Here at Dormouse HQ we have been busy getting ready for the festive season.
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Here's some tips from 1941 about how to make the 'perfect' cuppa.

Some slightly distasteful methods for producing tea for the masses are demonstrated but it was wartime, of course and tea had to be produced by the bucketload. Stand by for some top tips for cleaning that hard-to-reach tap in your tea urn and remember, "a dirty tap means dirty tea!".

Tomorrow is International Talk Like A Pirate Day. Have you ever wondered what you would take with you if you were shipwrecked by maurading pirates and ended up a desert island?



A book, maybe some photographs, a penknife perhaps, but how about afternoon tea?  Well you wouldn't want to starve to death would you?

As Marie Antoinette once said “Let them eat cake!” Well actually, to be more accurate, what was said was "Qu'ils mangent de la brioche.” (Let them eat brioche) and reputedly it was Marie Therese the wife of Louis XIV who said it. There’s no disputing however that the French love a good tea party!

We do like a nice cuppa in the morning. For many of us tea is our drink of choice, at breakfast or elevenses, us Brits love a good old brew. 

The team at Dormouse had a real treat the other day.  We were invited to review the afternoon tea at The Lowry Hotel in Manchester.

We were really excited when we discovered North Yorkshire company Steensberg's. Not only because they have just brought out a beautiful new range of single estate teas but because of their impressive ethical emphasis on selling only organic and fairtrade goods.

When a selection of their stylish black tea caddies arrived at our door we couldn't wait to try them. Steenbergs source single-estate teas from China, Japan and Sri Lanka to ensure the best flavour. They then personally blend the leaves with other ingredients to create delicious taste combinations. As you know there is nothing we like better than a nice cup of tea.

First up was Organic Earl Grey Tea with Cornflowers. This was a gorgeous blend of earl grey tea with the prettiest blue cornflower petals mixed in. The tea was full of clear bold citrussy flavours from the bergamot oil. It was very fresh tasting and clean. It smelt divine and would be just the ticket for a special afternoon tea.

We also tried Green Earl Grey Tea this was something we hadn't experienced before but we really felt it worked well. The cleansing green tea expectedly balanced with the bold bergamot. It was light and fresh and would be the ideal drink after dinner.

Next came Yunnan tea we have sampled this before and never been really keen on its tobacco-ey smokiness but this was actually really nice. It was smooth,strong and delicious. Its underlying sweetness would go well with a nice slice of Madeira cake or some sticky Baklava. Yum!

Next was a spicy one Organic Red Chai. A blend of redbush tea with the addition of cardamom pods, cloves , ginger , pepper, cinnamon and lemongrass leaves all organic of course. We made a tea latte with this and served it sweet and chilled it was delicious and different and although red bush is not normally our tea of choice we are pretty sure we will be having this again.

Also last but no means least was a small tin of their Organic Matcha Tea which has number of impressive health properties due to the relatively high levels of antioxidants, minerals, vitamins and nutrients it contains. We hold our hands up and say Matcha tea is a taste which we haven't yet acquired, but that is our personal taste the dinky little caddy would make a lovely special present for a green tea lovers.

On the whole we really enjoyed Steenberg teas and we would definately make a beeline for their products in the future. Their wonderful website which includes organic baking ingredients, herbs, groceries even pet food can be viewed at http://www.steenbergs.co.uk.

Photo credit: clarita from morguefile.com


There's nothing like a nice pot of the tea by the fireside during the winter months to warm and reassure.  It is just right for a chilly day, ideally with a nice tea cake or crumpet.  But what happens when summer comes?  It has been so hot recently, surely too warm for our normal cuppa, iced tea maybe!  

However did you know that a hot drink such as tea is actually just what you need to refresh you in the hot weather? The science behind it is simple,in hot weather  tea refreshes you by raising the body temperature momentarily causing perspiration, which in turn cools the skin.  Tea also hydrates you, surprisingly as well as plain water does.

So when the sun has got his hat on - don't just say hip hooray reach for the kettle too.

In a recent nationwide survey the smell of tea was listed as the nations fourth favorite fragrance after fresh bread, cut grass and clean laundry. However, we had to do a double take and check the date when we saw that Tetley have launched a new perfume 'Le Brew', yes it's April but apparently it is true.

The perfume which costs £15 features Tea Folk's Tina in a famous Marilynesque pose. Her scent is intended to smell fresh and spring-like.

Tetley’s Senior Tea taster, blender and buyer, Joyce Muendo, said: 'We selected this scent for Le Brew because it reminded us of freshly cut tea and the tropical scents in the tea plantation.

