“I’ve always considered myself a night owl, and then I realised... there was nothing wrong with my sleep schedule, but my tea schedule had to change”.

If you’re anything like us, tea is a regular part of your daily routine and you’ll end up drinking anywhere between 3 and 6 cups per day! Some of our favourite tea times are between 8-10am and 8-10pm. When we’re waking up, we want to be energised with a strong cuppa, but in the evenings a cup of tea can keep you awake for hours longer than you want. 

Recently, I discovered a range of Yorkshire Tea that piqued my interest, which began with ‘The Bedtime Brew’. YT’s Bedtime Brew is marketed as ‘a decaf brew with vanilla and nutmeg’ and it seemed like the perfect thing to combat my recent restless nights. At first I ordered a box on Amazon. It was quite expensive for what it was, but it was willing to give it a try. The range comes in a box of 40 which lasts around a month to a month and a half which is ideal! I have recently found that they’re also sold in Morrisons, so I couldn’t help but stock myself up.

I’ve always considered myself a night owl, and then I realised that my late nights weren’t productive anymore. As I tried to get my sleep routine in order to work on my deadlines, I was desperate for a quick fix. After discovering this tea, I knew that there was nothing wrong with my sleep schedule, but my tea schedule had to change. The first night that I weened myself onto this tea was delightful. I fell asleep before midnight for the first time I could remember. 

It wasn’t a big change to make to my life either! The tea is fundamentally a black tea, that I can still take with milk and sugar - so I don’t skimp out on the comfort of an English Breakfast before bed. Although chamomile, green tea and Twinings Sleep tea are great options that I’ve tried, nothing brings me the same comfort as a milky black tea. Chamomile and green teas have sleep promoting florals that actively encourage restfulness, and I think they’re perfect for any herbal lover. But if, like us, you can’t keep your paws off a white, one sugar... this one is a game changer. 

We promise.

£1.00 at www.ebay.co.uk

£6.99 at www.rinkit.com

£7.99 at www.iwantoneofthose.com

£7.99 at www.partydelights.co.uk

2. 'Luxury Tea Bauble'

£8.50 at www.notonthehighstreet.com

This luxury tea bauble isn't just a decoration, it also comes with a deliciously festive tea (with a choice of 3 flavours). With the options of 'Snowball', 'Christmas Cake' and 'Gingerbread Chai' from the infamously delicious Bluebird Tea Co. After you've enjoyed the tea inside, the container can be used as a decoration, as it contains confetti and a luscious red ribbon.

Why not re-purpose this tea bauble in the most meta way, as a loose leaf tea container! These transparent balls are a great way to showcase your loose leaf teas in a fun and fancy way. You can get one here for £8.50, or all three of them here for £27.

3. 'Mrs Potts/Chip Disney Hanging Ornament'

£12 at www.amazon.co.uk

£15 at www.fortnumandmason.com

£24 at www.whittard.co.uk

Bonus recipe:

How to make the perfect cup of tea

I'm sure you've all got your secrets and preferences when it comes to making the perfect cup of tea and this isn't an article trying to insult the way you make your tea (even if you put the milk in first). Instead, think of it as us giving tips, I mean why else are we called EBTeaTips?

You may not be aware of this but each type of tea requires a specific time to brew in order for its flavours to infuse perfectly.

White, Yellow and Green Tea

White, yellow and green tea all require 1-2 minutes, this is due to the delicacy of the teas. It is a known fact that leaving a tea bag in for a longer period of time creates a more intense taste, however this bitterness is not wanted for these teas and is certainly not what I would consider a nice cup of tea. Leaving the tea bag in can leave your mouth feeling dry and unpleasant, so I recommend you don't leave the teabag in for too long!

Green tea is very delicate and leaving the teabag in too long is nothing uncommon as many people have experienced the notorious bitterness that the tea can possess. However, it is not unusual to keep the tea bag/leaves in as many restaurants tend to do so.

White tea lacks the bitterness that many other teas have, so I guess it's best not to push it right? Its soft, delicate flavours only require a short brewing time, which allows its unique and fragrant taste to infuse fully.



Black and Oolong Tea

2-3 minutes doesn't sound like a long time when it comes to brewing tea, and we often leave our tea bags in to let the flavour develop as we drink! However, research has told us that Oolong tea and black tea should be only steeped for 2-3 minutes at the most! So, for your interest, we did some research into why this might be: Black tea is composed of very small particles of tea, and is designed to be made quickly. Because it is a well known and consumed tea, the leaves and bags have been optimised to brew faster than most teas! The larger amount of smaller leaves creates a wider surface area, meaning the flavour infuses much quicker. As well as this, the bags allow the tea to spread better than most, meaning the water passes through and infuses much more efficiently. As for Oolong tea, it has a very delicate flavour that can become over powering or lost if not brewed correctly. 2-3 minutes is the perfect time to let the water infuse with the beautiful fragrance, but also keep the light and fragile flavour when you drink it. Too much longer and the flavour will be lost or the tea will not be to your taste.



Herbal Tea 

Herbal tea needs the longest time to brew- 3-6 minutes! Due to the uniqueness of herbal teas, the time to brew them varies. For example, the flower herbal teas, such as rose and chamomile, need 5-6 minutes as they are known to become rather bitter and pungent when brewed for too long. Leaves, on the other hand, need a little long as they are able to maintain their flavour for a longer period of time, therefore it is recommend 6 minutes.

I'm sure that many of you won't agree to these timings, which is perfectly fine because the enjoyment of tea comes from trying new ways and striving for that perfect cup of tea. But I do recommend you try these timing and let us know your thoughts on how to make your perfect cup.