A fantastic start to 2013: Sri Lankan tea travels

I hope you new year has got off to a cracking start! I love starting the year by reflecting on the last.

2012 was fun-filled and jam-packed to say the least! As a business, we grew by more than a whopping 200%! It was a year of fun, a little stress, not a lot of sleep, steep learning curves and quick thinking! This didn’t give me much time to enjoy some of the things I used to have plenty of time to do – traveling, tasting, discovering, relaxing!

But after a relaxing, friends and family filled Christmas break, I have enjoyed a lovely steady, slow paced venture back into the world of tea and fuelled by pots of nutty buckwheat tea Sobacha, as part of Lahloo’s herbal therapy month, I have been planning for what is going to be an exciting year ahead!

With a brilliant team helping me at both Lahloo Tea and at our tea store, Lahloo Pantry, I’m taking advantage of some space to rediscover those things that make me tick. And I’m starting with an exciting trip to southern Sri Lanka.

I’ve been flicking through my go-to (and fellow South West company) travel companion, i-escapes, for tips and I can’t wait! I’m so looking forward to the colours – the turquoise sea, blue sky, green tea hills, golden beaches, vibrant food markets and saris – the people, their culture, the tastes and the aromas!  A feast for the senses!

The people (courtesy of http://www.i-escape.com/sri-lanka)

The tea (courtesy of http://www.i-escape.com/sri-lanka)

The culture (http://www.i-escape.com/sri-lanka)

Not only will I experience Sri Lanka’s gems, I will be visiting the garden who make our’s and Tom Herbert’s favourite cinnamon-smoked version of lapsang souchong tea – Smoky – and other amazing artisans to hunt out new herbal infusions and maybe another tea to bring back.

Now, that’s what I call a cracking start to 2013,  here’s to more to come! What about you, I’d love to hear what you’re looking forward to this year?

Kate

Win a mini break at the Magdalen Chapter in Exeter

The Magdalen Chapter in Exeter has been described as a “contemporary Wonderland” in the Alastair Sawday’s Guides, and we couldn’t agree more! It’s an iconic building that was once the West of England Eye Hospital, with all the creature comforts you require, including areas to relax and indulge: the perfect place to enjoy a mini break!

Do you fancy winning a night’s stay for two plus breakfast and afternoon tea (served with Lahloo tea of course!) in this stunning hotel? To enter our competition, you simply have to e-mail maria@lahlootea.co.uk with your details, including the code MAGDALENCH.

Terms and conditions:

1. This competition is open to residents of the UK, 18 years or over, with the exception of employees of Lahloo Tea and their families or partners.

2. All entries must be received by midnight on Thursday the 20th of September 2012.

3. Only one entry per person. The winner will be drawn at random from all entries received by the closing date.

5. By entering into this competition you agree to have your name released as the winner. The winner will be e-mailed on Friday the 21st of October.

6. If the prize winner fails to respond to correspondence from Lahloo Tea or to claim his/her prize within 72 hours of receipt of notification, Lahloo Tea shall be entitled to select an alternative prize winner. The prize winner who has not responded won’t be entitled to a prize.

6. Prize is non transferable, there are no cash alternatives and cannot be used in conjunction with any other object.

7. Prize excludes Saturday nights, is subject to availability, and to be taken before the 30th of November 2012.

7. Lahloo Tea reserves the right to record the entrants’s e-mail addresses for promotional purposes and to share these e-mail addresses with The Chapter Hotels for the same purpose.

Perfect Picnics!

Donna Hay’s delicious Crispy Potato Salad

Nothing beats the simple enjoyment of tucking into your favourite  yummy treats!  Throw in some great company, the great British countryside (or even a quiet spot in your local park will do!)  with sunshine filled days and it’s Lahloo’s idea of heaven! If you couple this with a glass or two of our refreshing English Garden Punch (alcoholic or non-alcoholic, gently sparkling Earl Grey, elderflower and fresh mint) we really won’t be able to contain our excitement!

Oh, you may chuckle at our enthusiasm and pleasure at such ‘everyday’ things but what great things these really are! What do you love doing? What simple pleasures have you forgotten about? Spend time daydreaming about those things and then go out and do them – now’s your time! Remember it’s all about taking it easy.

