#AD / Whittard of Chelsea’s Christmas tea range

Christmas is approaching and one of my favourite things about this time of year is all the festive teas that come out. I’ve been a fan of Whittard of Chelsea’s tea range since arriving in Manchester and their Christmas Tea is one I look forward to every year. Here, I will present a selection of teas from their range which will make wonderful Christmas presents or as a treat for yourself!*

Christmas Tea

Whittard of Chelsea Christmas Tea Clip Top Tin £10

This was the tea that started it all. It’s gone through different iterations throughout the years but always tastes great. This year’s brew contains a black tea with orange peel, cloves, flavouring, safflower petals and vanilla pieces. The smell is wonderful but the taste is subtle enough that it’s not in your face. It is a tea you can easily drink again and again. This tea is vegan too!

This clip top tin is £10 for 75g if loose leaf tea, but you can also get the 45g loose leaf mini caddy for £8. They also sell a box of 25 individual tea bags for £5.50, but I don’t think it’s the same formula as the loose leaf.

Christmas Chai

Christmas Chai £8

I do love a good Chai Latte and Whittard’s Christmas Chai is their take on this. The canister contains a powdered mixture which you then add warmed milk. Ingredients include sugar, skimmed milk powder, dextrose (another type of sugar), ground cinnamon and ginger, black tea extract, carboxymethylcellulose (a plant-based thickener), and flavouring.

The taste is quite sweet if you mix it with the recommended 200ml of milk, but you can adjust the powder to milk ratio to your tastes. Per 100g, this powder contains 373 calories (or 75 calories per recommended 20g) with 74g sugar (15g in 20g of powder). This is £8 for 350g.

Pumpkin Spice Tea

Whittard of Chelsea Pumpkin Spice Tea £8

Although not strictly a Christmas tea, I did pick this up as it matched the designs of everything in their festive range, plus I like trying all sorts of tea. The base of the pumpkin spice tea is oolong tea, which is a full-bodied black tea. The other ingredients include cinnamon, ginger, chicory root, pumpkin, cardamom, caramel pieces (contains buttermilk), flavourings and cloves. The mini caddy contains 40g of tea at £8, but you can also a larger caddy containing 100g of tea for £13.50. If you don’t require a container, you can also purchase 100g of the loose leaf tea for £8.

I found this tea to be a bit disappointing. Compared to my expectations, I had expected something more spiced and flavoursome. The taste is actually very subtle overall, so if you prefer that then I would recommend this tea. For me, I want something stronger with a name like Pumpkin Spice. Whittard recommends you serve this tea with shortbread.

Glitter Tea

Whittard of Chelsea Glitter Tea £8

What is more Christmassy than glitter?! Yes, Whittard of Chelsea has a glitter tea which is a black tea with caramel pieces (contains milk). You can see the edible glitter in the tea! The flavour is slightly creamy and sweet, but mostly the flavour and depth of black tea. I wasn’t initially impressed with this one but grew to like it on subsequent sips.

You can get a 45g mini caddy for £8 or a larger 100g caddy for £15.50. If you don’t require a container, you can also buy 100g loose leaf for £8.50. Whittard has advised that nut allergy sufferers not try this tea.

Silent Night Tea

Whittard of Chelsea Silent Night Tea £8

Silent Night is a green tea with white chocolate stars (contains milk). The tea also contains cinnamon sugar, cocoa bean pieces, flavouring, orange peels, rose petals and cloves. With a name, Silent Night, I expected this tea to be uncaffeinated, but this is not the case. Green tea, however, does contain less caffeine than black tea, so perhaps one to wind down with, but not just before bed.

This tea is actually my second favourite of the lot, after the Christmas Tea. The taste is overall a bit more bitter but with a nice subtle chocolatey taste. I also really like how you can see the white chocolate stars in the tea! You can purchase the 50g mini caddy for £8, or get 100g in a larger caddy for £13.50. If you don’t require the container, you can just purchase the loose leaf tea at £8 for 100g. Whittard recommends you try this one with mince pies.

Mulled Wine Tea

Whittard of Chelsea Mulled Wine Tea £8

The Mulled Wine tea is a fruit infusion and thus is caffeine free! The tea contains apple, hibiscus, blackberry leaves, apple pomace (the solid residue from making things such as apple juice or cider), roasted chicory root, citric acid, flavouring and clove oil.

The tea is really sweet, maybe too sweet for my liking (following the recommended tea to water ratio). I will probably dilute it more next time, but this is the beauty of tea, you can make it however you like. A 40g caddy will set you back £8, or you can get a larger caddy containing 100g of tea for £12. This particular batch is also available in a screw top bottle/jar containing 100g for £7 and also in a paper pouch, 100g for £6.50. Whittard suggests you try this with mince pies or any other festive treat.

Information

Whittard of Chelsea charge £3.95 for standard delivery within the UK (no PO Boxes), but they also offer free delivery with purchases over £35. You can also get free delivery to a store if you would rather not pay the £3.95. They also offer free returns within the UK provided the item is returned in saleable condition unless faulty.

Website: https://www.whittard.co.uk/

*I was gifted this selection of teas but all opinions are my own