Summerdown Mint Teas - Peppermint Tea and Spearmint & Camomile Tea

As the weather cools, there is nothing nicer than hugging a comforting cuppa. Besides the warming effect, tea can do so much for our systems. Dandelion tea helps with bloating and promotes liver health, green tea is full of antioxidants, ginger tea helps with nausea associated with motion sickness, and peppermint tea is known to aid digestion. The Amazing Blog was thrilled to receive a selection of teas from Summerdown Mint, a specialist British peppermint company.

Summerdown Mint was founded by Sir Michael Colman over twenty years ago, in green and leafy Hampshire. He decided to cultivate a unique variety of Black Mitcham peppermint, a type of mint that was grown in England over 100 years ago. Summerdown Mint also produce a variety of other mint infused products, such as chocolates and sweets, and products for the bath, body, and home. We wrote about their fragrant Lemongrass & Mint Body Wash here. Many of their products have already achieved great accolades, being winners in The 2018 Beauty Shortlist Awards and the Great Taste Awards. Best of all, with Summerdown Mint, you know you’re getting an authentic home-grown English peppermint oil. An added bonus is that all of the products are 98% natural, and are free of sulfates, parabens, PEGs, petrochemicals and artificial colourings.

The English Peppermint tea consists of Black Mitcham mint leaves and oil. It comes either in regular tea bags or their rather charming pyramid shaped bags, which not only give the loose-leaf tea more room to steep, but they are biodegradable too. The dried leaves are infused with their oil from the distillery, which is where you get a wonderful, authentic English Peppermint tea taste. This packs a bit of punch, with a crisp, bright and full fresh mint flavour, and apparently it does wonders to calm the nerves! We also tried the English Spearmint & Camomile tea and found that this had a gently sweet and refreshing taste, while the ingredients help to aid digestion and reduce tension. First, the camomile flowers are harvested and dried, and then they are brewed with spearmint oil. We’d definitely recommend trying these teas, as they make a terrific break from our regular black tea.

If you would like to try Summerdown Mint’s English Peppermint tea (either the pyramid tea bags with 15 sachets, or regular tea bags containing 20 tea envelopes) or the English Spearmint & Camomile tea (20 tea envelopes), they can be all be purchased here from £3.40 per box. There is free delivery when you spent £25 or more within the UK.

Hoogly Tea

Perhaps it is the expansive range of delicious concoctions from Hoogly that initially drew us in at The Amazing Blog. Alternatively, perhaps it was their very name which demands attention. Whichever it may be, attention should definitely be made to this fantastic range of delectable and 100% natural ingredient teas.

The name of the brand Hoogly is the correct pronunciation of the Danish term ‘hyggelig’ which is the adjective of the Danish concept of ‘hygge’. Hygge is “an experience; a year-round feeling of warmth, wellbeing and cosiness”, and so they tell us, is the reason why the Danes are such a happy nation. When you think about it, it does all fit, but that is quite a claim when referring to a humble cup of tea. Are we being a touch British about it all? They are blended and packed in the South East of England, and more importantly for us, they are ethically sourced and fairly traded.

There’s only one way to find out, so we chose to try the variety of loose teas. These compromise of Around the Fire Black (Oolong) Tea, Classic Green Tea, Sparkling White Tea and  Chill Out Mint Herbal Infusion Tea. They are all at opposite ends of the warmth spectrum if you will; and both ends, we can report, gave us warm and fuzzy smiles, leaving us very happy. The lesson here is certainly that if you need a major pep-you-up, then try some ‘hygge’ in a cup - it’s enormously satisfying.

You can order your own dose of the Danish lifestyle from the Hoogly website here, with a choice of both loose leaves and bags, at £5.50 each for a 50g pack or £19.50 for a 200g tub. From the extraordinary range of 18 infusions available - we will definitely be whiling away some more hours honing our ‘happy’, and finding our zen!

Hot Drinks Feature - Friday Favourites

Struggling to make it through this winter? Here at the Amazing Blog we have been trying to combat the gloominess with some warming hot drinks. We are sure you'll agree that when it's as wet and grey outside as it is today, there is nothing better than curling up with a tasty and comforting hot drink. So, we thought we would round up some fun and unusual winter warmers, that are guaranteed to make you feel cozy and comfortable.

Akesson’s is a brand that passionate about cacao. Today Akesson’s has grown from a single plantation to haveing buisness with plantations based in Madagascar, Brazil, and Indonesia. The company produces undoubtedly one of the finest forms of cocoa, which they supply globally to famous chocolatiers and chefs.

We loved trying Akesson’s exclusive line of chocolate and we particularly enjoyed the Choco-Tea Cacao Infusion. The tea is a natural product made from cacao nibs and their shells, producing a rich and warm flavour that lifted our spirits after exposure to the damp weather. The cacao in this comes from the Sambirano Valley, in the North-West of Madagascar, and has a wonderfully expressive chocolate aroma, with subtle fruit and citrus notes. The tea is organic and rich in polyphenols, antioxidants, iron, magnesium and Vitamin D, making it a very healthy and natural drink.

We infused half of one large teaspoon for five minutes in hot water. We liked the fact the tea is not overly sweet, but of course, if you like your tea sweeter adding a teaspoon of honey or sugar can help round out the flavour to match your cravings.

Try Akesson’s sumptuous Choco-Tea here for £6.95.

Pure Chimp’s Super Tea specialises in matcha green tea, a nutritional powerhouse produced in Japan. This tea is different to regular green tea, as it's partially grown under cover helping to fill it with extra goodness. Equally, matcha tea also differs from normal green tea as it has higher levels of theanine and chlorophyll. Theanine offers a wonderful energy boost without the crash that usually follows after a cup of regular caffeinated tea. The higher chlorophyll gives this tea a lovely soft and smooth flavour that we can’t get enough of. 

