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Tea

Over the years, I’ve grown to like tea immensely. I’ve moved from not liking tea, to liking bog standard teabags, to preferring particular types of teabags such as Irish Breakfast, to being in a state of distress when there’s no leaf tea in the house.

The tea at work has generally been a few steps behind, with corporate policy apparently favouring the coffee drinkers (who, to be fair, are probably in the majority). But a couple of weeks ago, someone in a position of power brought a blessed gift to the tea drinkers in the office: a whole range of different teabags in little jars: the standard Liptons, a green tea, a couple of herbals, and miracle of miracles, my old former favourite, Irish Breakfast tea.

(Herbals aren’t actually tea, of course. No, they go by the official name “Herbal Infusions”, a phrase that reminds me of Kryten in Red Dwarf describing eggs as “boiled chicken ovulations.”)

Within days, the Irish Breakfast jar was empty, and a chat with a fellow tea-drinker revealed I was not the only Irish Breakfast tea fan present. No wonder the dozen or bags had gone so quickly. We bemoaned the lack of strength in the other teabags.

But last week, seeking my morning cuppa and resigning myself to having to have one of the Liptons, what should I find? A brand spanking new box of 250 100 Twinings Irish Breakfast teabags.

From all the tea drinkers, all praise to whoever is responsible.

By Daniel Bowen

Transport blogger / campaigner and spokesperson for the Public Transport Users Association / professional geek.
Bunurong land, Melbourne, Australia.
Opinions on this blog are all mine.

10 replies on “Tea”

I can’t go a day without a cup of tea. I’ve invested heavily in Republic of Tea and Twinings will do. I’ve even got a stash of Lipton for emergencies. I’m such an addict

I love my tea too. My grandma, of British descent, instilled in me a love of tea. I love Earl Grey or Irish Breakfast Tea with milk thank you, no sugar. Steep in a nice teapot for about 5 mins. then enjoy it. This morning whilst preparing for my 1/2 marathon, I still had my 2 cups of tea. To heck with the “dehydration” theory whereas caffeine will dehydrate you. I needed my tea, just like every morning, to get me going. I did not bad in the 1/2 marathon. 3:49 min walking it mostly and running a bit on a lovely, warm 20C day with bright sunshine. Then sat in a hot bath with a cup of tea. Ahhhhh, pleasure amongst the pain of sore legs and feet.

Dare I suggest that you take your own tea into work? Your own private stash.

I take my own coffee into work, and have a cafetiere, as the machine coffee is nothing at all special.

We also have a selection of teas and infusions that colleagues in my room have brought it. I don’t usually go for the herbal or fruit ‘teas’ as they always smell good but taste of barely anything, but I tried a lemon, ginseng and ginger one which I was quite impressed with. I even had a second cup of it.

Since I’ve cut back on coffee, I’ve rediscovered just how much I enjoy a good cuppa tea too. Nothing like making a pot and sitting and enjoying it.

You would not get me out of my house in the morning before having a cuppa and nor would you want to talk to me before I have one lol. I am also old fashioned and make pots of tea at home but have no problems with teabags elsewhere. I am in control of the petty cash kitty at work so tea drinkers have equal rights when it comes to the tea vs coffee supply.

Next stop, leaf tea at work!

It is sad the difference between the extent of choice available to coffee drinkers and the poor
options for tea drinkers.

Though I do enjoy seeing that there are
more coffee shops with a range of T2 leaf available
now.

I didn’t see them :-(

If you want a wide range of ‘herbal infusions’ or green tea check out my drawer at work.

Please ignore my previous comment-i’m getting confused in my old age. Thinking i’m posting on someone else blog.

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