Lahloo’s home-made Christmas!

Christmas for me is all about giving but it can be really tricky to find that special gift in the usual mayhem of Christmas shopping. It’s also really cold out there at the moment! So if you fancy giving something a little bit special this year and you’d really like to stay in the warm, how about making gifts. There’s nothing better than a jar of homemade ginger nuts to go with a pouch of Lahloo Tea. We’ve even gone to the trouble of giving you the recipe! Have fun (especially licking the spoon)!

And to reward your hard work, for today only, with every pouch of Lahloo Tea you buy we’ll give you a rather stylish Lahloo Tea caddy absolutely free! The perfect tin to pop those biccies in and for storing Lahloo Tea when they’ve all gone!

Buy Assam Chai , Amber oolong or even Green Mulberry –  just the thing to go with your home-made ginger nuts. And give someone you love their own tea and biscuits moment! They’ll love it!

ps I hope my Dad isn’t reading this ; )

Warming Spiced Chai Latte

Go for a walk and take a flask of our favourite winter warmer!

BUY ASSAM CHAI SHOP NOW >

Relax, unwind and indulge your senses in style at Cowley Manor in the heart of the English countryside!

Over the past 2 weeks I’ve been taking Vicky, our new ‘tea apprentice’, on a tour around some of our customers. It’s been great fun but also really wonderful to take stock of some of the amazing people and places we supply with Lahloo Tea. One of these very special places is Cowley Manor in the heart of the Cotswolds near Cheltenham.

A few months ago we started working with the team at the incredible luxury hotel spa. Cowley Manor is a contemporary chic country house hotel set in the idyllic British countryside. With an emphasis on comfort, service and very few rules, Cowley Manor is the perfect place to relax, unwind and indulge your senses. The hotel oozes simple luxury and everywhere you look there is a another special place to daydream.

Not only do they now serve a fabulous cup of tea in the hotel, but they do so in style. You wouldn’t expect anything else from the team at Cowley Manor though; they use the Lahloo Tovolo Tea infuser. A unique, simple yet stylish way to enjoy loose leaf tea-cup by cup, at work or on holiday.

Then there is their fabulous C.side Spa! The C.side Spa uses only the most natural of products during each experience and their own in-house Green & Spring product range. Its such a stunning setting with a beautiful range of products it was a pleasure to be invited to create three specific blends. Each had to be in keeping with Cowley Manor’s ethos of relax, unwind and indulge the senses with natural ingredients taken from the British countryside used throughout the Green & Spring range.

The 3 teas Kate created – Bliss (a blissful, indulgent blend of Green Jasmine and Rosebuds), Revive (a reviving blend of Japanese green tea, fennel and peppermint) and Unwind (an utterly relaxing blend of Chamomile Flowers and Lavender) – are delicious as well as therapeutic. Whatever your mood or feeling, these teas complete the Cowley Manor experience. And they have been hugely successful with guests at the hotel, spa and village shop.

This place is the perfect place to getaway from it all. They even have wellies you can borrow!

To discover a very special place nestling in the Cotswold countryside and to book a luxury getaway, visit http://www.cowleymanor.com or to visit their Paris ad Amsterdam hotels visit http://www.curioushotels.com

To buy Green & Spring products visit http://www.greenandspring.com or to follow them on twitter hunt our @greenandspring

To find countryside seasonal inspired recipes like Lemon & Thyme Shortbread click here

Enjoy seasonal food: teatime apple and pear cake

This is an adaptation of a recipe I found in Marie Claire ‘Fresh’ by Michele Cranston. It’s the perfect seasonal cake for those in-between meal times – elevenses and afternoon tea!  Easy, quick to make, tasty and perfect with warming black and oolong teas. Put the kettle on!

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 50g ground cashews
• 3 free range eggs
• 125ml organic milk
• 400g caster sugar
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, sliced
• 250g plain flour
• 2 teaspoons ground chai tea leaves
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3 pears, cored and sliced
• 3 apples, cored and sliced
• icing sugar

Preheat the oven to 180c (350f / gas 4). Using 1 tablespoon butter, grease a 20cm round springform cake tin and sprinkle with half the cashew nuts to coat the tin.

Put eggs, milk,sugar,ginger, flour, chai tea and baking powder into a large mixing bowl and blend to make a thick batter.

Fold the pears and apples into the batter carefully and spoon into the cake tin. Sprinkle with remaining cashew nuts and dot with remaining butter.

