Tea Beyond

Now, it's very rare that I post anything but book related posts. But honestly, I don't think I ever sit down to read without a cup of tea! So when Tea Beyond offered me the opportunity to try a couple of their products, in exchange for an honest review, I agreed.

The package arrived safely, well packed (with recyclable materials) I was excited to see what the Clear Glass Butterfly Teapot with Tea Cosy  would look like! It's a delicate glass teapot, with a beautiful pink glass butterfly on the lid, said to represent 'change to a better life.' The handle has a non slip grip with raised glass knobbies. There's a design around the bottom that designer Jane London has added to represent tea drops. The spout is non drip and the entire thing is top rack dishwasher safe. Myself, I would prefer to hand wash it. Glass just seems that much more delicate than clay or porcelain.

Now, what you see on the inside is really clever glass infuser - no mesh at all, just barely there slits in the glass. It's a really pretty teapot, nice to look and it would feel 'special' to make yourself a 'cuppa' in this pot. It holds about 24oz. For this tea granny, just enough for me alone!

It wasn't until I went to fold up the box to recycle it, that I noticed the sticker on the bottom with some information and pictures. I think it would have been much wiser to include this information on a paper insert inside the teapot itself or at least in the box.  The bottom of the box isn't where I would look for info.

So you've made your tea - how to keep it warm? This particular unit comes with a glass bottomed warmer with a metal plate on top to set the pot on. There are holes to allow ventilation. The candle was included. This is a very pretty way to keep the tea warm and adds to the overall 'ceremonial' feel. However the instructions for this were also slapped on a sticker on the bottom.

What you see in the pot is one of  the 12-Pack Fab Flowering Blooms Tea that was also offered for review. Okay, these blew me away! Flowering tea was new to me. They are absolutely amazing. And it's so much fun to sit and watch them unfurl! More tea was consumed simply to watch them bloom! (Advertising says 10 brews can be made from one bulb - I think that would be a bit of stretch - the last pot would be very weak) 'Silver needle green tea' surrounds a flower (carnation, lily etc. - chosen for their Chinese medicinal properties), they're sewn together, dried and vacuum sealed. Now, I like tea a lot, but am by no means an aficionado, so I asked a friend what they thought. "It's a delicate flavour, light tasting and lightly flavoured." However, the labelling on some of the packets was so tiny, it was only possible to identify it by the picture. But this time, there is a lovely instruction book included IN the box - much better.  Now, being an inveterate reader, I read everything included in the shipment. These products are made in China and unfortunately the translation/syntax/spelling is very clumsy in spots.... "helps relief depression"..."helps eliminate bad odors in your month" (I have to believe they were going for mouth) This detracts from the professionalism of the product.

These products are stamped with AKA - Ashley Koff Approved. Having no idea who this was I searched and found she is a 'celebrity' registered dietitian who has appeared on Dr. Oz  amongst other things. "The Ashley Koff Approved (AKA) Personal Shopper is a tool you can easily create a shopping list of better quality products with because - as every qualitarian knows - better quality means better health."

For me, the teapot was lovely and will make having a cup of tea feel 'special' and is just nice to look at. The infuser is great - I will be using it for loose leaf tea. The blooming teas are amazing, but not something I would regularly consume. Thank you to Tea Beyond for the review products.