The Finest White and Silver Teas
Silver Needles
Silver teas comprise only the unopened buds of the tea bush, hand selected for quality and delicately processed to avoid bruising or leaf damage.- Shao Wu Silver Needles £8.99 /50g (tin)
From the misty hills of Shao Wu mountain come these top quality silver needles, with excellent form, shimmering downy complexion, and a delicacy of flavour to rival the best - full on the nose, with a sweet, lingering floral note on the palate.
So delicate they travel in a tin, these prima-donnas are much happier when brewed using filtered water, and will re-steep a number of times before the flavour is gone.
White Teas
Selecting only the youngest leaves and buds, white teas are on average higher in antioxidants than their green or black tea counterparts. They are light in flavour, with sweet muscatel overtones, and often a lingering finish. Best to use filtered water, else you might taste mainly the chlorine and minerals from the mains!- White Monkey Pekoe £5.95 /80g
Soft downy buds yield a delicate, sweet flavour with a creamy-yellow tinge and an abundance of aromatic notes on the nose, reminiscent of sweet hay lying in sleepy fields baked in late-evening sun.
Rebrewable many times over. - Pai Mu Tan £2.19 /50g
The classic "a bud and two leaves" tea: large formed leaves, but only the youngest, and their associated buds with a warm sweet flavour, fairly strong for a white tea, but far less delicate than the grassier, more vegetal green tea varieties. Smooth and silky relaxation in a cup.
Pure Green Teas
China
- Long Jing £4.89 /100g
Sometimes known as "Dragon Well", this is a classic tea with a tender flavour and jade green cup colour. It is highly digestible, making it a perfect accompaniment to meals. Our Long Jing is carefully selected to represent excellent quality, and a sweet leafy balance of flavours. - Bi Luo Chun £6.99 /80g
It is said that this tea was first named "Astonishing fragrance" [for it has a wonderful fruity-fresh nose] but that this name was changed to Spring Green Snail on the suggestion of a somewhat abstract-thinking emperor over 1000 years ago.
As one of the famous teas from China, Bi Luo Chun is revered for its wiry, curled leaves, delicate vegetal quality and slightly fruity finish. Ours has hints of apricots and soft fruits over a clean finish.
Japan
- Classic Genmaicha £3.29 /100g
Fresh-faced sweet Japanese sencha , with its characteristic flat wiry leaves, is blended with wholegrain roasted rice providing a crisp burnt texture around the balanced flavours of the tea. With a high umami flavour, Genmaicha helps to enhance the flavour of food. Low in caffeine. - Japan Bancha Hojicha £2.99 /100g
Hojicha is a famous Japanese roasted tea, which has a crisp, clean and long-lasting flavour not dissimilar to some darker oolong teas. Delicious with savoury snacks. - Sencha Fukujyu £3.29 /100g
Harvested on the slopes of mount Fuji, this classic vegetal Japanese sencha with thin rolled leaves and an abundance of flavour is refreshing, and not overly bitter especially when brewed light.
Other Origins
- BACK IN STOCK -- Nepal Antu Valley
We ran out within weeks with the first batch, so we had to get some more of this rather unusual green tea from Nepal. Having a nose of sweet hay, soft fruit and chocolate, and a lingering sweetness (and definitely not bitter), it would make a good green tea for all-day drinking. The leaves will re-brew two or three times so it's highly cost effective too.