Bake for 1 1/2 hours, remove and cool. Put the kettle on, put tea leaves into the pot, brew the tea then pour into your favourite cup or mug. Sprinkle cake with icing sugar, slice a wedge and serve with a dollop of natural yoghurt. Now sit, relax and enjoy!

Tea and shopping? Lahloo Tea and White Stuff are putting the kettle on!

After a summer of Jubille celebrations for White Stuff and a tea odyssey for us, we’re ready for a cuppa! And what more could you want! A cup of the tasty Rosey Lee while you ooh and ahh over the lovely new Autumn collection at White Stuff‘s spangly new stores.  The first one is tomorrow, 2nd September, in Horsham. Come and enjoy a Lahloo cuppa as we join the lovely people at White Stuff and put the kettle on.

White Stuff’s clothing has something for everyone, for everyday whatever the weather or the occasion. Girls, whether you’re having a girlie afternoon tea and gossip, releasing your inner tea lady chic, indulging in a little hoi tea toi tea or just in need of a good brew White Stuff have it covered!

Boys, it’s all about enjoying the great outdoors. Grab a mug and escape to the shed or fill a flask and take the dog for a walk!

Put the kettle on, make your favourite cup, mug, flask or pot of Lahloo Tea and love life!

The Tea Tour Begins….

The Tea Tour Begins

Pop-up tea at the Tate, St Ives

Well it is finally here, after all the planning we have collected Penelope and hit the road – WATCH OUT CORNWALL AND DEVON.

We want to tell the world about loose leaf tea and Lahloo tea, letting people taste real tea in fun innovative ways as well as in unique places. We have so far served rude health Cereal with Lahloo Breakfast tea to campers in Falmouth, St Ives and Newquay. Converting a few non-tea drinkers on the way, and convincing others to go back to loose leaf again rather than the dreaded bag.

We have served up Chai-der (chai infused Orchard Pig cider) at Watergate Bay, just as the sun was setting to walkers, surfers or those leaving Jamie Oliver’s inspired restaurant Fifteen.

Gorgeous Watergate Bay, Cornwall

Best of all was when we parked Penelope outside the Tate in St Ives. We put to test the aged long battle of THE SCONE WAR. We simply offered plain scones, with Clotted Cream and Jam on the side. The first 100 lucky people got a free cream tea, but had to build it themselves and then vote on how they made it. The results from the crowds at St Ives slighted leaned to jam, we will continue to compile more votes as we travel through Cornwall and then Devon – this battle is not over yet.

The Tea tour continues as we head up the west coast of Cornwall into Devon – watch our progress on the facebook or twitter pages or online at www.theteatour.com

Tea with a twist!

Last July at the Bristol Wine & Food festival we served up Long Island Iced Earl Grey Tea and Amber Mojitos and they went down like a storm in a teacup (sorry)! So we’ve been working on new recipes for this years’ events – including Bristol Wine & Food 2010, Clinger Farm’s Harvest festival and Dartmouth Food Festival – with  our friends at The Rummer Hotel.  Fabulous bar tenders and mixologists and last night I invited a very select twitter crowd (@cowshedbristol, @pearcafe and @essexeating) to give me their verdicts.

It’s a tough job but someone has to do it! We tried these delicious creations:

‘Caviar’ Marteani – Didi’s clever and unique molecular competition entry. Dry gin martini with fabulous little black salty pearls of our cinnamon Smokey tea ‘caviar’ to give you a burst of flavour. Crazy but a little tricky for us to replicate!

Smokey Margarita – Martin’s amazing twist on a classic margarita using tequila infused with our smokey tea (they all loved the smokey tea)! Sensational and definitely coming to a festival near you soon! Here’s Elly sipping away…

Dragon Pearl Vespa - Joe’s chose the stunning fragrant jasmine Dragon Pearl tea to infuse vodka and created a jasmine and apricot Vespa with a burnt orange twist. I could’ve sipped it all evening! Dan and I loved this one and it will also be making an appearance…

The fabulous Walnut Tree Restaurant is now serving Lahloo Tea…..

I feel very lucky that I have been treated to lunch at The Walnut Tree restaurant in the gorgeous countryside just on the edge of the Black Mountains near Abergavenny. If you haven’t had the chance to eat at The Walnut Tree, then I hope you have plans to do so as soon as humanly possible! Don’t worry if you live further than we do (about an hours drive from Bristol), they have lovely accommodation so you can sample the fantastic wine list as well as the food. Or maybe head to the fabulous Abergavenny Food Festival and make a trip to taste Shaun’s food (just remember to book).