Taking time out and ‘tuning in’ your senses to the world around you and is a fabulous way to help you unwind, forget your worries and cares and allow yourself to fully relax. Here’s to taking time out and to doing the simple things you enjoy!

One of our favourite treats is to pack up a scrummy picnic and escape! We’ve found some truly delicious picnic snacks from Donna Hay’s latest book that we thought you’d love to try!

Who ever said picnics need be boring? Forget soggy sandwiches and limp salads, here’s to simple, easy seasonal  recipes bursting with fresh flavours and taste! Now you’ve no excuse to get out and about!

Happy picnicking!

Hot gossip: Lahloo tea will be at Glasto this year!

Yes, you read that right! Lahloo Tea is going to be available at this years’ Glastonbury Festival! And we are uber excited!

More details to follow but in a nutshell, in our bid to make sure that everyone knows that Lahloo Tea is real tea for real people we jumped  at the chance of serving festival goers cups and cups of delicious Lahloo Tea. As part of a Bristol conglomerate trading under the umbrella of EAT BRISTOL, we will bring all of you a welcome relief from the usual murky insipid cuppa available!

Check out our progress here on this blog under the tags, Glastonbury and Eat Bristol, or here @eatbristol

Well done, The Angel Hotel at Abergavenny for winning The Tea Guild’s Top City and Country Hotel Tea Award 2011

We would just like to congratulate one of our new(-ish) customers on being awarded, one of the best places in the UK to enjoy afternoon tea. The Angel Hotel in Wales, a charming Georgian hotel, has achieved the highest accolade of the tea world by winning The Tea Guild’s Top City and Country Hotel Tea Award 2011. 

This Tea Guild event, now in its 26th year, is considered the ‘Oscar’ of the tea world, with the best tea rooms in the UK competing for the hugely coveted honour. The Angel Hotel was voted into the top spot after it gained a near perfect score from The Tea Guild’s inspectors. The judges praised it for its smart and elegant surroundings, attentive and efficient service and tasty sandwiches, cakes and scones. The judges were also very impressed by the choice of teas on offer and the quality of tea served. The judges concluded that “it was a smooth operation from start to finish. Everyone was made to feel special.”

Well done on such a wonderful achievement William and the team, from all of us here at Lahloo Tea.

PS we’ve also just discovered that we are going to be going to Abergavenny Food Festival again this year. So why not book into The Angel Hotel and come and visit us at the most important food festival in any foodies’ diary. Oh, and don’t forget to stop for a spot of afternoon tea too!

The Angel Hotel, 15 Cross Street, Abergavenny, NP7 5EN, Tel: +44 1873 857121

http://www.angelhotelabergavenny.com

So, was our ‘Tea and Tovolo Challenge’ enough to persuade you to give up a tea bag habit for good?

Have you changed the habit of a life time to enjoy delicious loose tea all-day-everyday yet? If not, why not? What have you got to lose!

We are on a mission to encourage you to enjoy Lahloo Tea, all-day-everyday! We want you to enjoy Lahloo Tea as an everyday indulgence, not ‘just on special occasions’. Life is too short not to!

To help us on our mission we enrolled the help of our first set of lovely tea volunteers and asked them  to go ‘loose leaf’ for a week. Now we love our loose leaves and we don’t understand why anyone wouldn’t, but we needed to test our leaves on real hardened tea bag drinkers. We sent them all a Tovolo tea infuser and a pouch of Lahloo Breakfast tea. Then we simply waited for the results…

Was our ‘Tea and Tovolo Challenge’ enough to persuade our readers to give up their tea bag habit for good?

So have their habits changed? Are they sticking with loose leaf and enjoying it every day? Of course they are! Here’s their first hand experience…

Volunteer No 1:  Sophie

Self Confessed:  “tea slurping, biscuit eating working Mum and wife”

Pre challenge:  ”tea infusing is rather decadent, naturally slower.” “tea bags are quicker and easier.”

Overview:  “instructions were simple. A triumph of making ‘proper’ tea in a modern simplistic way”.

Experience: “it was a pleasure to spend a week using my Tovolo and the Lahloo Breakfast tea was just divine. I’m using at home now but with a view to convert work colleagues, to use it on the tea round-not brave enough yet!”

Overall: Thumbs up! She’s sticking.

