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.

FGTE12233

Silver Dawn Loose Leaf White Tea with Saffron Gift Caddy 50g

Net Weight: 50g

A special tea deserving a special moment in the day. This fine white tea from the Namunukula Mountain in Sri Lanka, where it is said the "the heavens touch the earth", is laced with precious saffron.

The East India Company - Lifestyle

Tea

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£130.00
The leaves of the tea bushes are kept tender by the gentle mists which shroud the mountains. This tea is grown at the highest reaches of the Oodoowere Tea Estate, in the more eastern Uva tea region.

Collected by expert pickers use a velvet cloth to hold the precious tea buds, thus preserving the characteristic silvery-white fur. Processing is to the mininum required to preserve the tea buds.

If not precious enough already, the tea is elevated further by the additon of strands of precious saffron from Persia, enhancing further the soft sweetness of this precious tea.
The long pointed tea buds are a stunning silvery colour, laced with strands of saffron.

In cup, the liquor is a delicate pale amber.

On the palate, a mild flavour but with complexity that lingers. Saffron adds some honey notes to the overall sweetness.

A true connoisser's tea to be savoured.
The long pointed tea buds are a stunning silvery colour, laced with strands of saffron.

In cup, the liquor is a delicate pale amber.

On the palate, a mild flavour but with complexity that lingers. Saffron adds some honey notes to the overall sweetness.

A true connoisseur's tea to be savoured.
Quantity

1.5G PER CUP

Temperature

200ML OF WATER AT 80-85ºC

Brewing Time

4-5 MINS BREWING TIME

Ingredients

White Tea, Saffron

Storage

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

Stories

White Whiskers, White Tea

It doesn’t get much more simple that processing white tea.

White tea is named after the tiny white or silver hairs that cover the new bud on a tea plant - it is the bud which will soon unfurl to become the next young leaf.

On our White Tea product pages, if you zoom in on the tea picture, you will easily see these little whiskers. When looked at collectively, it creates a silver white sheen to the bud, hence the name.

So it is just the unopened buds or occasionally the bud and one or two of the very youngest leaves too that are picked and brought back to tea factory.
Very carefully handled to retain the integrity of the bud, they are simple dried in the sun or a drying room.

White teas are not fired like other teas, so they tend to retain a higher moisture content [therefore have a shorter shelf life]. There doesn’t seem to be a hard and fast rule about antioxidant or caffeine levels v green or black teas – whilst the white bud itself often carries a little more of both, the resulting brew tends to use cooler water for a shorter time than black, so the cup can often contain less.

Our spirit delivers no ordinary products

  • FAQ

    Does white tea include caffeine and is there more or less than green or black tea and coffee?
    Yes it does, and it varies. All tea leaves, just like coffee, contain caffeine. Tea usually has a lower level of caffeine than coffee, which averages around 95mg for a normal cup of coffee. But it is impossible to give a precise answer, because there are so many variables at play - the length of brew time, the amount of tea used, the age of the leaf, the provenance of the leaf. Even the temperature of the water. Our best advice is to treat all 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

Silver Dawn Loose Leaf White Tea with Saffron Gift Caddy 50g

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