In recent years, the role of tea drinking in the UK has experienced unprecedented change. There was a coffee revolution, a craft beer revolution and now a tea revolution is unfurling, like a tea leaf in water.
With the explosion of choice, it can be hard to know where to start. Renowned China travel journalist Damian Harper us gives his thoughts on Pinestone Tea.
We believe wholeheartedly in using loose leaf tea, which maximises the flavours of the leaves in the water, so they can fully permeate and infuse the liquid with their fragrance. This is the preferred method for tea-drinkers in China who shy away from the notion of the soggy tea bag! Loose leaf tea can also be used several times, allowing the drinker to experience the pleasure of the tea repeatedly, drawing from its special reservoirs of flavour.
A tea leaf falls into water and changes the taste of it. Tea was born from the encounter between water and fire, life and death. The fate of tea is the fate of the Chinese people.
Follow Damian Harper, writer for Lonely Planet, as he takes you around the world to explore the history, origins and development of tea.
If you’re still unsure whether you want to join us on a tea odyssey, sign up for our newsletter and follow us on Twitter @pinestoneT and Instagram @pinestonetea_uk so you can see more of what we’re about.