I am normally a tea bag kind of girl, but when I first spoke to Bernadine and heard the story behind Quinteassential, I knew straight away I wanted to try her tea blends and I was really hoping I would like them. I did! I also fell in love with the teapot she gifted me. Until now, I had always gone for standard teapots and I honestly thought I would hate the glass one. For some reason, I am not fond of hot drinks in glass cups or pots.
First of all, I am a glass teapot convert, if there is such a thing. Its clever filtering system and refined design make all the difference in my opinion. I had assumed it would be a faff to use anything other than tea bags, but I was wrong.
I would not use it every morning when I am rushing, but it makes a great weekend treat. This teapot will come out every time I have friends around! Bernadine’s signature breakfast tea is a wonderful blend. It would be worthy of an afternoon tea at the Ritz.
With no further ado, here are some thoughts about Quinteassential from its founder and tea designer Bernadine Tay.
One of my most treasured memories when I was a child was afternoon tea with my sister, mum and aunt. They loved singing a ditty from classic Hollywood flicks or favourite evergreens from the likes of Engelbert Humperdinck whilst waiting for the kettle to whistle. “Take me far beyond imagination. You’re my dream come true, my constellation.” Their untrained but melodious voices filled our small apartment, with the aroma of tea wafting from steaming cups with a hodgepodge of western, Chinese, Malay, Indian and fusion desserts. This is a yearning that has not been dulled by passing time.
My younger sister Diane, Mum, Me and Auntie Jennifer (Mum’s sister) – Photo Credit: Bernadine Tay
My younger sister Diane, Auntie Bernadine (My godmother), Me (in front of the cake), Auntie Maureen, Cousin Serene and Adeline – Photo Credit: Bernadine Tay
Fast forward three decades later. I have my own family and I have settled in Chester. After an exciting career in public relations, I decided to start something of my own. Quinteassential was born.
Inspired by culture, travel and love of art, Quinteassential aims to bring the tea drinker on an imaginary voyage through taste; colour and selective use of the finest ingredients from all over the world. When I design a blend, I revisit memories of old, places I have been to, or even voyages I gleaned from a glossy magazine on my to-do list. For example, blending green tea with graviola, a tropical fruit that I have been familiar with since my youth evokes in me imageries of sleepy villages and white sand shorelines.
The art of tea experience also extends to Quinteassential’s packaging. We not only taste with our mouths, but with our eyes as well. I commissioned an artist-photographer to create abstract artworks of ink and water to express the ingredients and flavours of the blends, visually stimulating the palate of the tea drinker.
Photo Credit: Quinteassential
As a tribute to the songs of childhood, and to push beyond imagination, a QR code that is included on each box plays a track matched to the blend. The duration of the music acts as a tea timer for the particular brew.
We’ve been fortunate that our blends have been very well received, winning us seven Great Taste Awards since we began. We’re small, independent and craft truly artisanal teas of the highest quality. We hope you will join us in our voyage of discovery, to places far and near, for memories old and new.
Thanks a lot Bernadine for sharing details about the creative process behind your fine teas.
I always feel humbled by people who are passionate about what they do. I think you will agree with me when I say that Bernadine really paid attention to detail when creating her truly luxurious tea blends: creative combinations of flavours, completely customised packaging to perfectly match each blend, music to go with the tea and serving the purpose of brewing ‘timer’ as well as travel tea sachets for brewing your favourite tea on the go.
Win a 85g box of Green Flamingo Quinteassential Loose Tea & a Teapot
How to Enter
Just use the box below. It is easy to use and you can get more than one entry! If you are not sure how to use Rafflecopter, I have included detailed instructions below the box.
Entries are open until midnight GMT time on 22nd September 2015. Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
How to use Rafflecopter?
The first thing you need to do is to log in with Facebook or your email address.
Once you are logged in, the first and mandatory entry option is to visit Quinteassential and leave a comment on this post telling me which tea blend most appeals to you and why.
For extra chances of winning, check the instructions in the form. You can pick and choose a range of ways in which to enter. The only one you must click on to get into the draw is the one asking you to leave a blog post comment. You must also leave a comment for your entry to be valid.
Disclosure:
– The prize was supplied by Quinteassential and will be posted by Le Coin de Mel.
– The giveaway is open to UK residents over 18.
– I was sent a range of tea blends as well as a glass teapot. All opinions and photographs, unless otherwise stated, are my own.
I have listed this giveaway on ThePrizeFinder, SuperLucky and Loquax.
