The Perfect Afternoon Tea

Afternoon Tea Week starts on the 4th of August and continues until the 14th. So, it's the perfect time to treat yourself and your besties to an afternoon of teas and treats. We love discovering new places to experience the quintessentially British event, but we also love hosting our own. So, what could be better than a visit from your favourite people for an afternoon of teas and sweet and savoury treats from the comfort of your own home?

We've compiled the perfect Afternoon Tea guide for you to try at home and have chosen our favourite teas to accompany delicious afternoon tea-inspired food. Like wine pairing, some teas work better with sweet treats while others can pair beautifully with savoury. Some teas contain natural tannins, while others do not. Some offer subtle nuances that can't be overpowered by bold flavours, while others embrace the most delectable morsels. Our guide selects black, green, Oolong, white, fruit and herbal teas and pairs them with edible accompaniments to make your homemade Afternoon Tea perfect.

Green Tea: Organic Gu Zhan Mao Jian

A superb green tea with unique character rounded with a gentle sweetness. Certified Organic, the delicate buds and leaves for this rare Chinese tea can only be picked ten days a year: a slight sweet but unique character.

Food Pairing: Cucumber Sandwiches

Although Gu Zhan Mao Jian tea has a subtle sweetness, it also offers floral notes and hints of black pepper. We love this loose-leaf tea with crunchy yet mild cucumber sandwiches with classic white bread and real butter to bring out the nuances of the green tea.

Cucumber Sandwiches

How to Brew Green Tea

Boil filtered cold water
Place the tea leaves in a tea strainer or filter basket
Pour over the hot (80 degrees) water
Steep the tea for the appropriate amount of time (2-3 minutes)
Strain the tea
Sweeten with sugar lumps or honey the tea to taste (we don't recommend adding milk!)

Black Tea: Assam Boisahabi

For a classic Afternoon Tea, you'll need a special, smooth and aromatic black tea. Our Assam Boisahabi is a superb first flush tea from Assam which is highly aromatic with a delicately sweet and malty taste.

Food Pairing: Victoria Sponge Cake

We love a classic Victoria sponge cake with a robust and aromatic black tea. No Afternoon Tea would be complete without it, and the sweet and creamy nature of a classic sponge cake marries perfectly with a golden black tea.

How to Brew Black Tea

Boil fresh or filtered cold water
Place the tea leaves in a tea strainer or filter basket
Pour the hot water
Steep the tea for the appropriate amount of time (8-10 minutes)
Strain the tea
Sweeten the tea to taste, and/or add a dash of milk

White Tea: Pai Mu Tan

Our organic Pai Mu Tan (White Peony) is a mild, distinctive white tea with a sweet aroma and light spice. Known as White Peony, the Chinese white-leaved tea is of the highest quality. It has a floral scent of freshness and delicate spice with a bright, golden-yellow cup.

Food Pairing: Cheese Scones

White teas are delicate and slightly sweet so that they can be overwhelmed by big flavours. The ideal Afternoon Tea accompaniment is a freshly baked cheese scone. The subtly salty, cheesy scones highlight the sweetness of white teas without overwhelming the golden yellow cup.

How to Brew White Tea

Boil fresh water and leave to cool slightly.

Place your white tea in a tea strainer or infuser

Pour the freshly cooled hot water over the tea

Steep the tea for the appropriate amount of time (1.5 - 3 minutes)

Strain the tea

Oolong Tea: Fancy Oolong

Offering distinction, diverse flavours, colours and aromas, Oolong teas suit any palate and are versatile. Our Superior Fancy Oolong is a speciality tea with an enchanting nutty flavour and an aromatic cup.

Food Pairing: Smoked Salmon Sandwiches

We love smoked salmon sandwiches with our Afternoon Tea. Because our Superior Fancy Oolong has nutty nuances and a high aroma, salmon's sweet and smoky nature works beautifully with the natural tannins on the tea.

How to Brew Oolong Tea

Boil fresh water and leave to cool slightly
Place your oolong tea in a tea strainer or infuser
Pour the freshly cooled hot water over the tea
Steep the tea for the appropriate amount of time (between 2-5 minutes)
Strain the tea & serve

Fruit Tea: Rhubarb Cream

We love our Rhubarb Cream loose-leaf tea. The heavenly fruity and rhubarb blend tea is rounded off with the delicate sweetness of real bourbon vanilla.

The creamy and sweet rhubarb tea infusion contains rhubarb and apple pieces, hibiscus, rosehip peel, pineapple, mango and papaya bits, with fragrant marigold blossoms.

Food Pairing: Fruit-Based Desserts

For this fruity and exotic tea, you can enjoy any real fruit-based cake, tart or pie. From pineapple to rhubarb, apple and even strawberries, we love the burst of fruit, vanilla and cream with Rhubarb Cream tea.

How to Brew Fruit Tea

Boil fresh or filtered water
Place your fruit infusion in a tea strainer or infuser
Pour the freshly boiled hot water over the tea
Steep the tea for the appropriate amount of time (8-10 minutes)
Strain the tea & serve

Herbal Tea: Ginger and Herbs

Our Ginger and Herbs herbal tea is a soothing infusion and one of our favourites! The combination of ginger, lemongrass, liquorice, chamomile, black pepper, vervain, cinnamon and rose petals create an enlivening tea.

Food Pairing: Macarons

Macarons not only look fantastic with their plethora of colours, but they also offer delightful texture. Crips on the outside and soft on the inside, macarons can be flavoured with many fruits and spices. A ginger-based tea is excellent for these sweet bundles of joy because the gentle heat of the ginger sets an exciting contrast between the sweetness of the macarons.