I’m back! I have had the best week and really enjoyed my much needed holiday, but I did miss my tea while I was away. Still, sightseeing around London, seeing 10 shows in 6 days and meeting some very cool celebrities (including David Tennant and George Takei, who was an absolute sweetheart) didn’t leave me much time to drink tea! I have laughed, I have cried, I have gasped in amazement, and I have spent a lot of money that was not necessarily in the budget for the trip.
Soooo… about my no-buy. Here’s the thing. I have been buying tea from Bird & Blend since their infancy, when they were a new company with a small online presence, no physical stores you could go to, and the orders were hand-packed by the founders/owners of the company themselves and sent out with little hand-written notes and hand-written stickers on the packets. You get the idea. It’s been nearly a decade since I placed my first order. Well… the company is doing fantastically well. Going from strength to strength, creating many new blends, employing a large staff and opening several brick and mortar stores. It’s fantastic to see! But being from the North East, there are none near me, and I haven’t had the chance to visit a store in person yet. So when I saw there was one only a single tube stop away from my hotel, I had to visit! I dragged my friends along and I was like a kid in a candy store, chatting to the staff and accidentally becoming a sales advisor and enabling other customers to pick up some of my favourites. My friend initially picked up 1 box of tea bags, and ended up leaving with a strainer and 10 small packets of loose leaf tea instead! So, it’s safe to say, I did some damage… My cupboard is now up 24 teas, but I don’t mind because I’m just so happy to have restocked on some old favourites and to have picked up some wishlist teas to try, including this one. I’m definitely going to have to work hard on my sipdowns now, though!
This was the first tea I made myself this afternoon when I arrived back home, picked at random from the pile of new teas, and it was a good choice! The scent of the dry leaf reminded my instantly of Parma Violets, a favourite childhood sweet of mine, and I was happy to find that this carried through to the sip. The front is all sweet powdery violet, and the creamy chocolate comes through at the back of the sip. I drank this cup plain, and found it sweet enough, but I bet with a pinch of sugar it would be very reminiscent of a violet cream chocolate. Yum.
Now to shamefully update my cupboard…
Preparation
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Whaaaaaaaat?!? That sounds like an amazing trip!
Sounds like a lovely holiday — so many shows, wow!
It was a great trip, I didn’t want to come home! I am a bit of a theatre nerd haha so was planning the next trip on the train home :’)
Well, that sounds like an awesome trip! I couldn’t stop myself and get some teas as well. Actually, I bought at least a pouch or a box when coming from a trip. Even I have a loads of tea at home.
That sounds like a fabulous trip! Shows, David Tennent and George Takei, and tea!
That sounds like such an amazing trip!! Did they try to recruit afterwards as sales advisor? ;)
Martin – it’s really hard to resist, isn’t it?! I think it doesn’t count when you’re on holiday haha
It was amazing, and I miss it already!!
Haha valhallow – I am genuinely considering it as a valid career move! :’)
It counts Nattie, I am sitting next to boxes of tea (as my cupboard is actually small), and I have no space left!
But how I could pass Basil&Lime tea in Romania?
Oh dear! My new purchases don’t fit in my tea cupboard (which is actually a decorative suitcase) either. I think I’m going to have to instate a 1-in-1-out policy. That basil and lime tea does sound intriguing, though!
It is very aromatic; it’s sitting net to me on table, as the box is a bit creased and can’t be closed properly and I don’t want to ruin other teas with it.
I guess you better drink it before it contaminates the rest, then! ;)
Awesome trip, I’m glad you were able to visit a B&B store! I have also been a huge B&B fan since the days of their hand-sewn-with-thread samples! I have asked them if they would ever have a shop based in the US, but no, I think that is wishful thinking. I’m glad they are doing well enough in the UK anyway!
tea-sipper – I was talking to the sales associate in the shop and she did say they have big expansion plans, so fingers crossed for you! I’m hoping they’ll open one up in the North East (where I live, at the total opposite end of the country to London) too.
oooo expansion plans! I doubt it will be to the US but I’m hoping a B&B shop opens up in your area!
Whaaaaaaaat?!? That sounds like an amazing trip!
Sounds like a lovely holiday — so many shows, wow!
It was a great trip, I didn’t want to come home! I am a bit of a theatre nerd haha so was planning the next trip on the train home :’)
Well, that sounds like an awesome trip! I couldn’t stop myself and get some teas as well. Actually, I bought at least a pouch or a box when coming from a trip. Even I have a loads of tea at home.
That sounds like a fabulous trip! Shows, David Tennent and George Takei, and tea!
That sounds like such an amazing trip!! Did they try to recruit afterwards as sales advisor? ;)
Martin – it’s really hard to resist, isn’t it?! I think it doesn’t count when you’re on holiday haha
It was amazing, and I miss it already!!
Haha valhallow – I am genuinely considering it as a valid career move! :’)
It counts Nattie, I am sitting next to boxes of tea (as my cupboard is actually small), and I have no space left!
But how I could pass Basil&Lime tea in Romania?
Oh dear! My new purchases don’t fit in my tea cupboard (which is actually a decorative suitcase) either. I think I’m going to have to instate a 1-in-1-out policy. That basil and lime tea does sound intriguing, though!
It is very aromatic; it’s sitting net to me on table, as the box is a bit creased and can’t be closed properly and I don’t want to ruin other teas with it.
I guess you better drink it before it contaminates the rest, then! ;)
Awesome trip, I’m glad you were able to visit a B&B store! I have also been a huge B&B fan since the days of their hand-sewn-with-thread samples! I have asked them if they would ever have a shop based in the US, but no, I think that is wishful thinking. I’m glad they are doing well enough in the UK anyway!
tea-sipper – I was talking to the sales associate in the shop and she did say they have big expansion plans, so fingers crossed for you! I’m hoping they’ll open one up in the North East (where I live, at the total opposite end of the country to London) too.
oooo expansion plans! I doubt it will be to the US but I’m hoping a B&B shop opens up in your area!