Tea has a diverse and interesting flavour profile – one that is as complex, if not more so, than wine. And in the same way that you can pair wine with food, you can also pair tea with food. 

With our Tea for Christmas Day box, you can add a little extra sparkle to Christmas Day and enhance your Christmas meal with a tea pairing for each course. These teas are an excellent alternative or accompaniment to your Christmas Day wine selection. 

Our Tea for Christmas Day box includes: 

~ three single-origin loose-leaf teas
~ a little note card to introduce the teas and our pairing suggestions, and
~ our tea steeping and tasting guide

You can choose to upgrade this box to include teaware:

~ 'Large for one' includes the teas plus our tea glass infuser and long handled tea spoon
~ 'Large for two' includes the teas plus the 280ml KINTO teapot, two Kinto Kronos tea glasses infuser and our long-handled tea spoon

Upgrading the box makes it the perfect option for anyone who prefers not to drink alcohol on Christmas Day. 

The teas in our Tea for Christmas Day box are:

Giddapahar First Flush,
Black tea, India
Flavour: Floral, muscatel, dried apricot, raisin
Giddapahar Tea Estate was founded in 1881 and has been under the ownership and management of the Shaw family ever since its inception. Located on the gentle slopes of the Kurseong Valley at an elevation of 1500m, Giddapahar produces exquisite and distinctive Darjeeling teas from tea plants more than 100 years old. Its first flush teas (the very first leaves to appear in spring after the winter dormancy) are much sought-after. This March 2020 harvest tea works beautifully hot or cold-brewed. To create a sparkling cold brew, add dry leaves into a bottle of sparkling water, chill in the fridge for 2 hours, strain then serve. This accentuates the tea’s floral and fruity notes, creating a vibrant and playful, celebratory tea.

Serve Giddapahar: cold-brewed in sparkling water either as an aperitif or paired with your appetisers - particularly light seafood such as scallops, prawns and oysters. *please note you will need to purchase your sparkling water separately.*

Mi Lan Xiang, 'Honey Aroma'
Black tea, China 
Flavour: sweet, woody, fruity
Mi Lan Xiang translates to ‘honey aroma’, reflecting the sweet, raw honey fragrance of this tea. Harvested on 28 March 2023, these leaves come from Da Hu village in the famous Phoenix Mountain area, Guangdong, China. The fragrance of this tea is enchanting as soon as the hot water hits the leaves. The infusion is heady and opulent with notes of black currant, honey, wood and aniseed. This tea comes from Wuyi Origin tea company, led by Cindy Chen and her husband, Zhou Shiwu. Cindy and Zhou value quality tea craftsmanship and love sharing the experience of their region’s special teas.

Serve Mi Lan Xiang: hot-steeped with your mains - the body and astringency of this tea work well with meat as well as vegetarian dishes. The food pairing works best when the tea is served without milk.

Livingstone Twist & Dry Oolong
Oolong tea, Malawi
Flavour: wood, spice, berry
This unique oolong is named after Scottish physician David Livingstone, a well-known explorer and advocate of Africa in the 1800’s. Its neatly twisted leaves infuse into a dry, mild and round tea with warming notes of wood, leather, berry and sweet spice. June 2022 harvest. This tea comes from Satemwa, a small family-run tea estate nestled in the Shire Highlands in Thyolo, southern Malawi, Africa. Founded in 1923, Satemwa is certified by Fair Trade and Rainforest Alliance and has a strong focus on sustainability and ethical tea production.

Serve Livingstone Oolong: hot with your dessert or cheese board. 

Each tea is 20 grams (enough to serve seven people hot steeped or make 2 litres when cold-brewed in sparkling water, however, each tea can be steeped at least twice providing tea for even more).

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