As a huge fan of tea I was pretty excited to be invited to the press night of tearoute last Tuesday night which took place at the Albion in Farringdon. Tearoute is an online tea shop offering a Greek twist on teas with a choice of over 80, and home delivery now available across the UK and Europe. Set up by Milena Bottero, entrepreneur and tea enthusiast, tearoute introduces a beautifully aromatic selection of whole leaf teas inspired by the Mediterranean and top quality single origin teas from Asia. When choosing the tea of your choice not only does tearoute provide you with a beautiful image of the tea but you are informed about where the tea is from, how it makes you feel, what its scent is and what food pairing it can go with.

The launch for tearoute took place downstairs in the Albion where the area was set up beautifully with tables filled with scones, sandwiches, cake and teapots filled with a wonderful selection of tearoute’s fragrant teas.

The first drink of the night, offered upon arrival, was an incredible tea cocktail made using Red Square tea, Cointreau, vodka, lemon juice and a little bit of sugar. I’ve tasted a few tea cocktails before but I have to admit this has been my favourite one so far and it was wonderful to learn the process of how to make it from Milena, and discover that it isn’t as complicated as I thought! To make the cocktail you simply need to add 8 teaspoons of Red Square to 1 litre of water, leave to brew overnight in the fridge, and then use it as you would use your standard mixer (cranberry juice) and add it to the ingredients described above.

The event was a great chance to meet Milena and learn about the history of tearoute, and sample the teas. On the website there are so many flavours, you can find yourself getting lost in time pouring over the images and different teas on offer, therefore the launch was a wonderful way to sample a varied selection.

Black Fragrant Garden- A rich and spicy blend, the taste is well-balanced; an initial kick from the citrus and the spices is softened by the apple. With the nights closing in and the weather getting colder this is the perfect tea for those cold autumn evenings. It went down very well with a slice of carrot cake too; you can never have too much spice and citrus flavours mixed together!

Autumn Sonatoa – This tea was named after the film by Ingmar Bergman and its name fits perfectly as it could be summed up as autumn in a cup with its sweet vanilla and nutty taste. 

Mastiha Chai – A green tea flavoured with Chios Mastiha. The sweet and fragrant taste of the Mastiha is enhanced by the oriental spices. Mastiha comes from the Greek ‘to chew’ and is the first natural chewing gum. 

Relax tea- from the wellness tea category. Relax tea is a fruity blend with a sweet, floral taste. It uses valerian which has been used as a medicinal herb since Hippocrates, in Ancient Greece and is proven to help relieve insomnia and reduce anxiety and stress.

Although a tea lover, I too often stick to what I know and don’t try enough different flavours however tearoute’s selection has definitely made me consider branching out and purchasing other flavours more often. There is even a potluck option on the website so if you’re unsure which tea to try, tearoute can choose it for you and give you a mixed selection to sample.

At present tearoute’s teas are available online but I doubt it will be too long before there are tearoute shops popping up in London. With its wonderful brand, ‘it’s tea not potpourri’, and delicious selection of teas, tearoute is sure to be a place you return to again and again.