The Signature Breakfast tea appeals to me as I love a cup of tea in the mornings and the vanilla tone sounds tasty to enjoy with milk.
cleanse – it sounds healthy and good for you
Imperial Earl Gray – regal and refined, just like me!
i like the imperial earl grey. i love earl grey tea and this sounds really posh!
Drinking a really good cup of tea is like entering heaven on earth.
Tales of the Orient, as I find Lemongrass really refreshing 🙂
Imperial Earl Grey is my favourite as it makes tea into a luxurious occasion
Oooh I’m intrigued by this tea! I am a big coffee fan, but do drink tea and I am now going to find some to try! I really love the cute teapot too, it’s lovely! x
Same here: coffee is like gold to me. I couldn’t start the day with a strong cup of coffee I bring back from France. I started loving tea when I met Hubby’s Nana. She would insist and insist and insist and after a few hours, I drank a cuppa, then two, then three. I enjoy tea during the day now and it goes so well with cake and a chat with friends… I think I might be becoming British!
I really love the look of the Cleanse Tea, it has so many beneficial spices in it x
Garden of Eden looks amazing! I’ve never tried a peach tea- except for ice tea of course, and honestly it sounds delicious!
Lemongrass & Mango
Signature Breakfast as it’s more traditional
I think i would like this one, because i will always need a cleanse but the taste so far of the products that i’ve tried, i didn’t like so much, this one, sounds good 🙂
sound fab xx
Mint and Caramel – soothing and sweet
I’d like Rooibos tea so the Jewel of Africa tea would be wonderful
Jewel of Africa – I’ve always loved Rooibos and the addition of Red Currants and sandanwood sounds very exotic.
British mint and caramel sounds lovely
Ha! You sound like me – I’m normally a teabag gal too, mainly because of convenience. But the best teas aren’t in teabag form!! 🙂 I bet this tea is fab – wish I lived somewhere where I could enter all these amazing giveaways you do!! 🙂
I tend to be lazy with tea, but Bernadine’s blends are really something else: a real treat!
Breakfast signature. Sounds such a lovely blend of my favourite teas, I’ve just got to try it.
Jewel of Africa is the first tea I would like to try. I am a huge fan of Rooibus tea and the combination of it with redcurrants and sandalwood has really piqued my interest as I also like spicy chai teas
Oh wow… the British Mint and Caramel sounds incredible!
signature breakfast to wake up too
Signature breakfast is definitely my cup of tea! Pun intended ;-))
British mint and caramel most appeals to me. Two of my faves together!!
tea is everything to me , so no matter what , i drink tea
Having looked at the site, I’d love to try the imperial earl grey! They all sound lovely though, and I’m intrigued by the mint and caramel, that’s a bold taste combo! 🙂
It is, isn’t it? It does work!
Garden of Eden , I particularly enjoy light floral blends and having won awards I think it must taste amazing.
Tales of the Orient,it sounds refreshing.
i like the sound of the Garden of Eden
Imperial Earl Grey
The Breakfast tea appeals to me the most as I like a good strong cup to help wake me up in the morning.
Signature Breakfast is essential. First cup of the morning has to be tea
Imperial Earl Grey because its so refreshing with milk or lemon
Jewel of Africa
Earl grey is my fave tea of all x
sounds refreshing
Lemongrass and Mango just love a refreshing thirst-quenching brew
The breakfast signature – sounds like my sort of tea 🙂
British mint and caramel sounds like nothing i’ve heard of before!
imperial earl grey
the cleanse tea as i want to try and get a bit healthier
Signature Breakfast for my first cuppa of the morning.
Imperial Earl Grey, Earl Grey is my favourite tea.
the signature breakfast it sounds like it could be a good way to start the morning
Cleanse nice and healthy
Breakfast signature sounds right up my street
I like the sound of the breakfast one, always seems to be when I drink it
The earl grey is a huge pregnancy craving of mine
white elixir as it is a white tea which I like the most
Tales of the Orient, because I love all asian teas! 🙂
Jewel of Africa Rooibos, Red Currants and Sandalwood
I would like to try the cleanse, it sounds refreshing and good for me.
the Cleanse sounds refreshing and interesting xx
Signature breakfast as I dont like anything too fussy
EARLGREY IS ONE OF HUBBY HE LIKE
rooibos, I was introduced to this by a South African lodger. Great stuff, and brings back happy memories.
rooibos as my friend gave it to me once after reiki session and loved it
I like the sound of Garden of Eden, I love flowery flavoured teas
The breakfast signature sounds perfect for my morning cuppa
Imperial Earl Grey for me
i love earl grey x
Would love to try the Tales of the Orient – sounds fruity and refreshing!