The Walnut Tree has been a famous inn and restaurant since it began in the early 1960’s. It is now run as a joint venture between Shaun Hill (see above) and William Griffiths. The Walnut Tree offers proper dining and drinking in an informal setting. Join them for a glass of good wine and a plate of something delicious or sit and savour a full lunch or dinner in the welcoming inn.

The menu is an eclectic mix, based on Shaun’s personal taste and sound cooking techniques, rather than any particular country’s cuisine.  Shaun and his team have this year earned a coveted Michelin star in recognition of the food being served and the team serving it. Well done!

When I first contacted Shaun to introduce him to Lahloo Tea and to see if he would like to serve our tea at The Walnut Tree, I did so with some trepidation. You see I knew that Shaun also oversees the long-established restaurants at Fortnum & Mason. Especially, St James’ Restaurant where he oversees the tea menu. He really knows – and loves – his tea! He really appreciates the difference between a Golden Assam and a high mountain Second Flush Darjeeling.

I needn’t have worried. After our initial chat over a lovely cup of Jungpana Darjeeling over a year ago, Shaun enjoyed Lahloo Tea so much so, that he asked me to keep in touch. So I did! And now I’m happy to say that you’ll now be able to sip a delicious cup of tea after your meal at The Walnut Tree.

Together with Shaun we have created a delicious tea list from around the world. Choose from a pot of light and fragrant Darjeeling Second Flush from high in the Indian Himalayas, the wonderfully refreshing and digestive Orchid oolong from the Phoenix Mountains in China (superb with his sensational chocolate puddings) or a cleansing cup of Japanese green tea. Whatever you choose, it will be delicious. So when you go back or visit for the first time, sit back relax and enjoy the food lovingly prepared by Shaun and the team. Just don’t forget to ask for a special cup of tea to follow…

Lahloo Tea at The Rectory Hotel and The Potting Shed

The Potting Shed is a traditional British Dining pub in the stunning village of Crudwell in the Cotswolds. They focus on the little things that really matter; namely great beers on tap, a concise and interesting wine list,  fantastic food. In fact it was awarded New Pub of the Year 2010 by the Good Pub Guide. They even have their own organic veg patch out the back of the pub. This perfect pub deserves to serve a perfect cup of Lahloo Tea.

Lahloo Tea is also served at their sister hotel, The Rectory Hotel just 100 yards up the road. This beautiful, elegantly furnished period house is set in three acres of Cotswold stone-walled garden.

Jonathan and Julian have transformed this building into the ideal escape or the perfect base to explore The Cotwolds. If you are in that neck of the woods why not treat yourself or someone else to a night away, eat and drink at the pub then stay in the hotel. Wake up in the morning with an amazing breakfast (I recommend their full English Breakfast) and a delicious pot of Lahloo Tea.

You can then go off and explore the Westonbirt Arboretum, a magical sight all year round.

Lahloo Tea in the Black Mountains

EAT DRINK SLEEP…

… the simple things in life done well! What better way could there possibly be to spend a weekend away (or longer if you’re lucky)! The company behind this brilliant mantra has two fabulous places we’d thoroughly recommend.

I first experienced EAT DRINK SLEEP at their dining pub with rooms, The Gurnards Head, in deepest Cornwall in January. We got snowed in but it didn’t matter one bit as this place is a home from home! Cosy rooms, open fires, quaffable wines and amazingly rustic and delicious food. Our favourite meal everyday had to be the fantastic breakfast! We walked, ate, drank and slept like babies and came home feeling ready to take Lahloo Tea onwards and upwards in 2010.

More recently I have yet again been bowled over by the EAT DRINK SLEEP team at their other dining pub with rooms, The Felin Fach Griffin in the stunning Black Mountains near Hay-on -Wye (the little place famous for its fantastic Hay Festival of Literature and Arts) and Brecon. Again this place oozes with the founders’ mantra of doing simple things very very well.

The team are lovely and really good at what they do (Jay Rayner thinks so too, read his review) This place is a must visit. While you’re there fill up on their wonderful breakfasts in the Aga Room (I can thoroughly recommend the smoked kippers and the home-made soda bread) and of course sip a cup or 3 of delicious Lahloo Tea. Or maybe sip a cup of Earl Grey in their gorgeous garden.

Have you been? I’d love to know what you thought…