Category Archive

Let’s bring this Breakdown of Brands bandwagon back to America for a while. Mr. John Harney learned his tea ways from a tea connoisseur of London and New York. He began crafting teas in his basement in 1983 which he then distributed to inn guests. He found something bizarre but eye opening, his guests weren’t necessarily coming back for the stay but more for the tea!

This small little business he had going on is now a global operation, “Harney & Sons”, headquartered in Millerton, New York! They employ over 200 people! It is also a family business, giving his two sons, Mike and Paul, a steady workplace.

Two promises made by Harney & Sons:

1. to deliver the FINEST quality tea with the best ingredients possible
2. to educate the world of tea history and taste

We sell mostly tea bags from this brand but we also have an iced version! Something we love about Harney & Sons is the EXTREME VARIETY of teas they offer such as Christmas, Green, Organic, Irish Breakfast, Mint, Sencha, Darjeeling, Chai, Rooibos and so many more!

Our absolute best seller is Harney & Sons Hot Cinnamon Spice Tea Bags. The aroma of this tea is just as amazing as the taste!

• Part of the Historic Royal Palace Line
• Sweet & Spicy
• Naturally Sweetened
• Blend of Cinnamon, Orange and Sweet Cloves
• Caffeinated
• Made in the USA
• 30 Bags / $12.09

Next up, is the Organic English Breakfast Tea Bags.

• China Black Tea
• 100% Organic
• Traced Back to Early 1800’s
• Caffeinated
• Made in the USA
• 20 Bags / $9.49

The last we would like to feature is the Harney & Sons Organic Green Tea!

• From Southern India
• 100% Organic
• Flavored w/ Gingko & Citrus
• Caffeinated
• Made in the USA
• 20 Bags / $6.99

Don’t forget: If you try any of the teas we feature please let us know either in the comment section or in a review on our site what you think!

Keep an eye out next week for our talk about Shangri La Iced Tea; great for those hot months of the year!

What do Marmite and Vegemite have in common? They are both a yeast extract spread except they are made in in two different countries. They are also both loved and hated at the same time. Some love the taste of these rather interesting spreads while others are not too fond of it. Whether you are a fan of a foe of these spreads, they are here to stay. You can find them in their trademark glass jars with their distinguishing yellow lids but they are not made by the same company. Marmite is made by Unilever in the UK while Vegemite is made by Kraft in Australia.

Marmite was created entirely by accident during the late 19th century by a scientist from Germany named Justus Von Liebig. He discovered that brewer’s yeast could be concentrated, bottled, and eaten. The Marmite Company was started in 1902 and the name was based on the French dish Marmite, pronounced “Marmeet.  Marmite was rationed out to British troops during several wars, including WWI. Marmite is loaded with B vitamins and folic acid, which is said to be beneficial to women, especially women who wish to have children. It is eaten not just on bread but also in soups, stews, and there are even products made with Marmite, such as Marmite coated nuts and Twiglets, which have a Marmite flavor.

Unlike Marmite, Vegemite was created intentionally, by a chemist named Cyril P. Callister. He was hired specifically by Kraft, which was known as the Fred Walker

Company in the 1920s, to develop their own brewer’s yeast spread. There was a nationwide contest in Australia to name this new product. The name Vegemite was submitted by Fred Walker’s daughter and it was chosen to be the new product name. Unfortunately, Marmite overtook the Australian yeast spread market which led to Vegemite to be briefly renamed to Parwill. After several years as Parwill, the name was changed back to Vegemite. Like Marmite, Vegemite was sent to troops overseas thanks to the high nutritional content and was rationed back on home territory. Decades later, Vegemite has become a staple in every Australian home. It’s not only used on toast and on crackers but there are many Vegemite recipes. Can you imagine a cheesy Vegemite toast?

Whether you are British, Australian, or just curious about yeast extract spreads, give Marmite and Vegemite a try. It’s a taste adventure in every bite!

