Time for Tea!

Deep in the winding streets of seaside Brighton, is the most perfect hideaway for the tea-addict within you. Many seaside towns can be described as sleepy or quaint - Brighton doesn’t fall into either of those categories. Brighton has always been fashionable and now more than ever. 

The Bluebird Tea Company is a small shop nestled into the North Lanes. It was there that I met, the absolutely lovely, Hannah and her enthusiasm for all things Tea related. Hannah is a teabird, or a mixologist in the Brighton store. 

Everything about The Bluebird Tea Company screams out to me with notions of things that I love; small, independent businesses who are succeeding and kicking ass in the mean time. The Bluebird’s website tells us that ‘they have so far built the company from scratch with little outside help, from packaging design to packing tea, everything Bluebird is developed by Krisi & Mike’s own hands…’ and this is so evident when you’re in the store - the store feels like a comfortable, safe place where you can marvel at the hundreds of Tea flavours, have your mind boggled by the staff’s vast tea-knowledge and learn about the stories behind the creation of all the separate teas. 

If Lush (where I currently work) were a Tea company, we would be Bluebird. Ethical, eccentric and easy going… 

One of my favourite things that I’ve learned from their website, is that they’re called The Bluebird Tea Company after the dreamy idea that a cloudless blue sky day is called a Bluebird day. Having tried their tea and been in the company of the staff, for even just a short period of time, I can say that the vibe transcends their creation and trickles right down into store. 

The Bluebird Tea Company & Mixologists - spreading happiness, one cupful at a time! 

Initially, my friends and I visited Bluebird simply to get a tea to-go, but soon after perusing their in-store menu I was intrigued. Having spoken to Hannah for a short consultation she realised it was our first time at Bluebird and was more than happy to talk us through some of her favourite flavours. 

“What’s your fruitiest tea, I think I’m more of a REALLY fruity tea kind of person?” I asked. 

The loose leaf teas are all kept in giant metal canisters up on the wall behind the counter and some  of the names could well have come from the inventive minds at Lush HQ. One of my personal favourites and I think slightly illustrative of me, was a tea called Dozy Girl (lavender and rose infused tea that helps you settle off to sleep at night - as if I need help doing that!) 

Every time Hannah suggested something new, I couldn’t help but gasp with excitement and hurry to give the tea a good ol’ sniff. In the end, I settled on buying some sample packs which come in at around 20g/about six cups of tea, I reckon and they cost me £3 per sample - or something super similar. 

I went for… (see if you can sense a theme): 

Candy Floss:
‘Join us at the fair with this sweet and scrumptious Candy Floss white tea…’
Ingredients; Chinese White Tea, Hibiscus, Apple, Elderberry, Rosehip, Pineapple, Sprinkles (contains Soya Lecithin), Cornflowers, Stevia and Strawberry flavour. 

Three minutes, without milk. 

Strawberry Lemonade:
‘Bluebird’s best selling fantastically fruity infusion…’
Ingredients: Hibiscus, Rosehip, Apple, Lemon, Orange, Strawberry, Elderberry, Sunflower Petals and flavour.
Four minutes, without milk. 

And just when I thought I was done, Hannah offered another. 

Enchanted Narnia:
‘Turkish Delight brew with magical rose and creamy cocoa…’
Ingredients: Rosebuds, Cocoa Shells, Rose Petals, Lemongrass and Raspberry Leaves. 

Four minutes, without milk. 

A sucker for anything with a literary reference, an ode to my childhood and my love for Turkish Delight and I am sold! Having been home with my samples a while now, I think I’ll say Candy Floss is my current fave, which smells just like strawberry laces, although I’m intending to explore them all properly. I haven’t tried Enchanted Narnia yet, as I feel I might be saving the best till last. 

Sam and I had an iced Strawberry Lemonade in store, and it was lovely. Slightly reminiscent of the Passion Tea Lemonade from Starbucks US but all the better because it was from a tiny independent store in the heart of Brighton! 

Whilst Brighton is quite far from where I’m living at the moment, a lot further than I thought actually, Bluebird Tea are active online and will deliver, which I am more than excited for. I’m also looking forward to more seasonal tea from them - I missed out on trying February’s Love Potion which looked amazing, but I wait with baited breath to see what the summer brings! 

(Hopefully, more sunny trips to Brighton with great friends and amazing tea!) 

Thank you to Hannah for being so damn lovely and being as enthusiastic as we were (we love tea, she loved Lush, it was a win-win) and thank you to my girls Lucy and Sam for such a lovely day out!