Depending on where you live here in the US, you may see the leaves begin to change and the weather go from blazing hot to cool and chilly in a mere few days. You may see blustery winds and leaves changing along with gray and drizzly weather along with bright orange pumpkins dotting the neighborhood doorsteps. Now, if the weather has you thinking about the UK, it may have you craving a good scone with some jam and clotted cream and a nice steaming cup of your favorite tea. Never worry! We carry a load of your favorite British baking mixes that will bring you the comfort of Home right here in the USA.

Our scone mixes are some of most popular baking items that we carry. Sticky Fingers brand Scone Mixes are a gourmet line of mixes based right here in the United States. They are easy to make and are usually baked in a short amount of time! Try some unique flavors like White Chocolate Raspberry or Coconut Chocolate Chip or take the traditional route and enjoy Original or Lemon Poppyseed. These mixes are delicious and will be gone in no time!

For traditional British baking, bake with true British ingredients and flavor! Caster sugar is much more finer than granulated sugar, so it allows for the sugar to mix in much more quicker with your batters and dough’s and makes it feel much more lighter and fluffier. Caster sugar is perfect for Victoria Sponges, meringues, and puddings. And with Christmas coming up, you will want to stock up on jars of mincemeat filling! Robertsons Mincemeat is a popular mincemeat filling made with dried fruits, candied peels, and mixed spices. Make your own pastry crust (or use store bought) and make enough mince pies to last you until New Year’s!

Another British bake that could also be considered American in my book is the crumble. I have grown up eating crumbles but I never knew they were British! Green’s Crumble Mix is a mix from the UK that allows you to make your own for a quick warm dessert on a cool autumn night. Add your own fruit like apples or berries or even add some Ambrosia Devon Custard along with it for an even more hearty dessert!

-CD

We are staying with the luck of the Irish again this week with Bewley’s Tea, founded in 1840 by Samuel Bewley and his son Charles Bewley. They took a chance with a little shop in Dublin, Ireland and thank goodness they did, because they are now a worldwide power house in the coffee & tea industry!

Today, 175 years later, they are owners of many awards for espresso blends & single origin teas. They are the leading supply of hot beverages in Ireland with over 4,000 hotels & cafe’s selling their tea and coffee.

They pride their Quaker origins and run their company with these origins in mind. They have long term relationships with their suppliers and other coffee/tea producers.

Bewley’s has sold over 600 Million cups of tea worldwide!

Now for some of our fan favorites here at ETS:

Bewley’s Irish Breakfast Tea

• Made in Ireland
• Indian Tea Leaves (Assam & Darjeeling)
• Creamy, Malt Flavor
• Caffeinated
• $8.79 / 80 bags

“This is my go to tea. I love how dark and full bodied this tea is. I never had a bitter cup of tea from this blend. I drink this tea all day long, and enjoy every cup.” Claudia, an ETS Customer

Bewley’s Dublin Morning Tea

• Made in Ireland
• African Tea Leaves
• Creamy, Malt Flavor
• Caffeinated
• $8.79 / 80 bags

“this is my all time favorite tea! I love dark, strong, malty flavor, taken straight–no milk, no sugar. This one fills my criteria. So glad it’s available online!” – Laura, an ETS Customer

That closes our Breakdown of Brands series! I hope you all enjoyed learning some history behind the brands we sell & why we love them so much. The next set of Wednesday blogs are going to feature some hot new Christmas items! 🎄

At the English Tea Store, we love sweets just as much as we love tea. Chocolate, jellies, gummies, you name it. Some of the sweets that don’t get enough attention are our classic British sweets from many childhoods. Today we highlight these much loved sweets and explore how they came to be.

Liquorice Allsorts have a long history and a funny story to go along with it. In 1899, it was said that a candy sales representative named Charlie Thomson was with a customer in Leicester, UK, showing some sweets to sell. The customer was not liking them until Mr. Thomson accidentally dropped his tray of sweets and ran to pick them up. The client saw that the candies were such a colorful mess and very interested, he placed a large order for them! On the packets of liquorice allsorts, you may notice a man made entirely of the sweets. That is the mascot, Bertie Bassett! He has been the face of Bassetts for generations.

Pontefract Cakes are another popular liquorice sweet. The history of these sweets are older than the US itself! Back in 1760, an apothecary from Pontefract named George Dunhill began to add sugar to a Pontefract Cake, which was already made at the time but it was only used for medicinal purposes. The recipe uses raw liquorice and a special stamp that nearly everyone in the UK recognize.