-CD

MMM…Typhoo tea. If you have not experienced it yet you need to! Typhoo was founded by a man named John Summer in the 1900s. He inherited his father’s grocery shop in Birmingham and his sister influenced him to start selling a tea that aided in indigestion, which she commonly experienced. Once he began investing in this tea, he decided it was doing so well in the market that he needed to name it. He had some criteria for the name though:

1. It must be distinct
2. It must trip off the tongue
3. It must be protected

He chose “Typhoo”, which in Chinese means doctor. This name is fitting because it aided in indigestion! He removed tannins from the tea which were thought to be the cause indigestion.

He was not making quite the profit he wanted to so he began selling teapots and other items that were branded with the name to get the name out there in 1906.

By 1909, this plan flourished and John had paid off his debts. This brand has grew ever since.

BY THE MID 1960’S, TYPHOO WAS ANNUALLY PACKAGING 80 MILLION POUNDS OF TEA!

One thing we really enjoy about Typhoo is that they fund Disability Sports events across the UK and the Big Brew Campaign to “tackle the stigma around mental health by getting people to sit down and talk about their problems over a cuppa.”

Here at ETS, we offer you Typhoo teas in both tea bags and loose leaf. Although we have more tea bag options, our best seller is the Typhoo Loose Leaf Tea! This tea will last you a long, long time because you only need less than a teaspoon for a rich cup of tea!

• Rich and Smooth
• Brew 3-5 Minutes
• Caffeinated
• Kosher
• Black Tea
• 9 ounces / $9.49
• Made in Great Britain
• Also Available in Tea Bags!

“Forty years ago I lived in Scotland. Typhoo was my favorite tea. It is as good now, even better: a great black tea. I’ve had many black teas and can’t recall one I like better.” – DJ, an ETS customer

Next on this list is for our decaf tea lovers, the Typhoo Decaf Tea Bags!

• England’s Most Popular Decaf Tea
• Full-Bodied and Smooth
• Tons of Flavor
• Kosher
• Decaffeinated
• Black Tea
• Wrapped in Foil for Freshness
• 40 Tea Bags / $11.89

“I enjoy Typhoo in the evening when I want a black tea, but I want to avoid the caffeine. Typhoo has a very enjoyable taste.” – Owen, an ETS customer

Another best seller, is the Typhoo Gold Tea Bags.

• Premium Brew
• Rich and Full-Bodied
• Assam and African Black Tea
• Gluten Free
• Golden Liquor
• Caffeinated
• Wrapped in Foil for Freshness
• 80 Tea Bags / $9.99

Be the first to review this item on our site! We want to hear from you why it is so amazing!

A sign of the times changing is that people are beginning to go back to basics. This means that people are choosing to make their own things rather than go with store bought. Homemade can be better for several reasons: better ingredients, meaning you’ll know exactly what goes inside.

Along with making homemade, people are making things that have never been made before. For example, I’m sure you have heard of green tea ice cream, but have you heard of black tea ice cream?  If you are not a fan of iced tea during the summer months, then try making tea ice cream. Nearly everyone loves ice cream and if it’s too hot and humid to brew a cup of tea, try making a rich, creamy ice cream to cool down with.

What you need:

2 cups )about 473ml= of heavy cream

1 can (14oz/397g) of sweetened condensed milk

4 teabags or about 2-3 tablespoons loose leaf tea of your choice.

To start, pour in the 2 cups of heavy cream into a saucepan and put on a medium-low setting. Keep an eye and stir it occasionally until the cream starts to get warm, when it starts to steam or bubble.

Remove from heat and place the teabags in, letting it steep for 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on how strong you like your tea. Remove the tea, strain the cream to get any extra bits and pieces out with a fine strainer into a bowl, and place in the refrigerator to cool completely.

Once the cream is completely cool, take it out of the refrigerator and whip with an electric mixer until soft peaks form (cream must be VERY cold! I learned this during the test run!). Pour in the condensed milk and gently mix in with a spoon or on the lowest setting of your mixer. When mixed together, pour mixture into a container of your choice, and place in the freezer for at least 4-8 hours.

