Now for a start I have been told by the docs to "lay off the tea", but how can one resist it?
There are so many wonderful varieties from the simple PG Tips to the wonderful and refreshing Chinese green teas.
Who can resist the smell of a pot of "Gunpowder" tea as it`s aroma swells around the room from the pot?
An absolute treat, the only worry of course is caffeine.

In this Nanny state , as they call it, how long will it before the "powers that be" have to put a "units counter" on a coffee and tea packet?

And then of course, drivers will be banned for 3 espressos.
This sounds like a daft Sci Fi idea, but the way we are are going , it could easily happen.
I avoided caffeine for a very long time personally ,on health advice, but you get to a stage when you think.."hey , I really like this!".
A very powerful and gorgeous little beastie it is.

Best tea? I have to vote for Earl Grey with Bergamot.

This depends on the brand and of course also keeping the lid shut on it! If you leave Earl Grey open,for a while it turns into Typhoo, all the orangy flavours vanish into the air.

I struggle to think about what is the best tea, they never cease to amaze me with how much they have to offer.

The most "cuddly" tea is a straight Assam from the Twinings company, I try to avoid tea bags. A friend told me that they were the sweepings that came off the floor in the factory (years ago)and I have never lost this thought!

Yes ok, as we are listing teas as a chart, the best tea is Darjeeling, but made stronger than most would like it, such a bright flavour.

Ceylon without milk for me please

Ah... Tea!

Very dear to my heart. I adore Earl Grey - no sugar or milk and the Lady Grey variety which is Earl Grey with the addition of citrus extracts. Very refreshing and just as nice cold.

There is an amazing teashop in Lincoln... Imperial Teas I think it's called and they stock over 400 different varieties. It's like a kid being let loose in a sweet shop in there! They claim that "major" manufacturers use a fake form of Bergamot oil whereas they use the real thing, and you can taste the difference.

My fave from there is Earl Grey Blue Flower... absolutely heavenly. Well worth checking out.

I'd also heard that teabags used the leftovers so is best to get loose tea and brew it in an infuser.

I only drink "normal" tea when I'm out and about and pop into cafes for a quick refresher. Just annoys me there are zillions of coffee shops - can't stomach coffee at all - yet very few tearooms (certainly not here in the North West) or dealers who stock a wide variety of teas, so sadly one is very limited as far as choice goes in many places.

It is also getting harder to find loose tea - I hate tea bags unless essential.

I had to visit several shops when I recently ran out of my loose Earl Grey.

Finding loose tea is a problem, I agree, as is finding whole coffee beans.
The best supplier of both that I know of is a little shop I found in Winchester, but I simply can`t drive all the way over there all the time to get a supply of both.

I do so wish that the Co-Op would get there act together on loose tea and whole coffee beans, they(The Co-Op) are a messy shop on the whole, but the ethics still seem to remain intact from the day the founders formed them.(Unlike many of the others).

I'm lucky, to have the best grocery chain in the country near us!

Booths Supermarkets are based in the North West, and our local Kendal branch is amazing. Loose coffee and tea, plus the freshest produce - all local where available. Those who think Waitrose is good have seen nothing compared to these people!

If you're holidaying in Lancashire or Cumbria do try one of their 30 or so branches. (And still family owned!).

I`m an unlikely big fan of Lidl .A lot of English people just view it as a cheap shop well it is that too, but the produce is so completely European I love it. Great for German meats and the like.

Mart wrote:
I`m an unlikely big fan of Lidl .A lot of English people just view it as a cheap shop well it is that too, but the produce is so completely European I love it. Great for German meats and the like.

I agree. Lidl, and Aldi are great places - most products are as good, if not better, than normal supermarket own brands. Last year I bought a house of the UK MD of Aldi. He told me they can offer M&S quality at a significantly lower price because they have much lower overheads. They don't go out and try to get big brands at better prices, they source their own products with the idea of equalling or exceeding the branded quality, then offering it for less.

The first visit is a bit daunting. No baskets, only trollys, then when you check-out, the cashier just flies through your goods, and they end up back in the trolly. (Many of the goods have multiple and big barcodes so the scanner reads them quicker.) I reckon customers get through the check-outs 3 times quicker than normal supermarkets. (in itself, a cost saving).

Try it.

By the way, Netto, the other "discounter" is pants!

You will love this quote from me Dixie.


On my first visit to Lidl, when I tried to get a carrier bag ( I was a bit skint at the tim) and was told that I could not have one,and should have brought my own, I unfortunately yelled " I`ve not been poor before!" I really regret that stupid outburst, it`s a great shop, failing that as most readers know, I go to the farmers shops. They need supporting. I don`t leave many shop made foods hanging about as they oddly enough get eaten !