EVERYONE remembers their first flowering tea experience – unless you’ve yet to try one, in which case, now is the time.
Newby London has launched a flowering tea gift set, which could make a brilliant last-minute Mother’s Day present or an extra-special spectacle at a girls’ afternoon tea sesh at your house.
It’s also rather good timing for the explosion in the cafécore trend, AKA accessorising your pad with cool cafe-style pieces.
And while we love a good piece of coffee kit – yes, copper milk jug, we’re looking at you – it’s always a good idea as a host to cater for the tea drinkers.
With five different flowers and green tea leaves, including lychee, jasmine and blueberry, these teas promise to provide both a talking point and that little bit of magic.
We teamed ours with a gorgeous pink glass mug, £19.50 for two, from Oliver Bonas (the other in the set is an equally pretty royal-blue) and a cute silver Cafe Olé teapot, from £16.99, at Amazon.co.uk.
Each flower unfurls within two to three minutes of pouring your boiling water over the pretty bulb.
Some might need a little prod with a spoon to open up fully and sit in the mug nicely, but most do all the theatre by themselves.
And there is very little debris (AKA loose tea leaves) from the bulbs so you don’t need to strain your cuppa either.
I’m a sucker for a fancy afternoon tea, but they can be crazy expensive, which this isn’t.
If you can rope in a handsome waiter for your occasion too, you’ll be winning.
Each bulb comes individually wrapped in pretty coloured foil and a cute floral cardboard box, so you can pop them on the table as part of a pretty place setting.
This is a way of hosting a memorable feast in your own garden and it will be sure to make your mates feel extra-fancy – it would make the perfect hen do!
The jasmine flavour was my personal favourite, with its light floral taste and its delicate white flowers.
But a close second was the milky green tea, which was surprisingly comforting and should appeal more to those who like a English breakfast tea best.
Both the fruity blueberry and lychee flavours tasted natural and not at all sickly – the pink amaranth also looked the most spectacular in the mug.
Meanwhile, the harmony flavour was a solid green tea, with not a hint of bitterness, which often puts people off green tea.
If you want to embrace the posh café vibes even more, below are some interiors pieces to consider, too…
Unframed print, £13.99, Postery at H&M – BUY NOW
This hand-painted design would look cool in any modern kitchen, plus there’s a similar croissant design available, too.
How To Make The Best Coffee At Home by James Hoffmann, £8.99 – BUY NOW
Fill your space with cool cookbooks and coffee-table tomes for easy style points.
This one is a coffee-lover’s bible.
Cafetiere, £27.99, La Cafetière at Lakeland – BUY NOW
Smart, unisex and from a great-value brand, we love the Scandi vibes of this coffee pot.
Side plate, £22, Jimbobart.com – BUY NOW
We have loved Jimbobart’s humorous designs for years now –
this is still one of our favourites.
Jug, £21.99, Barista & Co – BUY NOW
Yes, you’re not a real barista unless you’ve got a gorgeous milk jug to help you perfect your cappuccino.
We’ll drink to that…