"IT PAYS TO BUY GOOD TEA" - It's a phrase that adorns many a vintage wooden tea chest, but it doesn't come without caveats. Today we talk one condition in particular: the need to prepare your tea in equally good water, which effectively comprises 99% of your brew! Debonair Tea HQ is situated in what we could definitely claim to be the hard water capital of the UK. The White Cliffs of Dover are pretty close neighbours and, given that hard water is formed when it percolates through deposits of limestone and chalk, you can imagine just how hard our water is. We recentl ..read more

Looking for the perfect gift for the tea lover in your life? Explore our Christmas range for gifts that are guaran-tea-d to spread Christmas cheer this holiday season. Want to get someone fully kitted out for a foray into all things loose leaf? Introducing our all-new Loose Leaf Tea Gift Set, which includes a perfect measure teaspoon, collapsible loose leaf tea infuser and three loose leaf taster pouches (approx. five cups of tea per pack) to get started, all in our all-new luxe, branded gift boxes! Choose from Festive Flavours, The Classic, Really Relaxing, Fruity Flavours, Chai Trio or Gr ..read more

There may be a distinct lack of snap, crackle and pop on Bonfire Night this year, but if you're into tea like us, it's hard to think of the Gunpowder Plot without thoughts turning to Gunpowder green tea. Gunpowder Tea is believed to have originated in China in the 7th century where its original name was zhu cha or “pearl tea”. However, it wasn’t until the 19th century that it earned its name of Gunpowder Tea, when a British clerk noticed that the tightly rolled tea leaves resembled grains of gunpowder.  The tea leaves are withered, steamed & rolled into tight ..read more

It's autumn, the Great British Bake Off is in full swing and today marks the end of  National Baking Week - 14th-20th October. So, in a nod to all of the above, we wanted to share one of our family baking favourites. Perfect for the cooler days and longer evenings, our Masala Chai Drizzle Cake is just the ticket at this time of year. This loaf cake is essentially our Masala Chai tea in cake form with a subtle blend of aromatic cardamon, warming cloves and sweet cinnamon. What makes this a true reflection of our tea however, is the drizzle glaze ..read more

Oolong teas, or 'blue' teas, as they are sometimes called, are partially or semi-oxidised/fermented teas. Predominantly produced in China and Taiwan, oolongs are produced from the 'proper' tea plant, the 'Camellia Sinensis'. Lesser known and more complex in flavour than most black teas, good quality oolong teas are almost on par with fine wines for expense and enjoying sparingly. After all, the most expensive tea in the world, Da Hong Pao, is a rare dark oolong. However, many are an affordable, healthy luxury, with lots of health claims made about their anti-oxidant and weight loss properties ..read more

How often have you looked up on boards at your favourite local tea or coffee shop and seen the words "speciality tea"? It's certainly an over-used phrase these days with dusty herbal and fruit infusions seemingly making the cut simply because they differ from your regular black breakfast tea. It has yet to be defined by any global specification or regulation so how do we, as a "speciality" tea company define it?  Initially, it's really important to distinguish between 'proper tea' derived from the Camellia Sinensis plant and botanical tisanes, infusions of fruit and herbs. The ..read more

New to veganism? The tea world has just become your (plant-based) oyster! November marks World Vegan Month and this post is inspired by a number of tea drinking friends who have embraced a plant-based diet or have eliminated dairy. Not keen on sloshing a plant-based alternative into their tea, many people in our experience, switch to coffee-based drinks for their caffeine fix. However, not all tea is made equally - or has to be of the Builders' Brew ilk - and many traditions and cultures have always gone without milk to truly enjoy the most exquisite, delicious an ..read more

A question that comes up time and again among our more health conscious customers is whether tea is in fact hydrating. Our recommended daily fluid intake is about two litres in order to prevent dehydration but can drinking our beloved cuppa contribute to this? Thankfully the answer is YES! In fact, in Britain, it is estimated that 40% of our daily fluid intake is tea, enjoyed either hot or as iced tea.  While coffee and tea contain caffeine, which is a diuretic and causes frequent urination which could potentially reverse the desired effect of keeping us hydrated ..read more

Have you enjoyed our loose leaf tea in our plastic-free, compostable eco pouches yet?  In our efforts to reduce the use of man-made materials in our business, we have, since the start of 2019, offered all of our loose leaf products and bulk pyramid bags in compostable eco pouches.  Joining our teabags which have been plastic-free and biodegradable since we started our business way back in 2014, these pouches have proven to be a big hit with our online customers with an overwhelming 95% of you opting for this format. This is not surprising given the sheer scale of the plastic problem ..read more

Perfect peppermint tea; cooling, refreshing and a nice tingling treat to aid digestion and soothe a sore tummy.  However, Peppermint tea has a wealth of benefits beyond this as well as a few celebrity endorsers, including none other than Victoria Beckham who drinks it all day, every day! She even served it at one of her fashion shows in New York, tweeting ‘Peppermint Tea is the new Champagne’. We digress... So what exactly is Peppermint tea? Strictly speaking, as a herb, its not a 'proper' tea but instead a tisane. Mint tends to grow abundantly in most places, from window sills to fl ..read more