many makes in Japan, as my mum is actually from Nagoya City!
The Jasmine silver needle tea sounds interesting!
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Casablanca sounds amazing
I’d like to try Matcha – I’ve heard many good things about it.
I’d Love To Try The Passionfruit Black Tea .
Teas of Japan. Seen their tea ceremonies and wondered what their teas are like.
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Would love to try the teas of pan – my partner and I would love to go there one day!
Berry blues sounds good x
I would love to try the chocolate chai flavour!
jasmine silver needle
What an amazing prize. good luck all 🙂
The casablanca twist sounds wonderful.
Irish Breakfast Tea!
I would love to try Berry Blues but they all sound delicious
I would choose one of the matcha range – especially as it is well knows it promotes good health
Would love to try the berry blues
Black Dragon Pearls
I’d love to try the Irish Breakfast. That’s probably because of the Celtic side of me.
I am a self confessed tea-aholic, I’m with your dad on this one. Loving that cast iron kettle /tea pot
The nut and spice teas for my sister, she’s the big tea drinker
The Hazelnut sounds fantastic
Teas of Japan sounds great!
I’d like to try the caramel tea. Great comp – thanks for running this.
The candy apple tea, that looks lovely.
Would love to try the jasmine phoenix pearls
Something from the Matcha range,to give me an energy boost!
Awesome. I loooooove tea
I would like to try the Black Dragon Pearls
Massive tea lover.
Anything relaxing gets my vote!
Berry Blues sounds BERRY YUMMY XXX
I would love to try Earl Grey Moonlight. I already drink Earl Grey and Lady Grey and I’m always on the look out for new teas to try.
Love a good cuppa of Irish Breakfast!
Jasmine Pearls
Jasmine Silver Needle looks interesting and sounds delicious.
Tea has really become an art form, the options are exotic and interesting. I love it!
The coconut flavoured tea sounds divine
The Earl Grey starter kit, love early grey!
I would love to try the Jasmine Silver Needle tea.
I’d like to have a cuppa of the berry blue, I love a good fruity tea me!
Casablanca
I like the sound of the Casablanca Twist blend.
jasmine phoenix pearls sounds lovely
The Lemongrass Ginger sounds delicious! 🙂 x
I’d love to try the Jasmine Phoenix Pearls
The Candy Apple sounds amazing!
The Earl Grey moonlight sounds like something I would like. What a great giveaway 🙂
I would love to try Berry Blues – sounds so awesome!
There is a few interesting ones I like the sound of the Citron green
I’d like to try the Jasmine Phoenix Pearls. That would be a real treat.
The Foxtrot tea looks wonderful. I love both chamomile and vanilla.
Berry Blues sounds interesting!
I’d love to try Irish Breakfast tea
I would love to try the berry blues. I love that it would be a cuppa that I can share with my children too.
I’d love to try the raspberry or the strawberry
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would love to try the Earl Grey Bravo
I would like to try the berry blues
I would love to try the earl grey bravo
The Mango flavoured tea
Spiced Apple Chai
I would really like to try the Cinnamon tea.
I would love to try Berry blues.
I would love to try Candy Apple
I’d like to try the rooibos vanilla, sounds lovely.
Irish Breakfast Tea sounds good
Love to try the Matcha peach tea
I’d love to try the Orchard Oolong.
I love the look of Casablanca Twist.
I’d like to try the Blood Orange, it sounds really tasty.
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I would love to try the Citron Green
Citron green
I want to try the matcha
I’d like to try the Berry Blues tea.
Wow looks great!
Woujld be nice to try the Matcha or Citron green
I would love to try the teas of Japan, I love all things Japanaese 🙂
I’d love to try Berry Blues
I would love to try out the Jasmine Phoenix Pearls as Jasmine is my usual cuppa
I would love to try Irish Breakfast as I love a cuppa first thing in the morning
I would love to try the Earl Grey Moonlight tea.
I would love to try Orchard Oolong tea, there are so many to try it would be a wonderful taste adventure
I would like to try the Jade Oolong
Love to try the Irish breakfast tea
I’d love to try Rooibos Mango, it sounds delicious.
Assam Harmony
I would love to try the Irish Breakfast tea x
Peppermint 🙂
Orchard oolong sounds my kind of cup!
Peach Oolong sounds right up my street
Chocolate Chip tea sounds lovely x
I want to try the teas of Japan.
Mango tea
Would love to try the Irish Breakfast
caramel i love caramel coffee would love to try the tea
I would love to try their Macha tea!
candy apple sounds good
Love the sound of Berry Blues
Peach Oolong
Any of them
berry blues love fruity teas
Irish breakfasr
Decaf earl grey, love tea and coffee but very sensitive to caffeine , so this is great.
Love the sound of Casablanca
Orchard oolong sounds awesome
Berry Blues sounds nice.
I would love to try Jasmine Phoenix Pearls. I love tea, thanks for the chance to win!
The jasmine phoenix pearls look interesting and I love the idea of the ingenuiTEA set
Mmm tea for two and two for tea
Would love to try either the BLOOD ORANGE or the YULETIDE TODDY. But what a yummy selection, it was a hard decision.
Any oor all of the Green Teas
irish breakfast looks amazing and would love to give it a try
Berry Blues sounds lovely
The Berry Blues sounds interesting. I’d love to try that one.
Berry blues sounds intriguing. Fab giveaway can’t beat a good cuppa. Thanks for the chance
The Rooibos Vanilla Chai sounds absolutely amazing – a definite must try!
I would love to try the berry blues.
I like the sound of the golden Yunnan tea!
Earl Grey
Peppermint – it’s my favourite 🙂 x
oh my gosh, Chocolate Chip tea who would even think of that, now I would love to try that one
The berry blues sounds amazing
Berry blues x
I’d love to try Matcha
it would have to be the English breakfast tea for me
I’d like to try the Irish breakfast.
I would love to try keemun rhapsody – sounds really different
would love to try the Chocolate Chip tea, sounds interesting x
I like the sound of the Berry blues l
Pu Erh Poe looks really interesting, one for my must try list!
I’d like to try candy apple tea.
I would love to try the mango tea!
Berry Blues sounds lovely
Casablanca sounds interesting 🙂
I would love to try the lemongrass and ginger tea
I am proud to state that Tea is my fave drink in the world! This is a’Tea’rrific giveaway & some of the ideas seem so simple I wish i’d thought of them! It’s snowing again here today so is definately ‘brew’ weather! I’d like to try Casablanca & I admit my choice may have something to do with the weather & the movie! ♡Thanks for the opportunity♡
Silver Needle tea
Candy Apple sounds very tempting to me!
Would love to try the Irish breakfast