'The fragrance contains tones of tea alongside Oak Moss and Clary Sage to create a relaxing and totally fresh scent… just like a great cup of Tetley.'

The limited edition ‘Le Brew by the Tea Folk’ perfume is available from the Tetley Tea Shop.

Dormouse and the Teapot is our name, taste testing tea is our game!

So when the lovely people at Cosy Tea sent us their complete range to try out how could we refuse? Especially as all the tea they produce is organic and the black teas are fairtrade too.

The company produce eight teas in all; Earl Grey, Breakfast, Rooibos and Vanilla, Chamomile, Peppermint, Blueberry and Echinacea, Peppermint, Jasmine Green Tea and Lemon Green Tea.

On first impressions we loved the gorgeous knitted themed packaging, with each box featuring a different type of stitch. The individually wrapped unbleached bags made tea time into an event with their funny little slogans our favorite was "we like it with a splash of milk, Murder She Wrote and a chocolate biscuit (or five)."

So we popped the kettle on got out some vintage teacups and do what we do best. Drink tea.

Our tea tasting notes:

Earl Grey: The king of all teas and our fave. Cosy Tea's version didn't disappoint lovely citrus bergamot notes.

Breakfast: Strong enough to wake up your taste buds in a morning, without being blow your head off strong like some other brands.

Rooibos and Vanilla: Deliciously sweet with vanilla notes, meant we didn't need to add our usual sugar lumps. We tried it with and without milk and loved it both ways.

Chamomile: We must admit we are not usually fans of chamomile teas. But we all felt that this was very drinkable and would be nice as an iced tea in the summertime.

Blueberry and Echincea: Would be gorgeous on a cold evening with a spoon of honey. We loved it's sharp berry flavours.

Peppermint: We tried this after dinner as a digestive. It warded off any potential indigestion and was lovely and minty without being overpowering.

Jasmine Green Tea: A beautiful green tea with floral jasmine notes

Lemon Green Tea: Very refreshing we served it black with a slice of lemon and lime and throughly enjoyed it too!

All in all we were really impressed with Cosy Tea, finding the teas themselves good quality and a lovely drink. They also have a lovely website (where you can even learn to knit a tea cosy).

Bottoms up!


We were sent this tea  free of charge to review.

LOVE February Competition - Fourteen days of fabulous prizes!

We love tea - you had already guessed that hadn't you though? We like to make our cuppa a special occasion, a treat, and nothing makes us feel more spoilt than making a cup of tea from a beautifully designed package.

Photo credit: beglib from morguefile.com

It's the time of year when many people's minds turn to their health and wellbeing. We at Dormouse are all for positive wellbeing, we find a lovely jam and cream scone does wonders for our mental health. But what about actual proven benefits from drinking tea?

Recent studies into green tea for example have linked it to warding off Cancer and protecting against Alzheimers but did you know that even most people's normal everyday cuppa can help their health?

Both black and green teas are full of antioxidants which help protect your body from free radicals (these are molecules that damage your cells and have been linked to ageing or causing cancer). Tea can also help keep you hydrated and will rehydrate your body as effectively as a glass of water and counts towards your recommended 1.5 litres a day

Tea also has beauty benefits directly applied to the skin. You can make a soothing spritzer

Today is the last Sunday before Advent and yes that means it's Stir Up Sunday, traditionally the time to make your Christmas puddings. With a month to go to the big day there's plenty of time for the fruit (and booze) in the pudding to mellow and mature giving you a delicious result.

It is customary for each member of the family to stir the mixture whilst making a wish, you are supposed to go from East to West to honour the Three Wise Men.

Here is a lovely recipe which will make two good-sized puddings that serve 6 - 8 people. Don't forget the sixpence!

Dormouse Christmas Pud

What you need

Fruit:
340g sultanas
340g raisins
225g currants
110g candied peel, chopped

Other Ingredients:
225g golden caster sugar
225g vegetarian suet
110g plain flour
110g white breadcrumbs
55g flaked almonds (optional - if you leave these out just add a little more fruit)
1 lemon, zest only
5 medium sized free range eggs, beaten
1 level tsp ground cinnamon
1 level tsp mixed spice
5g/1 level tsp freshly grated nutmeg
pinch of salt
150ml brandy or rum

How to make the pudding

The night before

Soak the sultanas and raisins in strong cold tea overnight. This really plumps up the fruit and gives the pudding a great richness. Just cover the fruit with cold tea and then put a tea towel over the bowl and leave it for 12 to 24 hours in a cool dry place.

