BEHIND THE CRAFT
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An Infinity of Patterns

The word ‘Kaleidoscope’ is a permanent memory of childhood play and curiosity. From Greek, it means the “observation of beautiful forms”.  We recall those beautiful patterns, never repeated.

David Brewster, the inventor of the ‘modern’ Kaleidoscope, said it might be of great value in "all the ornamental arts" as a device that creates an "infinity of patterns".

Our brand is like a sedimentary rock: layers of experiences from faraway lands washed together, connecting, over time creating a structure of uniqueness and beauty. Constantly being reinvented, but always remaining inclusive, tolerant, harmonious.  Turning the familiar to the unfamiliar, the mundane to the exotic.

For our finest tea caddies, we bring together individual patterns and images from the past and present to create a contemporary kaleidoscopic canvas for the future.

FGTE12225

Assam SFTGFOP1 Loose Leaf Black Tea Gift Caddy 100g

Net Weight: 100g

Notable for its beautiful leaf-style, this attractive and highest tippy leaf black tea from Assam, produces a satisfying cup with a superb malty character. In one of our beautiful Kaleidoscope Caddies.

The East India Company - Lifestyle

Tea

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£60.00
Tea connoisseurs will know that SFTGFOP is the best grade of black tea possible.

For those not so familiar, it's 'official' black tea grade language used for black teas from India. It stands for: Special Finest Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe.

Working backwards, Flowery Orange Pekoe [FOP] denotes two leaves a bud from the end of the plant - the finest, tenderest young leaves. Flowery is self-explantory, Orange refers to the Dutch House of Orange, and Pekoe is of Chinese origin referencing the silvery hairs on the buds.

Golden refers to the golden yellow leaf buds and when these are in abundance, it becomes Tippy.

Special Finest.... means the Special Finest. The best.
From the Mangalam Tea Estate of Assam, run by the Jay Shree family, an estate reknowned for the the very best, luxury teas.

The estate is quite unique in the way the garden is laid out, with the intensive bush plantation forming a dense garden.

Just like the rest of the Assam region, the estate benefits from a hot and humid monsoon climate and the fertile plains of the Brahmaputra River running through the region, fed by the Tibetan Himalayan water.

Our SFTGFOP is small batch indigeneous Assamica tea, picked in August from a reserved part of the tea estate.
Dry tea is light brown, wiry and curly and very tippy.

An almost burnt deep caramel aroma.

A stunning deep coppery colour.

The flavour has incredible depth - it's rich, sweet and malty of course, with a wonderful lingering mouthfeel.
Drink with breakfast for an indulgent touch, works very well with a Full English.

Later in the morning, an East India Company Butter Shortbread and Clotted Cream is a perfect partner.
Quantity

2.5 GRAMS OF TEA LEAVES PER CUP

Temperature

200ML OF WATER AT 100ºC

Brewing Time

4 MINS BREWING TIME

Ingredients

Black Tea

Storage

Store in a cool, dry place avoiding direct sunlight and strong odours.

Stories

Tiger of Mysore

The loss of the colonies in America led to national self-reflection and a new feeling of intolerance to what was now perceived as corrupt practices [the Tea Act of 1773 which caused the Boston Tea Party, itself a catalyst for American Independence].

Lord Cornwallis, fresh from Britain’s last failed defence of the American colony, became the Indian army’s new commander in chief in 1784 (and later the Governor General of India). He set the tone immediately by foregoing his annual salary of £6000.

Such was his positive impact in India, it was said that while Cornwallis lost a colony in the West, he won one in the East.

So the new zeitgeist in India: Duty, service and high moral ground.

Not without challenges though.
Tipu, the self-styled “Tiger of Mysore” was a protonationalist hero in Southern India, fond of tiger motifs worked into his uniforms, cannons, cane handles, bed hangings, swords and thrones. It all created or perpetuated perhaps a myth of a tigerish personality, which caught popular imagination in both Britain and India. He has caught our imagination too - we’ve even named one our ‘tigerish’ Signature coffee blends ’Tiger of Mysore’!]

However, he habitually defeated the British, treating prisoners cruelly. Cornwallis defeat of Tipu and capture of his capital Seringapatam in the 3rd Mysore war therefore was acclaimed in Britain and the Treaty that followed strangely included taking Tipu’s sons hostage - as a guarantee of Tipu’s good behaviour. Even though they were treated with great kindness, this was seen rather differently back in the day than would be the case today, as an example of British benevolence.

Tipu’s final defeat and death shortly afterwards in the 4th Mysore war laid the old enemy to rest.

See our Behind The Craft Story of “Cornwallis and the Mysore Hostages” and our use of the painting by Robert Home on our Assam Signature Caddy.

Our spirit delivers no ordinary products

  • FAQ

    Does this tea contain caffeine and is there more or less than in coffee?
    Yes, all tea like coffee, contains caffeine. The amount in both teas and coffees does vary, depending on the type, but typically Sri Lankan black tea is lighter than other teas in caffeine content, usually between 50 and 90mg for a normally brewed 230ml serving. This compares to about 95mg for a normal cup of coffee. The best advice is to treat tea and coffee similarly if you need to manage your caffeine intake.

    I’ve heard that tea contains theanine. What is it and what does it do?
    Tea does indeed contain theanine, which is an amino acid [the building blocks of proteins]. Tea is one of only a few sources of theanine. It represents about 1% of dry weight and is at its highest concentrate in shade-grown teas like matcha and gyokuro. Whilst not yet proven in scientific studies that would permit specific health claims to be made, it is believed by many to be able to reduce mental and physical stress, promote relaxation and a sense of well-being. But not only that, it is more recently being thought to aid cognitive function. It’s one explanation for tea’s famous ability to create calm in a crisis [the Great British solution to all problems – ‘putting the kettle on’] and to stimulate when a little boost is required.

  • Delivery & Returns

    UK Standard Delivery: £3.95
    UK Next Day Delivery (mainland UK only): £9.95 (Order before 12pm)
    International Delivery is available, please see our delivery page for details. For more information and Terms & Conditions, please see our Delivery page.

  • Reviews

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