Welcome back to the ‘Tea of the Week’ series. This week, we continue to explore the world of teas with our revered Royal Breakfast loose leaf black tea. We have some regal food pairings together with tasting notes from our resident Tea Master. We also have a suggestion about how to make a cup of Royal Breakfast with a twist. And, as you sip on your Royal Breakfast loose leaf black tea, discover how the humble tea leaf captured the heart of a Queen, and a nation.
We’re delighted to offer a special 10% discount with the code ROYAL
on our Royal Breakfast teas and don’t forget FREE postage when you spend £15.
There’s nothing more traditional than a pot of |
If you prefer a velvety smooth and silky |
PERFECT PAIRINGS
Royal Breakfast loose leaf black tea with a
peanut butter sandwich.
Royal Breakfast Tea has the strength and malty, earthy depth of flavour to work
admirably with the rich, sweet spice of a Swedish cinnamon roll as well as a toasted
peanut butter sandwich. Its bold tannin rich taste works well with roast meats especially
roast beef and Yorkshire pudding and beef jerky snacks. It complements more spicy
dishes whether Mexican chiles rellenos, stuffed poblano peppers with quesillo cheese
or spicy West African suyu beef with a dry peanut rub flavours heightened by a
combination of ginger, garlic, paprika, chilli and salt. Royal Breakfast also works well
with more robust pasta dishes such as lasagne. Even try it to cut through the richness of
more creamy traditional English desserts like trifle or lemon posset.
Sudi Pigott is a discerningly greedy food, drink and travel journalist who has
contributed to The i Paper, National Geographic Food, Fine Dining Lovers,
The Spectator and Falstaff International as well as international publications for over 20 years.
She runs food writing workshops and is the author of the seismic handbook ‘How to be a Better Foodie’.
TEA MASTER’S NOTES
Our resident Tea Master, Lalith Lenadora shares more of his expert
knowledge on our Royal Breakfast loose leaf black tea:
Our full-bodied alternative to the English Breakfast tea, our Royal Breakfast
loose leaf black tea is aromatic, full of colour and body balanced in equal
measure. Personally selected, only the very best picks are plucked from the
misty hills of Ceylon, and the lush estates of Assam in India. Using traditional
and organic harvesting processes including hand-rolling individual tea leaves,
our rich blend is classic and robust, making it the perfect start to the day, and
is best enjoyed with milk and a hearty English breakfast.
We have direct relationships with the finest tea estates and our teas are some
of the freshest available as they arrive in stores and online just 28 days after the
leaves have been picked. As Tea Master, I personally ensure that we offer premium
quality teas with a consistency of taste, aroma and flavour throughout the year.
FLAVOUR PROFILES
CEYLON
Our black teas grown in Sri Lanka (formerly
Ceylon) vary from the color of sun-drenched
honey to a burgundy brown. Ceylon tea leaves
are easy to recognize thanks to their long, wiry
appearance and featuring notes of chocolate,
spice and citrus, Ceylon black teas are
described as having bold, full-bodied flavours
complimented by a brisk finish, making them
the ideal start to the day.
ASSAM
It was the pioneers of The East India Company
that brought tea to India and Assam. Today,
our Assam teas are brisk and bold with a strong
colour. The tropical climate here contributes to
the rich, malty flavour for which Assam teas
are best known, making them a perfect partner
to milk for a robust breakfast tea.
How did the humble tea leaf capture the hearts of a Queen and a nation?
It was customary for The East India Company to bring gifts on returning ships for the Sovereign.
In 1664, the Company was distressed to find that no provision of a gift for King Charles II
had been made. Accordingly, two pounds of tea found on board were presented to the King, much to
the delight of his wife Catherine of Braganza from Portugal (who had grown up with a taste for tea).
She introduced tea as a fashionable drink in courtly and aristocratic circles and so began a
long Royal tradition of tea drinking and the start of the British love affair with the humble tea leaf.
What are breakfast teas?
It was customary for The East India Company to bring gifts on returning ships for the Sovereign.
In 1664, the Company was distressed to find that no provision of a gift for King Charles II
had been made. Accordingly, two pounds of tea found on board were presented to the King, much to
the delight of his wife Catherine of Braganza from Portugal (who had grown up with a taste for tea).
She introduced tea as a fashionable drink in courtly and aristocratic circles and so began a
long Royal tradition of tea drinking and the start of the British love affair with the humble tea leaf.
DID YOU KNOW
Sales of traditional black teas are generally in decline in many countries,
largely due to the increased popularity amongst younger tea drinkers of green
teas and infusions, but a traditional cup of black tea is still the glue that holds
many people’s day together, indeed the British still drink more than 100
million cups of black tea with milk, every single day.
Join us next week as we continue to bring you the best from the world of tea and infusions.
Discover why our Jasmine Pearls green tea is an irresistible blend steeped in history and flavour.
If you’ve enjoyed the journey, then continue exploring
by visiting our extensive tea range here.
