It’s finally time for a tea review.
It’s been ages since we talked about tea here on PGT but my love for it hasn’t gone away. Actually, you might have spotted some tea love over on my Instagram. Back in August I started getting a little more creative with videos and worked on a couple of tea ones with Connor.
We made this video to show off the Pao mug and I think it really shows off how easy it is to use. If you scroll down you’ll be able to see the video in action.
Over the summer I tried 3 lovely loose leaf teas from my friends at Whittard of Chelsea. The business was founded in 1886 by Walter Whittard with the aim to sell the best tea, coffee and cocoa. I’d say they’ve done a very good job at keeping his mission going.
They’re a brand I know well and have shopped with for well over 15 years. My mum introduced me to them on our weekly trips to Manchester back when I was in high school. I think that may have been where my love of tea began. They were one of the first tea shops I remember visiting and they always had samples for you to try.
How do you prefer to brew your tea?
Loose or in teabags?
There’s no right or wrong answer really, it’s all down to personal preference. I love loose leaf and although I also use teabags I’d say that I’ve moved more towards loose leaf in the recent months.
The folk over at Whittard are on a loose leaf revolution. They kindly sent over one of their Pao mugs along with 3 fruity teas for me to try out and share with you.
I think people often feel that loose leaf tea is more time consuming and a bit of a faff. Well, today I’m here to show you that it can actually be very quick and simple.
I’ve started using loose leaf much more since the beautiful Pao mug landed on my doorstep. It makes having loose leaf tea quick, simple and it really is a no fuss option. Another bonus of using loose leaf is that it’s plastic-free, particularly when you opt for a cute little tea caddy. Given the state of the environment, this is a very good thing.
The word Pao translates to infuse in Mandarin which is very fitting for these mugs. It has a removable infuser and if you tip the lid upside down it turns into a little tray to rest your infuser on. Mess-free and delightfully easy.
Now that autumn has come around I’m finding the lid handy to keep my tea extra warm when I’m working.
This mug would make a really lovely and useful gift for any tea lover. I’d love to have a few in different colours for when friends come round. I do have a loose leaf tea pot but this mug just makes everything so much more streamlined. Plus everyone can have a different tea then.
The 3 teas I’ve been trying out came in these beautifully designed tea caddies. They’re bright and cheerful and look good on my shelf. They’re not just for summer though. I’ve continued to enjoy them over the last few weeks and they really go down a treat on a cold morning.
Let’s take a closer look at each of the teas:
Passionfruit & Mango Green Tea
I am hooked on the scent of this tea. Sometimes I just open it up to smell it. It makes me think of a tropical summer holiday, it’s wonderful. While it’s brewing it keeps its sweet scent. You only need to leave it for 2-3 minutes to brew, I find just under 3 works best. I also like to make sure I’ve got a good mix of everything on my teaspoon too.
Passionfruit & Mango is a lovely rich and fruity tea with a green tea base. There’s bits of sweet mango and pineapple as well as flavours of passionfruit. It’s a real fruity and sweet tropical tea.
I really enjoy having this tea when I fancy something sweet. It’s not sickly or overpowering but it does satisfy that sweet craving.
I’ve been drinking this one on a daily basis.
English Fruits has a deep fruity scent when you open up the lid and lasts through as it brews. Leave it for 3-5 minutes to really get the full flavour.
It’s a black tea base with fruit notes of raspberries, apple and flavours of cranberry. These flavours work so well with the black tea base.
If you prefer a fruity flavour without sweetness then this is the one for you.
When you open up the caddy you’re instantly hit with a sweet floral scent. It reminds me of something but I can’t quite put my finger on it. As it brews the sweetness moves aside to let the floral notes shine. Leave this tea to brew for 2-3 minutes. Avoid leaving it longer than 3 because that’s when the green tea can become a little bitter, in my experience.
It has a base of sencha green tea but it’s the floral notes (pink rose and peony) that really lead the way. There’s a lovely underlying sweetness to the tea which comes from the cherries.
We’ve made our way through this pot pretty quick and I’m sure I’ll be buying it again.
You can select most of the teas on the Whittard site in a pouch or caddy. I recommend the caddy because not only do they look fantastic but they can be re-used over and over. I’m all for making the most out of things.
They also now have their Autumn and Halloween teas in stock and I am so happy about this. There’s Orange Gingerbread and Chocolate Popcorn for Halloween, move fast though, these two are limited edition.
Then they also have their autumn and winter-themed teas; Pumpkin Spice, Glitter Tea, Christmas Tea, Mulled Wine and Silent Night. I think these all sound really lovely and would make for fun gifts for any tea lover.
Do you use loose leaf tea?