Rare Afternoon Tea Loose Leaf Black Tea

Name: Rare Afternoon Tea
Brand: Rare Tea Company
Price: 7.49 GBP
Availability: InStock
Rating: 5 (14 reviews)

£7.49

(19p per cup)

Style

50g Pouch

1kg Bag

Quantity

[{"id":43044798628087,"title":"50g Pouch","option1":"50g Pouch","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"FA-BLN-RAT-050-PO","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":true,"featured_image":{"id":14269510942772,"product_id":4521276211252,"position":1,"created_at":"2020-05-01T13:29:14+01:00","updated_at":"2021-05-19T12:37:32+01:00","alt":null,"width":2000,"height":2000,"src":"\/\/rareteacompany.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/Rare-Tea-Company-Rare-Afternoon-Tea-2000px-2.jpg?v=1621424252","variant_ids":[43044798628087]},"available":true,"name":"Rare Afternoon Tea - 50g Pouch","public_title":"50g Pouch","options":["50g Pouch"],"price":749,"weight":55,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"5060186536538","featured_media":{"alt":null,"id":6441556410420,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":1.0,"height":2000,"width":2000,"src":"\/\/rareteacompany.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/Rare-Tea-Company-Rare-Afternoon-Tea-2000px-2.jpg?v=1621424252"}},"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]},{"id":43572591657207,"title":"1kg Bag","option1":"1kg Bag","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"FA-BLN-RAT-1KG-PO","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":true,"featured_image":{"id":14269510844468,"product_id":4521276211252,"position":2,"created_at":"2020-05-01T13:29:14+01:00","updated_at":"2021-05-19T12:37:32+01:00","alt":null,"width":2000,"height":2000,"src":"\/\/rareteacompany.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/Rare-Tea-Company-Rare-Afternoon-Tea-2000px-4.jpg?v=1621424252","variant_ids":[43572591657207]},"available":true,"name":"Rare Afternoon Tea - 1kg Bag","public_title":"1kg Bag","options":["1kg Bag"],"price":13499,"weight":1025,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_management":"shopify","barcode":"5060186536545","featured_media":{"alt":null,"id":6441556475956,"position":2,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":1.0,"height":2000,"width":2000,"src":"\/\/rareteacompany.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/Rare-Tea-Company-Rare-Afternoon-Tea-2000px-4.jpg?v=1621424252"}},"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}]

A luxurious blend of black loose leaf teas, designed specifically to be enjoyed in the afternoon when a delicious pick-me-up is required.

Exquisite on its own; or as the perfect accompaniment to the great British tradition of sandwiches, scones and cakes.

UK Shipping Rates
UK Tracked - Two Day Tracked £3.99
UK Express - Next Day* Tracked £5.49
UK Express - Next Day* Courier from £8.49
FREE UK Tracked when you spend £30 or more
FREE UK Express - Next Day* when you spend £60 or more

Europe Shipping Rates
Europe Tracked Delivery from £4.99
Europe Express Courier from £21.99
FREE Europe Tracked when you spend £50 or more

Worldwide Shipping Rates
Worldwide Tracked Delivery from £5.99
ROW Express Courier from £20.49
FREE Worldwide Tracked when you spend £50 or more

*Subject to next day cutoff and postcode location. Availability of rates depends on location and order weight. For a complete overview of our shipping rates please see our delivery page.

Customer Reviews

5.0 Based on 14 Reviews

5 ★

100%

4 ★

3 ★

2 ★

1 ★

Write a Review

Thank you for submitting a review!

Your input is very much appreciated. Share it with your friends so they can enjoy it too!

02 November 2023

Annie F.

New Zealand

Exquisite tea

Wonderfully refreshing Great full flavour Very satisfying

11 July 2023

Anthony M.

United Kingdom

Perfect afternoon pick me up

This is a Rich Smooth and silky tea refreshingly light with or without a splash of milk. An excellent pick me up afternoon tea

02 July 2023

christina c.

United Kingdom

Rare afternoon tea

Smooth and elegant, immensely enjoyable.

24 November 2022

Jenny W.

United Kingdom

Smoky

Unusual blend with a distinct smoky taste. Strong enough to take milk although I wouldn't. Enjoying it

08 February 2022

Stephen B.

United Kingdom

Wow

Beyond the shadow of a doubt, this is the best tea I've ever had in all my many years of drinking tea. It makes all other teas I've had with milk — not just the regular stuff you find in supermarkets, but speciality teas that are highly regarded — seem like pale imitations of this one. It provoked a big “wow” from me when I first tasted it. I agree with the other reviewers, it’s great any time of day.

Tasting Notes

There are notes of chocolate and a malty richness. With a short infusion you can find a silky subtlety with intense cacao aromas.

With a longer extraction (and milk), the tea becomes creamier and the malty, milk chocolate flavours develop even further.

Quantity

Use 2.5g of tea per 150ml of water.

Temperature

For the optimum infusion (without milk) use 85°C (185°F) water.

If you prefer milk, use 100°C (212°F) water.

Time

Infuse for 1 minute at 85°C, and 2 minutes at 100°C.

Taste regularly to find your optimum time.

Infusions

You can infuse this tea at least twice. With each careful infusion, different subtleties of flavour are revealed.

Cost Per Cup

19p per cup based on 2.5g of tea per 150ml of water and 2 infusions.

Jun Chiyibari Tea Garden & Satemwa Estate

This blend comes from the highest tea garden we work with – Jun Chiyabari right up in the foothills of the Nepali Himalayas; combined with rich leaves from Satemwa in the Shire Highlands of Malawi. These mountain teas combine ethereal elegance with great profundity and depth.

AFTERNOON TEA

A thoroughly British invention

Tea in the afternoon has been enjoyed for millennia. It would be almost inhuman not to long for a cup as the day ebbs. But what we now think of as the ritual of Afternoon Tea is a thoroughly British invention that arose in the middle of the 1800’s around wealthy aristocrats and their need of a boost, and to demonstrate their wealth and good taste.

AFTERNOON TEA

Showing off...

Tea was expensive and they had the good fortune to not need to work. So the afternoon became a time to show off; not just their wealth and good taste in being able to purchase tea, but having the leisure to enjoy it in the afternoon.

(For the working classes tea was taken in the evening, often with the evening meal- which is why in some parts of the UK, dinner is still called “tea”.)

Serving Suggestions

We recommend drinking this tea without milk if you are eating something sweet and creamy or buttery alongside it. The tradition has always been that the cream or butter and jam (on bread, crumpet, scone or a slice of Victoria Sponge) was there to have with your black tea to balance the bitter tannins. It’s the perfect flavour pairing. You only really need to put the milk in your Afternoon Tea if you don’t have something sweet and creamy to eat with it.

A piece of shortbread is also wonderful. A simple piece of good bread and butter is sublime.

You may also be interested in the following:

Rare Afternoon Tea

from £7.49