Margaret's Hope Second Flush Darjeeling Tea Pyramid Bags

🍵 The Estate — A second flush Darjeeling from the world-famous Margaret's Hope garden in West Bengal, grown from Chinese Jat bushes at high Himalayan altitude for a distinctively tippy, fragrant leaf

🍵 The Liquor — A warm, glowing amber with a copper depth, medium-bodied and gently brisk, with the natural clarity that marks a well-grown high-altitude Darjeeling

🍵 The Character — Classic muscatel in every sense — ripe muscat grape, a whisper of blackcurrant and a soft floral sweetness that lingers long after the cup is finished

🍵 The Afternoon Cup — Best enjoyed black or with a squeeze of lemon; a refined, unhurried afternoon tea that suits a quiet moment as well as a proper sit-down occasion

The Margaret's Hope Estate has a name worth knowing — and a story worth telling. In the 1930s, the garden was owned by a London-based proprietor who visited regularly and brought his two daughters with him. The younger, Margaret, saw the estate for the first time and fell utterly in love with it, vowing one day to return. She never did. Margaret fell ill on the voyage back to England and died at sea, and her heartbroken father renamed the garden in her memory. It is said that her spirit still visits the estate bungalow, entering through the guest room and drifting quietly out through the verandah towards the tennis courts. Many guests over the years have claimed to feel her presence. Whether or not you believe in such things, there is something hauntingly beautiful about a tea garden named for hope rather than achievement.

That story aside, Margaret's Hope is one of the most celebrated single estates in all of Darjeeling for very practical reasons. The bushes are almost entirely Chinese Jat in origin, which accounts for the leaf's green-tipped, tippy appearance and the estate's distinctively fine fragrance. High altitude growth slows the bushes considerably, concentrating flavour and complexity in a way that lower-grown teas simply cannot replicate. This is a second flush — harvested from the end of May into June, when the Himalayan summer brings warmth, rapid growth, and the unique atmospheric conditions that produce the muscatel character Darjeeling is so rightly famous for.

In the cup, it pours a warm amber with a copper glow. The flavour is medium-bodied and gently brisk, with that unmistakable muscatel quality — ripe muscat grape, a touch of blackcurrant, a soft and lingering floral sweetness. There is real balance here: depth without heaviness, character without aggression. These biodegradable pyramid bags give the whole leaf the space it needs to fully expand and infuse, delivering the estate's full character in a format that is both elegant and genuinely convenient.

High Teas London was founded in 2008 with a single purpose: to bring teas of genuine quality to as many cups as possible. With one of the largest collections in the country — over 350 teas and infusions from the world's finest gardens — Margaret's Hope is exactly the kind of tea we exist to share.

Ingredients: Darjeeling black tea (Camellia sinensis).

Brewing Note: Margaret's Hope second flush is best brewed with care. Use freshly drawn water brought just off the boil — around 90 to 95°C rather than a full rolling boil, which can dull the delicate muscatel notes. Place one pyramid bag in your cup and steep for 3 to 4 minutes. This tea is at its finest drunk without milk; the muscatel character and floral sweetness come through most clearly when enjoyed black. A small squeeze of fresh lemon is a lovely alternative if you prefer something a little brighter. Avoid over-steeping, as Darjeeling teas can become slightly astringent if left too long — when in doubt, start with 3 minutes and adjust from there.