The Teapot and the Tea

Making Everyday Tea Exceptional

Is chocolate tea a new thing? I'm seeing it more and more, but this might be a frequency illusion (the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon as it's sometime called) as I've only just got around to trying the stuff.

Prince & Sons' Chocolate Cinnamon Chai is my second chocolate-infused tea. The first batch was loose leaf and in a bag with a handwritten label on it. I forget where I purchased it from, but it was nice enough for me to seek out more though.

Chocolate Cinnamon Chai is a spicy black tea with cinnamon, cardamon and real chocolate. Honestly, it tastes absolutely delicious, and it's perfect for cold weather (or when you're not sure whether you want a tea or a cup of hot chocolate). You noticed those nice-looking teabags, right? They're made by Fuso of Japan and are designed to protect the contents and not impede the brewing process. The teabags also reveal — as you can see, the quality of the leaf and blend is excellent. Mere tea fannings would have nowhere to hide in this type of teabag. Someday all teabags will be made this way.

Prince and Sons Tea Company, importers and blenders, was established in 1996 by husband and wife team Simon and Kate Prince. They believe that 'beautiful tea deserves to be beautifully presented', and beautifully presented it is. You will immediately realise that the packaging of the Prince & Sons ranges of teas will complement those lovely chalky, flat Farrow & Ball colours you have on the walls of your kitchen.

Japanese Teapot

My new teapot wasn't made in The Potteries, for which I offer my deepest and most sincere apologies. In my defence, I have many North Staffordshire-made teapots, including the incomparable Brown Betty. I picked up this green two-cupper — irresistible — at the Greatest Service Station in Britain.

The pot is made in Japan by Zero. It has a removable strainer built in (see top photo), so you can throw in some loose leaf (or Fuso teabags), brew and repeat with no trouble at all.

A lovely little pot, with big brothers and smaller sisters available in a range of colours. You can pick a colour to go with your favourite blend of Prince & Sons tea if you feel so inclined.