After the ice cream freezes, take it out and let sit for a little bit or run scooper in hot water before serving. Serve with cookies, fruit syrup, or for an even more fun twist, add bubble milk tea pearls! Be even more creative and fill ice cream molds with the mixture, add a stick, and freeze to make creamy tea popsicles!

Be creative and make homemade!

-CD

We just have to start out by telling you that this brand, Twinings Tea, has been around for 300+ years! Thomas Twining, the founder of Twinings Tea, turned his back on following his fathers footsteps in 1701, and began handling early shipments of tea at the age of 26. In 1749, Thomas’ son, Daniel began exporting tea to America after his fathers’ passing. In 1787, the logo was developed and is the oldest commercial logo that has been continuous since it was made.

In 1837, Twinings Tea was the main supplier of tea to Queen Victoria’s household. Twinings held their ground even when wars broke out and continued producing tea for Red Cross POW parcels, Women’s Voluntary Service and YMCA Wartime Canteens.

Twinings famous English Breakfast Tea was first made in 1933.

Now there are over 500 varieties of tea!

Now let’s talk ETS FAVORITES. We love them all but we want to show you some of our best sellers. We sell Twinings tea bags, k-cups, loose leaf and iced tea.

1. Let’s talk Christmas in August. Our top seller of tea bags is the Christmas Tea:

• Black Tea
• Holiday Spiced Cinnamon and Cloves
• 20 Tea Bags
• Caffeinated
• Made in Great Britain
• $4.24

“Bought my first box of Christmas tea at the Twinings tea store at Disney 3 years ago and have been drinking it year round since! It’s my favorite!” (Posted on 4/27/2017) – Kitty, an ETS Customer

2. Perfect for the indecisive, the lover of all teas or the taste tester is the Variety Pack Tea K-Cups:

• Earl Grey: Black/Bergamot Flavor
• Green
•  Chai: Black/Cinnamon/Ginger/Cardanin/Clove
• Chamomile
• English Breakfast
• 10 K-Cups
• $8.99

3. A best seller of loose leaf tea is the English Breakfast Tea:

• Blend of Ceylon, Kenyan and Indian Teas
• Full Bodied Brew
• Caffeinated
• 3.53 oz.
• $6.39

“Super markets simply do not recognize tea in anything other than bags, or occasionally Earl Gray in small tins. I depend on The English Tea Store to send me orders of three Twinings English Breakfast 7.04oz tins of loose tea at regular intervals. The tea is always fresh and flavorful, the tins arrive very shortly after the order is placed and the price is quite attractive. I have been and will remain a faithful customer.” (Posted on 12/10/2016) – Will, an ETS Customer

4. And lastly, iced tea for when you want something cold on a hot day, Cold Brewed Iced Tea Citrus Twist is an ETS favorite:

• Cold Brew
• Black Tea with Orange, Lemon, Lime and Bergamot
• 1 Bag Makes an 8 oz. Glass
• Caffeinated
• 20 Count
• $3.80

Stay tuned for next weeks brand: TYPHOO!

I am currently at the age where many of my friends are getting married. A lot goes into planning the wedding, with the dress, the cake, and the decorations. Party favors are some of the most important things when it comes to party planning? Many couples tend to choose a theme to go along with their wedding.

Since I am going to get married myself, I have been looking around for tea time themed party favors as that’s the theme I wanted to go with. That was when I found these, the perfect tea themed wedding favors. Whether you are throwing a big wedding or a small one, these tea themed wedding favors will charm your guests! Not only do some of these come in multiples but if you order more than six, you will get a discount.

Heart Shaped Tea Infusers are a good party favor to give to guests along with any kind of loose leaf tea and a few biscuits. Give them an opportunity to try it for themselves and let them steep their own tea in their infusers. If they choose not to use them at the event, it’s perfectly fine. They can still bring home the infuser!

Enchanted Carriage Boxes and the Sweet as Can Bee Boxes are two adorable boxes to fill with any sorts of goodies you choose. Try Jordan Almonds, candies, chocolate, you choose! They’re also excellent for children’s parties or baby showers!

