Merrydale's Corner

This section may seem a bit odd to anyone who views the UK as one of the main places to enjoy tea in Europe. But if you've lived in the northern parts of Europe for a while, and have got used to their culture of selling loose tea from large metal containers in sizes of anything from 50 - 500g, then your return to the UK - with the same expectations - may come as a bit of a shock. Though you can find a large selection of tea bags and the odd package of loose teas in a large variety of shops, the culture or choice is not quite the same as on the continent yet.

Fortunately this is beginning to change and I have been able to stop 'importing' the vast quantities I used to - when returning from holidays - and instead use some excellent businesses here. For anyone facing the same issue, please see some suggestions on where to get excellent tea in the UK below. This is of course highly personal and there may be many other good companies out there that I have not discovered yet. These ones are my go-to choices. 

Carslake Tea Company, a small business with a lovely selection, which contains some real gems, discovered during a fair. They work with select blenders in the UK and Europe but also source some of their teas directly from smaller tea gardens. They provide tasty blends, excellent customer service and post their tea very reliably across the UK.

https://www.carslaketea.co.uk/ 

Hebden Tea in York, a chance discovery when visiting the Shambles and an extremely lucky one! They have an excellent selection of blends and single estate teas and also post their wares very reliably across the UK. 

https://www.hebdentea.com/ 

Bird & Blend Tea Co. is an independent tea company that by now has various shops in different locations across the UK. They have a considerable selection and seasonal favourites. Their tea too is posted reliably across the UK and the packages usually contain little notes with cheery tea puns. 

https://www.birdandblendtea.com/

John Farrer & Co (Kendal) Ltd - or also simply Farrer's - in the Lake District might sound like an odd one out to those who know it - as the oldest coffee roaster in the UK - but they do also have a wide range of tea! Worth exploring, they too post reliably across the UK.  

https://farrerscoffee.co.uk/collections/tea

Photo credits: stainless GAIWAN tea filter (extremely handy) in a Highland Stoneware Scotland mug (Machair pattern) on a Jane Glue tea coaster with a display of Devagiri Premium Orange Pekoe 1 loose leaf tea from Carslake Tea Co. 

(In case anyone is wondering, the tea displayed here was used for my next cuppa! With its fresh light flavour, the tiny woody note and inherent hint of sweetness, it would have been a crying shame to waste it!)