Volunteer No 2:  Sarah

Self Confessed: “tea fiend”

Pre challenge: used tea bags “mostly out of habit!” And “loose leaf would be messy and somewhat more complicated”.

Overview:  ”the Tovolo tea infuser makes the process very easy, less than a minute to use it. No mess no fuss!”

Experience:  ”loved using it at work/home. I’ll be sticking with loose leaves in my Tovolo from now on. The Lahloo Breakfast is an aromatic flavour which is much smoother. I’ve been filling it up ready to go and then giving it to my work colleagues on the tea run!”

Overall:  Sticking, thank you!

Volunteer No 3:  Joanna

Self Confessed:  lives in a “tea crazy household”

Pre challenge:  used tea bags and has about 20 (big brand) teas on the go!

Overview:  “the ease and convenience are pretty handy. Making a nice cup tea is very easy”.

Experience:  Slightly mixed.  ”I loved the leaves but not 100% sure about the Tovolo. I rate the tea extremely highly for flavour and fragrance that you just don’t get with PG Tips and Twinnings”.

Overall: Sticking with the leaves  not sure about the Tovolo. Hey ho, we can’t win them all!

So, there we are! In a nutshell, a resounding success for Lahloo Tea and Tovolos! Why not try it yourself? Simply purchase our Tovolo tea infuser and Lahloo Breakfast  tea online, enter goloose at the checkout and receive the tea absolutely free for the rest of March. Shop now >

Just one request. We love having feedback, so please drop us a line with your views.

Happy Tovolo-ing!

February – take time out and escape

There’s nothing quite like glugging pots of tea and reading the papers while somebody else makes you breakfast! Imagine taking time out this February for a really lazy weekend with someone special at one of these fabulous places. If getting away isn’t possible, then make sure you create your own little sanctuary. For just one weekend forget the housework, washing etc and make sure someone makes you breakfast in bed!

Cosy in the Cotswolds

The Montpellier Chapter, Bayshill Road, Montpellier, Cheltenham, GL50 3AS,

01242 527788  http://www.montpellierchapter.com

I’ve fairly recently discovered the beautiful regency town of Cheltenham. A real gem. And right in the heart of the town is the sophisticated, calm and contemporary Montpellier Chapter. Interiors of soft colours and textures create a cool relaxed feel – imagine a pot of Lahloo Tea and the Sunday papers in this library! Neat touches, paperless check-in and iPod technology make things super easy. Bliss.

Read a recent review in The Guardian Book now  ➤

 

Snuggle up in Somerset

Archangel, 1 King Street, Frome, Somerset, BA11 1BH

01373 456111   http://www.archangel.com

When I went to the wonderful artisan market in Frome last summer I discovered the stunning, sumptuous and stylish Archangel. A luxury boutique hotel, restaurant and bar  in the heart of Frome, Somerset and within easy reach of Warminster, Bath, Longleat. I was there on Wednesday and it was almost impossible to drag myself away from the roaring fire and huge purple sofa! I did but I can’t wait to go back again (hopefully  to stay)!

Read the recent review in The Telegraph Book now ➤

 

Wholesome Welsh weekend

Felin Fach Griffin, Felin Fach, Brecon, Powys, LD3 OUB

O1874 620111   http://www.eatdrinksleep.ltd.uk

Having visited The Gurnard’s Head nr St Ives I just had to visit their sister place. The Felin Fach Griffin is right on the edge of the Brecon Beacon National Park and very close to Hay-on-Wye (perfect for the Hay Festival).Beautiful, homely, comfortable and relaxed; the owners like to think that everyone’s time at The Felin Fach Griffin is as relaxing as staying in someone’s home. The ethos behind EatDrinkSleep is the simple things in life done well. And they do just that!

Read Jay Rayner’s review Book now ➤

There are so many more places I could’ve mentioned so I’ll keep sharing. Watch out for more!

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

Well done to our award winning stockists – The Hardwick, The Potting Shed, The Felin Fach Griffin

We always knew they were great places but it’s great to see four Lahloo Tea stockists receiving nationally recognised awards for their fabulous food, drinks and hospitality.  Congratulations! You deserve it!

Stephen Terry picks up the AA Restaurant of the Year Wales Award for his Abergavenny restaurant, The Hardwick.