Sherbet in the US is considered a type of ice cream but in the UK, it’s a fizzy and powdery confection. It’s tangy and sweet, and people love to pair it with other sweets. Try a strawberry lollipop and you get the winning combination of a Dip Dab. These are much like a certain lollipop I used to enjoy as a kid that had popping candy but instead of popping candy, you get sherbet. If you love sherbet but are still on the liquorice train, then there is the Sherbet Fountain. These are not actual fountains like I thought (don’t ask) but they are like a fountain in your mouth. These are plastic tubes (originally paper) in which they house a small stick of liquorice and an amount of tangy sherbet. You can do as you please with your liquorice, whether lick it to dip with or bite the top off and use it as a straw. Everyone has their favorite way of enjoying this classic.

What are some of your favorite classic sweets? Any that we should carry but don’t? Let us know! We always listen.

-CD

Barry’s Tea, an Ireland delicacy, began in 1901 by James Barry. His tea loving family and himself started a little shop on Prince’s Street in Cork City. Most of their tea was sourced from India & Sri Lanka.

James began handing down his expertise in the family and in 1934, Anthony Barry, a relative of James, had been awarded the Empire Cup for tea blending.

By the mid 1980’s, Barry’s had become a national brand. You can purchase Barry’s Tea all over the world! Even though they are now a nation wide seller, they are still committed to Ireland in as many ways as possible. They support cultural, educational and community projects by donation.

They have evolved from just selling black tea to now selling fruit & herbal teas.

At ETS, our best seller is the Gold Blend Tea Bags:

• Made in Ireland
• Company’s Best Seller
• Refreshing Taste
• Black Tea
• Caffeinated
• $8.39 / 80 Bags

“Barry’s Gold Blend Tea is THE BEST tea – refreshing Irish gold tea, indeed it is! Great Hot or Cold – no sugar needed as it is always smooth and enjoyable.” – Harper, an ETS Customer

Another best seller is the Irish Breakfast Tea Bags:

• Made in Ireland
• Smooth & Mild
• Black Tea
• Caffeinated
• $7.49 / 80 Bags

“I drank this almost exclusively in Ireland. I am so glad that I can order it hear. It is so delicious with a sugar cube and splash of cream!” – Melliot, an ETS Customer

We all are aware of the amazing benefits that green tea has on our health. Just looking at the chart to the left makes me want to drink green tea all day long! While looking at this chart though, I realized at the very bottom it said “skincare”. This intrigued me and I wanted to know more. Why does it reduce aging? How do you use it for skincare? Of course I am more concerned with my inner body health than beauty BUT if we can get a two for one…why not!

Green tea has anti-aging benefits by diminishing age spots, fine lines & wrinkles. The polyphenols in green tea help remove free radicals that speed up aging in the skin. If you pay attention in the beauty isles at your local store, you will notice more and more product involving green tea!

The first thing I learned is that green tea skincare is great for all skin types whether you have dry or oily skin.

Cleanser:

Mix two tablespoons of green tea with 1 tablespoon of honey! You can also add some lemon juice if you want to combat scarring on your face also.

Toner:

A toner is used after your cleanser and before your face cream! It is meant to balance the pH in your skin. All you need to do is put some green tea in a spray bottle and mist over the face!

Eye Care:

Just put 2 green tea bags in the freezer for five minutes to chill them then place on the eyelids for 10 minutes while you relax.

Steam Facial:

This is where we remove those free radicals from the skin! If you boil some water and add whole leaf green tea leaves to it, you can steam your face just like at the spa.

If the previous recipes interest you or you want to find out more, simply go to pinterest.com and search “green tea skin care” for recipes & tips and tricks.

Pick up some Twinings’ Green Tea today if you would like to try out some beauty recipes or if you simply just enjoy the health benefits you receive from consuming it!

Charles Taylor, originating from Harrogate, England, founded Taylors of Harrogate in 1886. Now you can see where the name originates from. They are makers of both tea and coffee and pride their skillful hand in making the best of the best.

Taylors has since opened a chain of coffee houses. Some coffee houses were so large that it became difficult to operate them and therefore, they merged with Bettys Cafe Tea Rooms. Bettys was originally a competitor of Taylors and was founded by a Swiss baker that opened Tea Rooms in Harrogate, England. They were very experienced at creating exciting environments in Cafe’s so it greatly helped business. The merged business began six different Bettys Cafe Tea Rooms and a Cookery School. They pride themselves in still practicing a family owned business and practicing artisan skills even though they have grown into such a  large corporation.

