International Tea Day

There’s something quintessentially British about a good cup of tea, and here at Highgrove, we are no different.

We have several different types of tea available, from the traditional Earl Grey to the refreshing Peppermint Infusion, but of course, our most famous, the Prince of Wales blend is the most popular. So how did this blend come about and end up in the teapot?

In general, there are six main types of tea which look and taste quite different. White, yellow, green, black, oolong and pu-erh all come from the same plant (‘Camellia sinensis’) which is grown in different regions of China, and South-East Asia across the world. The varied methods of processing and the conditions in which the plants are grown, such as the altitude and soil type, all have an impact on the flavour of the tea.

The Prince of Wales blend is a historic blend formed of the thick malty flavours of Assam tea and the lighter, fresh notes of Ceylon which combine to form a strong and punchy tea. Loose leaf tea, which is found in both our Prince of Wales tea bags and tea tin, is formed of larger leaves which, when brewed, release more subtle flavours than conventional teabags.

The Prince of Wales blend not only makes a great cup of tea, but also goes towards supporting the tea industry around the world.

And the time old question remains – milk before or after you pour the tea? Customs change throughout the world. Personally, we prefer to add the milk after the tea!