You can also adorn the tables with miniature tealight tea cup candles (literally). These cute little lights are made of porcelain and decorated in gold accents. You can also send home a tea light with your guests to thank them for coming with their own miniature tealight! This version comes with its own saucer, making it look even more authentic!

Finally, our Honey Pots with Dippers are something your guests must have! These are pretty small but you can actually use these. With the words “Meant to Bee” written on them, it’s a cute little bee pun that will make your guests chuckle.

These are are not only for weddings but you can also use them for other occasions, like baby showers, birthday parties, and even just a general tea party. These will put smiles all over your guests faces and it will make you the life of the party.

Next on our “Breakdown of Brands” series, we want to bring to you PG Tips. Sourced out of the UK/Great Britain, PG Tips has been a Britain novelty since the 1930s. They have a special “Pyramid Bag”, developed in the 1990s, that their teas come packaged in that they like to describe as a mini teapot, allowing the leaves room to infuse. They offer Decaf tea, Fruit tea, Herbal tea and Green teas. 2005 was PG Tips 75th birthday, so they must be doing something right!

Their leaves are 100% natural and environmentally sourced..they are all about helping the planet, which we at English Tea Store love.

Here at ETS, we sell mostly Tea Bags from the PG Tips brand but we also have a Loose Leaf Option.

Our Best seller is the Black Tea Pyramid Tea Bags:

• Black Tea
• Caffeinated
• Made in Great Britain
• Stronger than Indian/African Tea
• 240 Pyramid Tea Bags
• $20.99
• This tea is also available in loose leaf!

“I am a huge tea drinker. I have tried every tea I ever came across. PG Tips is by far the best tasting tea I have used. It is stronger than most tea bags but not too strong. It’s just perfect. I drink it with honey and a little milk. I was first introduced to PG Tips on one of my trips to England. I couldn’t find it in the U.S. until someone told me about the English tea store. (Posted on 5/28/2017)” – Jean, a ELS Customer

Also receiving top reviews from our customers, is the Fresh Pyramid Tea Bags:

• Black Tea
• Caffeinated
• 100% African
• Smooth and Fresh
• Deep Red Color
• 80 Pyramid Tea Bags
• $8.19

The last tea we would like to feature is the Gold Pyramid Tea Bags:

• Black Tea
• Caffeinated
• Rich Aroma
• Fine Mix of African, Ceylon and Assam
• Rich Gold Color
• 80 Pyramid Tea Bags
• $10.19

Stay tuned for next weeks brand: TWININGS!

You may have heard the saying that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and I agree with it very much. If you go without it, it will impact your day. When I was growing up here in the United States, there had even been public service announcements reminding us to eat breakfast! I must say they were pretty effective, because I still remember a hungry student in one of the commercials imagining her teacher as a frosted donut.

While most like to have cold cereal for breakfast and others a bowl of oatmeal, some may need a bit of protein, and that’s where soft boiled eggs come in. When these are made, some like to eat them with toast and dip the toast pieces in the yolk, otherwise known as eggs and soldiers. Now, why are they called eggs and soldiers, even though the soldiers are just toast? The strips of toast are supposed to represent soldiers, marching on in formation, like in a parade. The eggs are usually placed in special egg cups and are opened by tapping the tops lightly.

If you want to soft boil some eggs for yourself, it actually does not take very long! What you need are:

2 eggs

1 saucepan

Water

Egg cups (optional but are great to have!)

Fill the saucepan with enough water to cover the eggs. Turn on the burner of your stove to a medium-high setting and let it get to a boil. Once boiling, place the eggs into the water and let them cook for 2 minutes if they are room temperature or 3 minutes if cold from the refrigerator. When time is up, cover the pan and let sit for 2 minutes.

Make your toast however you like it, either lightly toasted or dark. Cut them into strips and put them on a plate. If you have egg cups,  Place the eggs on the egg cups and tap the top of the eggs lightly until the top comes off. Dip toasty soldiers into the runny yolks and enjoy with your favorite breakfast sides and a cup of tea!

