TeaVivre - Black Tea Bailin Gongfu

Black loose leaf tea can be very strong and overwhelming, but this Balin Gongfu from Teavivre tea is rich and smooth without bitterness. The pack states two to three minutes in hot water, but as I always add milk I fund that a little too short and upped it to 5 minutes. A malty, almost nutty flavour, this tea is a lovely treat to enjoy in the quiet moments with a good book, or even to create your own peaceful idyll in the middle of a fast paced day.

The leaves can be used for multiple cups and just require a slightly longer brew for the re-used leaves than for the first infusion. A very different taste to English Breakfast tea, the standard Black Tea used in supermarket teabags, this is a tea to savour and indulge.

Crooked House Windsor

The Crooked House in England's royal and luscious Windsor is a beautiful and quaint tearoom brimming with charm.  Genuinely crooked like the famous leaning tower of Pisa, this is a really interesting and cute building, and well worth a visit once you've finished basking in the glory of the castle.

A beautiful building so close to the castle and surrounded by history, this place has a lot going for it before you even get to the tea.

Quaint and very snug, this is a place brimming with character with very sweet and attentive staff. Our waitress politely apologised for the lack of flowering tea and was very quick to serve. 

When our order did arrive we were delighted to see loose tea in a pot, but disappointed that it was metal. Some lovely chintz would have been just perfect. I hate metal teapots, they burn!

I had ordered Jasmine Tea, so the milk went to waste, which is always sad to see. I would have liked to have been offered extra hot water, but as this is a bustling venue with hardly any space in a prime tourist spot I can understand why I wasn't. 

The sandwich arrived just as ordered and the salad was lettuce tomato and cucumber (standard British interpretation) and luckily no dressing.

All in all a lovely experience, and reasonably priced for a tourist town.

Hendricks Gin with Jubilee Tea Cup