Known for its mighty reputation as an outstanding place to eat and drink, Terry’s restaurant was expanded in time for this year’s Abergavenny Food Festival to offer visitors an astounding place to stay.

The Hardwick is a gastronomic hideaway in the heart of Wales’ lush, verdant hills . I love driving over the Severn for a Sunday walk followed by a cracking roast. And now they have 8 contemporary bedrooms, combining elegant, understated design with Welsh charm. The ultimate autumn gourmet getaway.

The Hardwick, Old Raglan Road, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, Wales, NP7 9AA
Website: www.thehardwick.co.uk Email: info@thehardwick.co.uk

 

The Inkin brothers’ EatDrinkSleep scoop not one but two Good Pub Guide Awards 2011 for Dining Pub of the Year Wales and Cornwall

The Felin Fach Griffin, a dining pub with rooms, nestles between The Black Mountains and the Brecon Beacons, near Hay-on-Wye. Charles Inkin likes to think that everyone’s time here is as relaxing as staying in someone’s home. The ethos behind EatDrinkSleep is the simple things in life done well. And things are done very well here – I can vouch for that!

The Felin Fach Griffin, Felin Fach, Brecon, Powys, LD3 0UB, 01874 620111
Website:  www.eatdrinksleep.ltd.uk Email: enquiries@eatdrinksleep.ltd.uk

The Felin Fach Griffin’s sister, The Gurnards Head, is in the most beautiful part of Cornwall perching on the cliffs high above the Atlantic between St. Ives and St. Just, near the Minack Theatre, Zennor, Penzance and Newlyn.With the same ethos as The Felin Fach Griffin, this is another very special place.

You will truly unwind you as you enjoy one of the country’s most dramatic coastlines. And the salty air is proven (I can vouch for that) to make you sleep deeply in the most comfortable beds.  Eat simple, earthy and delicious food.

The Gurnards Head, Nr Zennor, St. Ives, TR26 3DE, )1736 796928
Website:  www.gurnardshead.co.uk Email: enquiries@gurnardshead.co.uk

 

The Potting Shed, Crudwell have won the Good Pub Guide Award 2011 for Dining Pub of the Year

A proper country pub! Rustic, log fires, flagstones, beams, comfy worn chairs and sofas, Barney and Rubbles (the owners’ dogs), garden-fork door handles, spade beer pumps, board games, an excellent locally sourced seasonal menu, range of wines by the glass, home-made seasonal cocktails using local or home-grown fruit and of course fantastic tea!

Go and see ‘The Blaze’ at Westonbirt Arboretum, stay at The Potting Shed’s sister hotel, The Rectory, overnight and then stroll over to The Potting Shed for a lazy Sunday lunch.

The Potting Shed Pub, The Street, Crudwell, Malmesbury, Wiltshire, SN16 9EW,
01666 577 833

Website: www.thepottingshedpub.com Email: bookings@thepottingshedpub.co.uk

 

Well done all of you!

These are just some of the fabulous places we are proud to say we supply around the UK. For more, click here >>

 

Join us for tea in Cheltenham

This week is looking busy but really lovely. I am going to be spending rather a lot of time in and around Cheltenham. I love Cheltenham and despite there already being some lovely spots in other parts of the Cotswolds that serve and retail Lahloo Tea, we haven’t taken our lipsmackingly tasty tea to Cheltenham yet. Don’t panic Cheltenham we are coming this week!

I’m starting by sharing a lovely cuppa at elevenses with The Daffodil to tell them more about serving really delicious tea, then I’m going to train the wonderful team at Cowley Manor Hotel and C-Side Spa on serving Lahloo Tea (they are serving it in the really cool Tovolo tea infusers rather than tea pots so it’s going to be great) and finally I’m delivering new tea orders to the gorgeous Bob Parkinson’s Made By Bob and SallyAnn Bliss’ gorgeous PUREbliss Organics barn.

18th, 19th and 20th June 2010

Then on Friday we’ll be at the 2010 Cheltenham Food Festival sharing Lahloo Tea with festival goers.The Cheltenham Food and Drink Festival 2010 returns to Montpellier Gardens in the summer, for more gastronomic delights, a celebrity guest appearance from Antonio Carluccio and the chance to eat, drink and be very merry. Come along to stand E17 and find our more about how delicious Lahloo Tea is.

We look forward to seeing you there.