If you go on to the Lipton Tea website, it tells you in small print that ‘Tea is not a substitute for fruits or vegetables, which provide a wide range of nutrients such as vitamins and minerals. Please consult your doctor regarding a diet/nutritional plan that is right for you’. I wonder if wine has the same confined nutritional value? Surely not…

Meanwhile I had to go to Wikipedia to confirm a ghost of a rumour; that Thomas Lipton was a Glaswegian. Raised in the Gorbals he finished his life as a Knight Commander of the Victorian Empire.  He is buried in our Necropolis; I may need to make a pilgrimage.

So it turns out that tea and the west of Scotland have an intertwined geneaology – made all the stronger by Jenier World of Teas which is head-quartered in Renfrewshire.  Quite simply, Jenier Teas are delightful.

It was a just-mild-enough Spring afternoon when my friend and I sat outside to diligently ‘cup’ (as serious tea tasting is called) samples of Jenier Tea.  Our first cupping was the Japan Sencha Green Tea.   It smelled woody and grassy and just like I remember Japan smelled. Yet despite really wanting to like it, the aftertaste was just too bitter for either of us.  Perhaps a ritual green tea consumer would do better with this one.

The China Pai Mu Tan White Tea on the other hand was delicate and sweet.  It was a lovely grey colour with only a slight tannin finish.  Perfect for a lazy afternoon in the garden.

The best came last:  Mayfair English Breakfast Tea.  This was just as tea should be:  medium bodied, with balanced flavours and not too astringent.   The small Safflower petals mixed in not only made it look pretty, but gave it a sweet finish.  This tea could make any occasion special – I polished off my sample bag of this all too quickly.

The aggregate result of our Spring tea cupping session?  While I may take my hat off to Sir Thomas Lipton for his entrepreneurial spirit, I raise my tea cup to Jenier Teas for its taste.