Tregothnan Christmas Manuka Earl Grey Pyramid Tea Bags

Tregothnan is the home of Britain's first and oldest tea garden — a remarkable estate near Truro in Cornwall where the Boscawen family have been nurturing rare botanical plants since 1334. It was here, in 1999, that the first tea bushes were commercially planted on British soil, and it was here, too, that the manuka tree first grew outside New Zealand, introduced to the estate in the 1880s. This Christmas Manuka Earl Grey draws on both of those extraordinary legacies in a single, distinctive cup.

The base is a blend of Cornish-grown black tea from the Tregothnan estate and carefully selected Assam — a pairing that brings both local character and the full-bodied malt of one of the world's great tea regions. The leaves are then smoked over manuka woodchips harvested from the estate's own sustainable coppice, a process that imparts a delicate, honey-tinged smokiness quite unlike any other. It is subtle rather than assertive — a warmth in the background rather than a dominant note. Natural oil of bergamot is then added alongside dried manuka flowers, completing an Earl Grey that is at once familiar and entirely unlike anything else in that category.

The result is a cup with real depth and distinction. The bergamot comes through cleanly on the aroma, while the flavour itself is malty, smooth, and gently rounded, with the manuka smoke adding a quietly compelling dimension that makes each sip feel considered. The finish is long and slightly sweet. This is a tea that rewards a moment of stillness — made for cold-weather drinking, for gifting, and for marking an occasion with something genuinely out of the ordinary.

Each tin contains 15 pyramid bags, each holding whole and broken leaf tea for a proper infusion.

Since 2008, High Teas London has been one of the country's leading independent tea specialists. With over 350 teas and infusions — one of the largest collections in the country — we seek out teas with genuine character and provenance, from the finest estates and makers in the world. Tregothnan is exactly the kind of producer we are proud to carry.

Ingredients: Black tea (Cornish Tregothnan estate tea and Assam), natural oil of bergamot, manuka woodchip smoke flavouring, manuka flowers.

Brewing Note: Use freshly boiled water allowed to cool for just a minute or two — around 95°C works well here, as it draws out the bergamot and manuka notes without turning the tea bitter. Place one pyramid bag in a cup or small teapot and steep for three to four minutes. This tea is particularly good served black, which allows the smokiness and the bergamot to come through together without interference. If you take milk, add only a small amount — enough to soften the cup without overwhelming the more delicate manuka character. A small amount of honey, if you like a touch of sweetness, sits especially well with the manuka notes already present in the blend.