I have visited three big tea shops.
East India Company, Fortnum & Mason and Tea Palace in Covent Garden.
Tea Palace I wanted to visit only out of curiosity because I had too many teas from the previous two Big Names. I was surprised. It was a more interesting shop than I expected. Apparently they sell not only tea in 100gr tins but in bigger and smaller tins as well. They had some 8 tea pots above small candles with tea and small glasses and I could taste the teas. Good selection. I didn’t talk to anyone there and didn’t ask whether they sell their own teas or rebranded.
East India Company.
We felt that we were not the usual type of their customer. It was not obvious but The Tea Master looked on us down his nose. His assistant, a very friendly girl from Japan, could not answer my question about The East India House Directors Blend Loose Leaf - blend of India, Sri Lanka, and Kenya. I asked whether the blend had Darjeeling as its ingredient. She kept on pointing to a tin with Darjeeling if I want to buy it. I tried to rephrase the question, no success. I assume my heavy Russian accent confused the poor assistant. She called the Tea Master who arrived 10 minutes later and answered my question (no it doesn’t contain Darjeeling).
After we bought some teas and wandered around the shop, all of sudden He came again. Told us his title, said that He was busy organising tea ceremonies. Showed us some tea that looked like Pu-Erh tuochas in the shape of a small heart. No, it was not Pu-Erh and it was a tea someone brought him, not for sale, just a bag of the small hearts, just brought to him apparently for no reason…a tea suitable for Valentine’s Day and he was very busy, he had to organise a tea for a big party of 300 people and could not spend with us anymore time……….
Anyway, we bought fewer teas than we planned because they don’t sell less than 100gr, although on their website it is possible to buy 25 and 50gr (I didn’t try, maybe it would not work). Thus, no Green and Ceylon. Only black teas, and only the ones that I wanted 100gr or more.
Royal Breakfast Loose Leaf - Assam&Ceylon;
The First Estate Assam Loose Leaf
The East India House Directors Blend Loose Leaf - blend of India, Sri Lanka, and Kenya
Keemun Downy Bud Tea Loose Leaf
Emperors Yunnan - Yunnan loose leaf black tea
Fortnum and Mason was more user friendly.
After we collected some tins, shop assistant took my list of teas and asked us to come one hour later - everything will be done. One hour later, a basket with many bags (many only 50gr to taste) and tins was waiting for us.
Black Stronger Tea
Queen Anne Blend Tea - blend of TGFOP Assam and Ceylon FBOP
Royal Blend Tea - low-grown Flowery Pekoe from Ceylon lends an uplifting note to the maltier Assam
Breakfast Blend Tea - unblended Assam
Assam Superb Tea
Assam Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe Tea
Irish Breakfast Tea - Assam and Kenyan
Regent's Blend - blend honours centuries of dealings with China, India and Ceylon
Single Estate Tea
Assam Mohokutie TGFOP
Assam Doomur Dulling TGFOP
Keemun Mao Feng
And a couple of Assam teas they don’t have online, so I hope I don’t like them too much...
Assam Hattialli FTGFOP
Assam Numalighur TGFOP1 Second Flush
Black Lighter Tea
Afternoon Blend Tea - blend of teas of Ceylon
Piccadilly Blend Tea - Ceylon blend
Russian Caravan Tea - Keemun and Oolong
Keemun Tea - Keemun
Yunnan Tea – Yunnan
And a few others:
Chai Tea - black tea spiced with Indian herbs; my comments in the tea list -
Quote:
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Test Chai Tea to answer the question (what is spicy tea!?!?) once and for all!
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Mini Tuo Cha Pu'erh
Royal Pu-Erh loose leaf
So far, I tried only Royal Pu-Erh. Nothing outstanding. A bit softer flavour than in other Pu-Erh teas I tried so far.
Many teas. I am afraid I won’t live long enough to drink them all.