In the 1970’s, Bettys & Taylors created Yorkshire Tea. Today more than 10 million cups of Yorkshire Tea are drank every day in the UK!

As you can tell, this company is largely based on relationships. They develop relationships with the gardens they buy from before they buy from them. They are also founding members of the Ethical Tea Partnership and the Rainforest Alliance. They have been voted 100 best companies to work for seven times!

Their tea is sold in over 35 countries. They have so many options for everyone from organic to herbal infusions.

Here at ETS, we carry tea bags, loose leaf tea and tea chests from this brand. Taylors receives the most positive reviews on our site!

Our number one seller, is the Yorkshire Gold Tea Bags:

• Strong, Malty Tea
• Rich Brown in Color
• Great for Breakfast
• Caffeinated
• Made in the UK
• 80 Bags / $11.59

“Having been born in England and immigrating as a young lad, I knew what good tea was and how I missed it without even knowing it. Discovering Yorkshire Gold, in my 50’s, was like “going home” every time I have a cuppa. What could be better than that? It is simply the best!” – Anthony, a ETS Customer

Another best seller is the Scottish Breakfast Tea:

• Blend of Assam & African Teas
• Breakfast Tea
• Malty, Rich, Full-Bodied
• Caffeinated
• 50 Bags / $7.59

“I was first introduced to this tea at a hotel in Rhode Island. The didn’t have my regular teas so they gave me Taylor’s Scottish Tea instead. Ever since, I drink only Taylor’s Scottish Tea. It is strong, flavorful, and always hits the spot it. It is worth spending a little extra!” – Joan, an ETS Customer

Taylors of Harrogate receives the highest number of positive reviews on our site. If you are still deciding on a new brand to try..your best bet may be with this one! If you do happen to try a tea of theirs, please let us know on the site how you liked it! We love the feedback.

I hope the green coloring doesn’t throw you off because these brownies are delicious! The light and airy texture is almost like a cake. This is the perfect quick dessert for anyone who loves matcha tea.

Matcha has so many benefits to the body! It helps fight heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and some even believe is slows the effects of Alzheimer’s disease. And for those of us entering the colder months and cold season, Matcha is great to boost your immune system.

LET’S BAKE!

Step 1: Choose your Matcha Tea! We have plenty of options at ETS. Such as peppermint matcha, bengal club chai, kenya white rhino and japanese izu.

Step 2: Get your ingredients ready. You will need:

• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons of milk
• 70 g all-purpose flour
• 100 g white chocolate chips
• 120 g melted white chocolate
• 30 g Matcha Tea Powder
• 70 g unsalted butter at room temperature
• 60 g sugar

Step 3: Get your oven ready. Preheat at 350 degrees F.

Step 4: Line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper.

Step 5: Whisk together the flour and matcha powder.

Step 6: Beat the butter and sugar together until light then add eggs one at a time

Step 7: Stir in melted white chocolate and milk until mixed fully

Step 8: Stir in matcha mixture and half of the white chocolate chips

Step 9: Pour into pan and bake for 10 minutes.

Step 10: Remove from oven and sprinkle rest of chips on top

Step 11: Bake another 7 minutes!

Step 12: Let cool & ENJOY!

We hope you enjoy this recipe that we uncovered from epicmatcha.com! I tried it out even though I was skeptical and found it to be the PERFECT after dinner dessert without being too heavy. Plus I don’t feel guilty from the all the wonderful benefits from matcha.

If you’re looking for a tea to help with stomach pain, sore throats, antioxidants or anything specific, this is a great brand for you. Especially as cold season is coming around from the weather change nothing is better than a hot cup of tea.

Yogi Bhajan was a yoga teacher with lovely holistic ways. He was a believer of yoga/herbs/etc. in helping aid the practice of peaceful living. His name and his practice of yoga began the interest in “Yogi” as a tea brand.

 His teas are made to help you to feel “vibrant and alive” and each have different benefits.

It was not until 1984 that the Yogi Tea Company began its journey to be one of the greatest tea sellers. His teas began to show up in natural food stores in Southern California and Europe.

“FEEL GOOD, BE GOOD, DO GOOD”

As like other tea companies we have mentioned, Yogi continues to support national and global causes. They pride themselves in aiding small businesses.They also partner with Pearl Buck Center, which is a non-profit organization for vocational training to adults with disabilities. There are so many other great Projects that they donate to and help daily that you can read about here.