We love the versatility of this product. You can add it to hot water, juice, smoothies and even bake with it. Our favourite combination was to simply add hot milk and drink it as a matcha latte! The product is also suitable for vegans so everyone can enjoy the health benefits of Pure Chimp Super Tea.

Try Pure Chimp’s Super Tea here for £4.95.

Next is PHROOTI, a UK based brand which has created the perfect product for those of us who don't like tea but still enjoy the tradition and comfort that a good hot drink can give. The founders of PHROOTI were frustrated with conventional flavoured teas that smell incredibly fruity but lack any real and discernable flavour. The brand thus decided to reinvent fruit tea to give the people what they want, and we can't thank them enough as the result is delicious. PHROOTI consists of 95-97% natural and dried fruit powder and contains no traces of tea. This gives the product an intense fruity flavour that is guaranteed to tantalise your taste buds!

The faux-tea is caffeine-free, low calorie, and free from added sugar, making it a delicious and guilt-free treat. PHROOTI currently comes in three fabulous flavours, including Sour Cherry and Cranberry, Blackcurrant, Blackberry and Blueberry. Our favourite was Raspberry and Strawberry. This is the perfect option for those who don’t enjoy tea but love fruity flavour infusions.

Try PHROOTI here, you can buy 6 packs for £17.70.

We thought we would end today’s feature on a more traditional and classic note, simply, tea. Here at The Amazing Blog, we love tea and love to try out new and exciting flavours. Tea Shirt is a new UK brand founded by a tea-obsessed couple with a passion for discovering high-quality teas and unearthing original flavours.

After the endless office tea runs we've all done, you know how hard it is to find two people who enjoy their tea the same way. Whether it's an argument over when the milk goes in or type of tea, it can be a nightmare filling out those tea orders! But this isn't a problem with Tea Shirts, as not only are all their teas delicious but they have an extensive selection to choose from; ranging from the typical ‘Irish Breakfast’ to unusual flavours such as ‘Barbados Rum’ and ‘Marshmallow’ there is definitely a flavour for everyone. We personally loved the ‘Apple and Grapefruit’ tea blended with its fresh and citrus flavours, we felt completely revitalised and refreshed after a cup.

The teas are packaged in “Tea Shirts” - labels which mimic traditional textiles and embroidery from the areas where they originated. We think Tea Shirts makes a perfect gift for tea lovers or just a winter warmer by the fire.

You can buy Tea Shirts here from £1.79.

Love Heart Chakra Green Tea - PositiviTea

Here at The Amazing Blog we know how important it is to take care of both body and mind. PositiviTea is a great way to find that balance.

This company believes in the three P’s: living in the PRESENT, believing everything is POSSIBLE and staying POSITIVE. With all these good vibes, we were more than happy to try PositiviTea’s Love tea. Its blend of Jasmine Green Tea, Rose Petals, Hawthorn Leaf, Cardamom, and Gingko Biloba promises to activate and heal heart chakra. Green tea can help boost your metabolism and Gingko Biloba can improve your circulation. The tea also contains delicious Hawthorn, which helps strengthen the heart whilst Cardamom acts as a breath freshener and an aphrodisiac. As with any other tea, all you have to do is brew it in hot water and all the flavours and properties will emerge.

In each recycled package you can find 15 biodegradable tea bags just for £5.50. You can get and choose your favourite PositiviTea tea here. 

Afternoon Tea Week 10th - 16th August 2015

Here at The Amazing Blog we love a good cuppa and a slice of cake, and therefore can’t wait for all the festivities of Afternoon Tea Week 2015 to begin.

From the 10th - 16th August the biggest celebration of tea time treats in the world is happening all over the country, although many of the biggest and best events are right here in London.

Among the events is a Historical Afternoon Tea at Dennis Severs’ House with Kerstin Rodgers aka Ms Marmite Lover, one of the country’s most successful bloggers. On Friday 14th August Kerstin will be creating a historical, Georgian themed Afternoon Tea and baking from historic recipes. The event begins at 3pm and you can’t buy your tickets here.

If you’re more into the baking side of creating a great afternoon tea, definitely check out The Bakewell Baking Festival, which takes place from 14-16th August at the Bakewell Showground. The festival boasts an amazing line-up of culinary talent including Stacie Stewart, Edd Kimber, TV’s Fabulous Baker brother Tom Herbert, baked-Alaska-gate Bake off star Iain Watters andBake-off star Howard Middleton. Tickets start from £7 and can be purchased here.

For a truly immersive afternoon tea experience the InterContinental London Park Lane are offering the opportunity to enjoy the limited edition Scents of Summer Afternoon Tea in the company of Executive Chef Ashley Wells and Bespoke Perfumer Nicola Pozzani of Floris London. Here you'll experience how the evocative notes from Floris fragrances; such as freshly cut grass, jasmine, bergamot, citrus, and rose, are skilfully crafted into the sandwiches, scones and cakes, including bite-sized Jasmine tea cakes garnished with edible flowers, bergamot and blackcurrant flower macaroons, Peach Melba mousse, and a grapefruit and almond tart with violet cream. This limited edition afternoon tea costs £45 per person and available until the 27th September 2015. Book your table here.

If chocolate is more of your thing renowned artisan chocolatier paul.a.young fine chocolates has created an Afternoon Tea Week Collection.  The delicious afternoon tea favourites that we all love have been reimagined into truffles including scone, jam and clotted cream, treacle tart and Pimms! To get your hands on some of these moreish treats head on down to your nearest paul.a.young shop.

This is just a selection of all the events being held. For more information and exclusive offers please visit Afternoon Tea Week’s website.