How to brew

We base our preparation suggestions on the methods traditionally used in China but with a few practical twists to suit our cultural requirements. Any pot with the ability to strain the leaves, so they can be reused will suit and we offer a wonderful Tea Maker if you don’t have a loose-leaf pot.

We recommend to begin with a large pinch or a teaspoon of the tea leaves for a 1-cup pot and use fresh, boiling water (ideally filtered for better taste) and then adjust the quantity of leaves you use going forward, to suit your palate.

With the pure whole-leaf white, green, jasmine and oolong teas, we suggest using water below boiling (80 degrees). You can add a centimetre of cold water onto the leaves before adding boiling water to it, replicating this cooler temperature if your kettle isn’t temperature controlled. All our other teas and botanical blends are suited to boiling water (100 degrees).

The whole leaves brew much more slowly than a tea-bag or chopped up loose tea, usually taking around 3 minutes to brew, which allows much more of the goodness to pass into the cup. The tea leaves hold onto their flavour and some of the beneficial nutrients, so are perfect for refreshing the same leaves throughout the day. This not only ensures you get all the goodness from the leaves, but greatly reduces your caffeine intake and naturally hydrates you.

Enjoy your tea!