Another egg and toast breakfast I really loved when I was growing up was the egg-in-the-basket. It was only a few years ago that I found out about it being popular in the UK. This is very easy to make if you’re not up for boiling eggs and you’re more in the mood for something a bit more fried. Simply cut out a hole in a piece of bread, add butter to a frying pan, place bread onto the hot pan, and crack the egg into the hole of the bread. Let the egg cook and solidify before turning it over, and then give it a nice flip! In no time you will have your egg and toast nice and toasty.

Whether you have tried these methods of egg cooking, they have been popular for for years. Try them for a new spin on breakfast.

The English Tea Store currently offers 13 different brands of tea, each with their own specialties. You are sure to find a brand that you enjoy and keep coming back for, especially at our low affordable prices. We want to help our tea-loving customers and break down each of the brands we offer so that you have a further understanding of what each brand can offer you and our best sellers from each.

We first would like to bring our own brand to the table, English Tea Store. We invented this brand so that you, the customer, can enjoy the benefits of a gourmet tea taste without sacrificing your wallet. By bringing you tea right to your doorstep, our ecommerce system allows us to cut out cost of distribution. We sell English style teas without strings or tags. Seem to good to be true? We promise it’s not. You can purchase samples of our tea to try them out first! Be sure to let us know what you think, what we can improve on and any ideas!

The English Tea Store brand offers loose leaf tea, tea bags and K-Cups.

One of our best sellers of loose leaf tea is the Hangover Helper Herbal Tea:

This tea is excellent after those long nights of drinking some alcoholic beverages or even just to relax after a long day! There is zero caffeine because it is made entirely of herbs and fruit. There are polyphenols in this tea, so the longer you steep it, the better benefits of antioxidants you receive.

A best seller in the tea bag category is the Assam Borengajulie Tea:

It may be a tongue twister but this delicious malty tea is sure to not disappoint. This tea is made in India and is made of black tea. It is caffeinated to help get the day  going and gluten free!

If you enjoy your keurig and the ease of sleepily popping a K-cup in the machine in the morning, you should try our Irish Breakfast CO2 Decaf K-Cups:

MM MM MMM! This decaf black tea is a wonderful smelling and even better tasting blend. You can also purchase this option in loose leaf or tea bags. You receive 24 K-Cups for the low price of $14.19.

Remember, if you are a new buyer to the English Tea Store…try our samples first! You can receive a sampler pack so that you are not stuck with a bunch of tea that you are not fond of. We want to hear your feedback, be sure to check back to this blog for the next brand we tell you all about….PG Tips!

Traveling this summer and need to have your tea? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! I have gone on vacation several times and put some tea bags in a plastic baggie but it wasn’t very attractive taking it out of a little plastic bag to have some tea. In addition, my tea bags would get damaged whenever I had them in my bag for too long or I would forget about them.

Why not try a tea wallet? With tea wallets, they’re a bit hard to forget! Each tea wallet has 6 sleeves to hold your teabags and 4 little compartments for sweeteners. Just slide in all your tea and sweeteners, fold accordingly, and snap them closed! Put them in your purse, bag, suitcase, or anything you use to travel with. No more damaged tea bags!

Our tea wallets are not only useful but stylish. We carry a colorful range of designs from floral to fruity. My personal favorite is cats!

Now, to accompany your tea and sweetener, you or your friends might need some honey. It would be a bit hard to bring a bottle of honey along with you. How about a honey stick? Honey sticks are some of the best things you could have in your pantry or tea cupboard. These little sticks of joy are perfect for enjoying at home or on the go. If you like honey in your tea or a quick snack, then these little honey sticks are for you!

Honey sticks are also good for satisfying a craving for something sweet. They are not just for adults but they are also enjoyed by kids*! Whenever there is a pack of honey sticks at my house, my nieces and nephews always manage to gobble them up!

Try both of these quality products whether you are at home, work, or traveling on vacation. Take them anywhere you want to go!