With all the coffee shops in Soho it's so refreshing to know that tea lovers have a place dedicated to their loose leaf needs! Yumchaa does this perfectly - it's got the cool Soho vibe but knows its stuff when it comes to a lovely cuppa. I've visited their Camden location before (see previous blog post) but when the London Local Etsy team said they were meeting there, well I wasn't going to not go! I love that they have all their loose leaves out in jars for you to see (and smell). And because...

Tuesday Tea Tasting The Pogues on the radio and mince pies in the shops...it's Christmas!!! And so time to try Teapigs' Spiced Winter Red Tea whilst wrapping some orders. It's a warming cuppa, with a mulled wine fragrance. A festive brew with orange, cloves and cinnamon with rooibos tea, caffeine free as well so no sleepless nights while waiting for Santa. They also recommend adding brandy to make it extra festive - OK if you insist - after all it is Christmas!!

Tuesday Tea Tasting Hello fellow tea lovers and late night wide-awakers! While other people can turn off the light and fall asleep in an instant, it takes me a good few hours to travel to the land of nod. And for a tea lover this proves a bit tricky when gasping for a cuppa in the evening. Caffeine is a bugger and so, despite my addiction, I had to give myself a cuppa-cut-off: 6pm. Rooibos (Afrikaan for red bush) has been my saviour. No it is not a proper cup of tea, it never will be. But it is...

Amanzi Tea is in the posh part of London, so it is an unsurprisingly smart modern day teahouse. The walls are lined with tubes of tealeaves, and the staff are busy making tea cocktails, chais, lattes and frappés, and for me, a hot brew. My Orange Truffle Rooibos was a blend of chocolate, orange and orange blossom and a totally delicious, indulgent, colourful cuppa.