On Stir Up Sunday

1. If you soaked the fruit in tea overnight now is the time to drain it. Tipthe fruit into a colander and leave it to drain for 30 minutes while you weigh out the other ingredients.
   
2. Grease 2×1.2 litre (2 pint) pudding basins with a little butter.
   
3. Mix together all the dry ingredients.
   
4. Stir in the eggs and brandy and mix well. The mixture should now be rich and sticky; if it seems wet and runny mix in a little more plain flour
   
5. Spoon the mix into basins. Put a circle of greaseproof paper and foil over the top of each basin and tie securely with string. Make a string handle from one side of the basin to the other so it is easier to pick the basin out of the pan after cooking.
   
6. Put the basin in a large pan on an inverted saucer on the base. Pour in boiling water to come a third of the way up the sides of the pudding bowls. Cover and steam for 6 to 7 hours.
   
7. Allow the puddings to cool down overnight.
   
8. The next morning store the puddings in a cool cupboard until Christmas Day.

On Christmas Day

1. You need to repeat the above cooking process for at least two hours.
   
2. When you are about to start serving the main course take the pudding off the heat and let it cool for 20 to 30 minutes before serving.
   
3. Serve with Rum Sauce, Brandy Butter, custard, cream or ice cream

nbWe were thrilled to bits when our friends at ethical tea company Clipper asked Dormouse to taste-test some of their new flavours.

If you haven't heard of Clipper they produce a wide range of organic, fair trade, classic, and specialty teas, as well as a selection of coffees and hot chocolate. All their products are free from any artificial ingredients.


We tried five flavours in all and here's our thoughts:



Blackcurrant and acai berry
Very fruity with deep blackcurrant fruits. The team thought that this might go down well with children as well as adults as an alternative to hot cordial. They loved the gorgeous colour and fragrance of this too. One for winter.

All in all we really enjoyed our sampling were very impressed at the sheer variety of teas that Clipper offer, we particularly loved the rainbow designs they look fab on our kitchen dresser.

To find out more about Clipper teas or to try one of the many flavours visit http://www.clipper-teas.co.uk/

We recieved Clipper Tea free of charge for review.  All opinions are purely our own.

You could be forgiven for thinking that tea is best served hot with milk and sugar or perhaps lemon but in the summer when its hot and you're in the mood for somthing a little bit different. Tea cocktails can be the perfect, albeit quite alcoholic, alternative to champagne.

In fact combining tea with alcohol and mixers is a time-honored practice dating back to 19th century America when iced tea would be combined with fruit juices and spirits to create festive bowls of punch. More recent cocktails of the same type include the Royal Tea (a chilled drink of equal parts brewed Earl Grey tea and gin with lemon juice and sugar) and the Blueberry Tea (a blend of Grand Marnier, Amaretto and hot black tea).

Below are some suggestions for afternoon tea cocktails.
The Tea - Tini

Ingredients:
1 3/4 oz vodka
1 oz sweet iced tea
1/4 oz fresh lemon juice
lemon wedge for garnish

Preparation:
Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice cubes.
Shake well.
Strain into a chilled cocktail glass rimmed with sugar.
Garnish with the lemon wedge.

Oolong Mojito (makes two)

Ingredients:.
2 measures of your favourite rum
Juice of 1/2 lime
2 tsp unrefined sugar
2-4 sprigs of fresh mint- (just the tips not the bigger leaves.)
1 cup of Oolong left to cool (very important so the mint leaves don't "cook")

Preparation:
First wash the leaves by pouring hot water over them and then quickly discarding the water. This will soften the leaves and allow them to infuse better. Use 1 dessert spoon of oolong to 1 tea cup of hot water and infused for oneminute (not a small pinch of tea left to infuse for several minutes). Leave to cool. Muddle the sugar and mint leaves together in a cocktail shaker. Add the teaand stir until the sugar dissolves. Squeeze in the lime, add the rum andshake with ice. Strain into a cocktail glass.

Genteel Gentlemen’s Lemon Fizz (Serves 6)

Ingredients:
1 cup water
4 teaspoons black Darjeeling tealeaves
4 tablespoon ginger syrup
5-6 lemons, juiced
1 cup gin
2 cups sparkling water


Preparation:
In small saucepan, bring 1 cup water to boil.
Add the tealeaves and keep boiling for 15 minutes.
Strain and allow to cool. Add the lemon juice, ginger syrup, and gin.
Slowly stir in the sparkling water.


Serve up in a tea pot and tea cups for a eccentric tea party!