Tuesday Tea Tasting: I saw the new Bond film Spectre at a preview screening last week (lucky me!) - don't worry, no spoilers - but I will mention the one mug of steaming hot tea that was featured. It was Q's, so I'm presuming it was Earl Grey (see Skyfall video clip above for evidence!) and so in recognition of Ian Fleming's clever tea-lover, today I'm tasting Piacha's Earl Grey Vanilla. (It seems Q also owns a Wild & Wolf Scrabble mug - in Skyfall.) It's a dark brew, quite a strong Ceylon...

At their stand at the Best of Britannia exhibition, was Rob from Comins Fine Teas. He kindly took me through the small tea ceremony process that his lucky customers get to experience at their Dorset Tea House. It starts with a tiny pot of Dong Ding tea (a sweet Oolong from Taiwan) brewed for a stopwatch-timed 20 seconds, poured into a little glass jug then into a teeny cup for a couple of sips at a time. I loved seeing the balls of Oolong unfold with the many steeps – each brew a different...