Tea – My Favourite Signature Blends & Fusions

Welcome back to my ‘Tea for Thought’ Series, part 3 of 4. I hope you have been enjoying the series so far.

In this series I am talking all about the extensive range of signature blends and fusions on offer through Thompsons Family Tea…. I was amazed at the wide range available.

 

Very often depending on how I am feeling I will opt for different flavours of tea and the Thompson’s range is by far my favourite as they offer everything from traditional black tea and breakfast blends, to fruit and herbal infusions.

 

I have included below some of my Favourites from the Thompson’s Range

 

Thompson’s Punjana Original Blend

 

Belfast based Thompson’s Family Teas, won the maximum 3 Gold Stars for its hero brand, Punjana, Northern Ireland’s best-selling tea, at the prestigious UK Great Taste Awards 2016.  Three stars is the highest achievement a product can win and is normally reserved for exclusive and specialised products rather than an affordable everyday product. Just the top 2% out of thousands of entries are awarded 3 Gold Stars, after weeks of rigorous blind taste testing.

In 2016 alone, the family-owned business amassed a record breaking total of 23 Gold Stars.  If you want a ‘proper’ traditional cup of tea then Thompson’s award-winning Punjana blend is a must.  It comes everywhere with me. It is my everyday go to.

 

 

Thompson’s Earl Grey with Flowers

 

This is one I typically take in the evening or like to serve when I am hosting ‘Afternoon Tea’. It has an elegance about it.  This is a whole leaf, with delicate scents of Bergamot natural oil, sprinkled with cornflower and marigold petals. It’s the perfect blend for special occasions, where you can take time to prepare and enjoy in a fine china cup. And when time is not on your side and you’re in need of a more convenient option, you can opt for the Thompson’s Earl Grey Tea Bags

 

Thompson’s Signature Blend

 

This is a new addition to my collection. The Signature blend celebrates the life and work of first generation R.S. Thompson. In 1896, he trained in the art of tea tasting and was known for his passion of blending high quality teas. As a tribute to him, the Thompson’s have faithfully recreated his original blend, selecting tea from his favourite Indian tea gardens. It has a sense of distinction with its mix of bright and award-winning flavours.

 

 

 

Indian Spiced Chai

 

Another new one to my collection and I love my spices, so no doubt I will love this with its exotic blend and extravagant mix of ginger, orange, cinnamon, star anise and cardamom pods.

 

Organic Green Tea Ginger and Pineapple

 

The Guild of Fine Foods awarded this tea their maximum 3 Gold Stars at the Great Taste Awards! It’s fair to say I drink green tea, not because I have a love for the taste, but more because it’s embedded into my head that it is good for you (whether that is the case or not is another discussion), however this blend is spiced with organic ginger and pineapple, sprinkled with Marigold flowers to create a fusion of great taste, so if you’re like me and don’t like the strong taste of green tea this is the perfect alternative.

Yes, green tea is indeed very good for you containing plenty of antioxidants – however, black tea is also very good for you and has lots of antioxidants as well. Green tea has only slightly more, so I would personally suggest that rather than force green tea into you, maybe have a slightly larger cup of black tea – everyone’s a winner! 

 

 

 

Pure Peppermint

Now, peppermint tea…I really love this! I find it very refreshing and as soon as you drink it you can feel the benefits, so this is another favourite with its refreshing and invigorating flavour, that pervades the senses and provides a settling effect.

 

 

 

Turkish Apple

I have a real sweet tooth, so in times of weakness I try to put my hand to this, the wonderfully sweet apple blend, and try to trick myself, which works for me – most of the time! It is a lovely fusion of apple and blackberry.

 

Now Time to Dip in

Is anyone guilty of simply having tea to ‘dunk’, this was something I did when I was younger I must admit, but not a real fan of it now. It’s funny as it’s a real thing now for young and old. My little nephew asked me the other day for a cup of tea and I said ‘your too young to be drinking tea’ to which he replied ‘I only need it to dip my biscuits into’.  Is this something you do…if so what’s your favourite biscuit to dunk?

 

 

The next and final ‘Tea for Thought’ series will be posted next Wednesday 9th August at 10.30, so have a cuppa at the ready.

Elaine x