As found here – http://www.quinteassential.co.uk/buy-tea/tales-of-the-orient/
the cleanse one, if i worked then i think it would really benefit me.
signature breakfast , as it is such a fab tea to start the day of
a classic string tasty tea
Garden of Eden sounds lovely I’m a peach fiend
The Imperial Earl Grey as I love the taste 🙂
cleanse – sounds refreshing and good for me
The British mint and caramel sounds lovely
Garden of Eden. Butterflies, sunflowers & peaches, what a beautiful happy cuppa!
White Elixir, white tea is my secret luxury!
The Cleanse sounds interesting and would be my choice
Signature Breakfast. (But hard to choose.) These are the nicest, most stylish tea packets I have ever seen! If the tea tastes half as good as the boxes look, the Quinteassential Teas must be divine!
It does!
*Faints in ecstasy*
Ha ha ha!
I would like to try the Tales of Orient, sounds exotic:)
Garden of Eden,I can honestly say I’ve never seen let alone tried peach tea,it really intrigues me and I’d love to try it x
definitely Cleanse … I need any help I can get following a bowel op Two year ago .. plus I love the taste of ginger x
cleanse cause it sounds very nice and healthy
Signature Breakfast sounds appetising – appealing and stimulating
I fancy jewel of africa, I love redbush tea and havent tried it with anything else in 🙂
Signature Breakfast because I love a good old full English breakfast with a nice cuppa.
cleanse ginger is always lovely to start off the day
Although tempted by the Signature Breakfast, Green Flamingo sounds like such a very dance it would a shame to miss out
*Merry* dance.
The Signature Breakfast Tea sounds an interesting blend that I would like to try.
british mint & caramel appeals to me the most.
British Mint & Caramel because it sounds delicious
Love mint tea
Imperial Earl Grey sounds totally relaxing, a great way to soothe your day.
Tales of the Orient
British mint and caramel sounds very tasty.
Green Flamingo because I’ve just started Green tea and I’m hooked!
The Imperial Earl Grey – Earl Grey is my fabourite tea
Jewel of Africa because I like rooibos tea
Jewel of Africa, because I love redcurrants!
Signature Breakfast Tea jumped out at me as I always start the day with a cuppa
breakfast tea
Mint and caramel sounds lovely!
The cleanse tea sounds like it could be most helpful and lovely at the same time. Would love to try that. x
the breakfast tea! this is my fave and i drink it all the time
British Mint & Caramel, this just sound yummy.
I like the sound of the Jewels of Africa because it has a combination of rooibos which I love and sandalwood which I have never tasted but sounds so unusual that I would love to give it a go.
Imperial Earl Grey….delicious and refreshing!
Garden of Eden sounds intriguing
I like the look of the cleanse tea…. This is just what this tired mummy needs.
Gotta say Earl Grey as I do love it and much prefer black tea to green.
british mint and caramel sounds very intresting
I like the look of the Jewels of Africa, I’ve heard so much about roobios but yet to try it, as my daughter likes to try my tea the caffeine-free appeals to me.
British Mint & Caramel because I have never come across a combination quite like that before and it sounds fascinating! Plus anything with British and Tea in the name is a winner as far as I’m concerned 🙂
Mint and caramel
Garden of Eden sounds Lush xx
oh the british mint and caramel sounds delicious because i love mint and caramel
The White Elixir sounds fab as I adore the perfume and aroma of jasmine and I take spirulina supplements every day for my health. Perfect!
Earl Grey
British mint and caramel sounds delicious
Cleanse sounds like the healthy option
Signature Breakfast Tea (my must have every morning after I wake up) I drink fruit flavour teas during the day & the flavours shown look delicious x
Tales of the Orient sounds amazing!
The cleanse tea sounds good
Signature Breakfast sounds just what I need to give me that get up and go feeling in the morning 🙂
The Imperial Earl Grey would be my choice, because it’s a classic
British Mint & Caramel…I enjoy mint tea, intrigued to taste it blended with caramel
The Imperial Early Grey sounds delicious
the cleanse one sounds great
Mint and caramel x
Mint and Caramel sounds yummy x
Imperial Early Grey, sounds great