Yogi now sells over 60 brands of tea and we at tea store carry some of the most popular!

Top Sellers Here at ETS:

Stomach Ease Caffeine Free Tea

• All Organic
• Promotes Digestive Health
• Fennel Seed and Licorice
• Addition of Peppermint
• Cardamom, Coriander & Ginger
• Compostable Tea Bags
• Kosher
• Suitable for Vegans
• $5.99 / 16 Tea Bags

Green Tea Super Antioxidant

• All Organic
• Reduces Aging, Pollution & Stress
• Green Tea, Grapeseed & Amla
• Potent Antioxidants
• Citrus Flavor
• Sweet Floral Notes
• Kosher
• Suitable for Vegans
• $5.99 / 16 Tea Bags

And lastly, great for cold & flu season… Throat Comfort Tea

• All Organic Herbal Blend
• Slippery Elm Bark & Mullein
• Soothes Minor Throat Irritation
• Wild Berry Bark & Licorice Root
• Kosher
• Suitable for Vegans
• $5.99 / 16 Tea Bags

Stay tuned for next week where we dig into Taylor of Harrogate!

You may notice at least early on in September, you begin to smell a familiar spicy smell. Cinnamon is back in the air and we couldn’t be happier to welcome it back! It’s one of our favorite spices ever!

Cinnamon is one of the most commonly used spices in the world. It comes from the bark of the cinnamon tree in countries such as Vietnam (Saigon), Sri Lanka (Ceylon), China (Cassia), Indonesia, and India, along with several other countries. The spice has been used in natural medicine and in the culinary world, in which it can be used for sweet or savory foods. Cinnamon is also used in drinks, such as Indian Chai Tea, which is popular worldwide.

Now what are some of our favorite cinnamon teas? Take a look at our list and see for yourself. If your favorite spicy cinnamon tea did not make the list, let us know!

Twinings Orange and Cinnamon Spice Herbal Tea is one of my personal favorites. You can drink this any season and any time of day, hot or iced. This Twinings tea is a soothing rooibos with sweet orange accentuated with a kick of cinnamon.

Twinings Cinnamon Apple Breakfast Tea is perfect for a morning or after dinner cup with a good slice of coffee cake. A delectable blend of black tea, cinnamon, apple flavors, and chai spices make up this cozy cup of heaven.

English Tea Store’s Cinnamon Sibu Green Tea is a smooth blend of cinnamon and Sencha style green tea with lovely notes of rose petals. Perfect hot or iced and at home or on the go.

Harney and Sons Hot Cinnamon Spice is one spicy tea that you cannot miss out on. Packed in a bright orange tin, this is a sweet and spicy blend of black tea, cinnamon, orange, and cloves. You will want to have this tea while sitting in front of a nice, cozy fire.

-CD

Tazo tea was founded in 1994 by a man by the name of Steve Smith. It was eventually sold to Starbucks in 1999. Tazo is based in Portland, Oregon. The makers of Tazo claim that the original formulas can be found on an ancient stone called the Tazo Stone which was uncovered in 1987 on the Red Sea.

The name Tazo comes from the Romany word meaning “river of life”

Tazo is a proud member of ETP or Ethical Tea Partnership, which is an alliance of tea packers who aim to improve the lives of tea workers. They also donate to AIDS outreach, education, arts and literature, and the environment.

There are over 80 varieties of Tazo teas but all teas fall into one of four categories: black, green, oolong or white. Tazo products are certifiably kosher and most of them are gluten free.

Now for some top sellers:

Zen Tea

• Green Tea w/ Lemongrass & Spearmint
• Fresh, Lively Taste
• Kosher Tea
• Natural Flavors
• Caffeinated
• $5.50 / 20 Tea Bags

Awake English Breakfast

• Combination of Assam, Darjeeling & Black Tea
• Malty Boldness
• Kosher tea
• Natural Flavors
• Caffeinated
• $5.50 / 20 Tea Bags

Sweet Cinnamon Spice

• Rooibos & Herbal Tea
• Warm, Sweet Cinnamon
• Spicy Star Anise
• Kosher tea
• Decaffeinated
• $5.50 / 20 Tea Bags

Tazo tea is my personal favorite tea of all time. I love everything about it from the packaging to the flavor. It is very fresh and vibrant. As always, let us know your favorite Tazo tea and if you plan to try any, please review them on the site!