Lancaster Blend Tea, our local champion blend of Indian and African teas are robust enough to rival our Yorkshire neighbours’ more famous brew. It’s the perfect traditional afternoon cuppa to lubricate any tea interval, whether that’s at the Roses Match or just procrastinating your deadline while working from home. It was concocted long ago to lift the gloom of a Winter’s afternoon or slake the thirst on a hot Summer’s day.
East of the Rift
A very ‘English Tea’ – that is to say, a typical black tea that we are all familiar with on these islands. It is garnered from long established tea growing areas in Assam and Kenya. One third of it is a Kenyan grade called: KTDA BP1. It is smallholder-grown, on the Eastern side of the Rift Valley – the better side of the rift, off course! Tea blenders fall back on these deep, tasty Kenyan leaves to give backbone to a blend.
The Quality Belt
The other two thirds come from the Assam quality belt and is made up half and half of two different grades: a BP1 for strength and a GFBOPS – which stands for Golden, Flowery, Broken, Orange, Pekoe, Superior and gives the tea its floral notes. The Quality Belt in Assam, just like the East of the Rift designation in Kenya, is a sign of indisputable geological, topographical and climateological superiority. It’s a volcanic gift to tea drinkers everywhere!
