I really enjoyed our brief period living in Bristol. I made some lovely friends, I joined a netball team and I ate more brunches from independent cafes than you can shake a slice of fried halloumi at.
I missed Somerset though.
I missed the feeling of familiarity and belonging somewhere, of driving past places and thinking ‘I remember going there with Gran and Grandad when I was little.’
When I moved back to Somerset about four years ago (four years!) it felt like coming home, only better than first time around because I appreciated it more. Perhaps it’s age too, that means I enjoy all that shiz like heritage and feeling rooted in a community. I like chatting to people at the weekly farmers’ market in Taunton and buying locally produced food and drink. I like going to garden centres and drinking cups of tea.
I am living my Best Somerset Life.
Given how fond I am of all the tea drinking and local producers and what not, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that I was pretty excited when local tea and coffee legends Miles asked me if I fancied coming for a nose around their factory in West Somerset and helping them launch their new range of Tea Kites.
Basically they asked me to be the poster girl for local tea bags. Pretty sure that’s what happened.
Look how excited I am to be holding a box of tea!
(My face can go a bit funny in pictures sometimes. I keep my mouth closed and do a weird smile that makes me look like Belle in all her primary school photos where she refused to show her teeth. I think I may have gone too far the other way with this one though.)
Getting to have a look at the expertise that goes into creating something as seemingly simple as a bag of coffee or a box of tea was really fun. I especially liked the machine that takes the tea and a roll of gauzy paper and makes tea bags – I felt like I might become hypnotised.
So what are Miles Tea Kites?
Good question. Tea and Coffee has been blended and roasted by the sea in West Somerset by Miles since 1888, so these guys know what they’re doing when it comes to tasty beverages. Tea Kites are a new offering in the ‘fancy tea’ market.
You know when you go into one of those independent halloumi cafes I mentioned earlier, and they have about 30 types of tea decanted into large mason jars behind the counter, all in glossy pyramid teabags, filled with beautiful chamomile flowers and rose petals?
It’s that.
Here they are:
They look beautiful, they smell amazing – they will turn you into a better version of yourself every time you drink one.
Probably.
Possibly.
So far I have only tried the lavender, lime flower and rose flavour, but based purely on this experience I am giving Miles Tea Kites 10/10 – ‘would recommend.’ I will be honest and say I tried the lavender one first as that was the flavour I was most sceptical about. Lavender is lovely, but it can be a pretty overpowering flavour and I wasn’t sure how they were going to make a tea with it that didn’t taste like you were chewing one of those microwaveable lavender pillows.
Suffice to say that Miles managed it. The lavender tea is flavoursome but subtle, gently floral without tasting like toilet pot pourri, which is always a good thing in a tea.
Win ten boxes of Miles Tea Kites
If you’d like to make your tea shelf the envy of all your friends then you’ve come to the right place. The lovely people at Miles have very kindly offered me two COMPLETE SETS of all ten flavours of their new Tea Kites to giveaway. That’s ten boxes, one of each flavour, just like in the picture.
To be in with a chance to win, go and visit the Miles website and come back and leave a comment on this post telling me which of the new teas takes your fancy. Register the comment in the Gleam widget below and you’ll unlock lots of bonus ways to enter and increase your chances of winning. The competition is open to UK residents only and is open until 11.59pm on July 30th 2018.
Good luck!
Berry be berry nice
Lavender sounds amazing! What an interesting flavour!
super green
Berry Berry would be the one that i would choose
Ginger and Lemongrass sounds delicious. I’m tempted by the green tea and camomile too – I know camomile tea is supposed to help you sleep but I find the flavour too strong, and the green tea would soften it
Liquorice,Pepperment and Spearmint sounds nice
Berry berry!
Love the sound of the berry berry
The Heritage blend thanks for the chance to win
I would most like to try the Berry Berry tea.
I like the look of green tea and chamomile
Berry flavour sounds nice
Fennel
I fancy quite a few of their delicious flavours but the ROOIBOS, BAOBAB & CHAI would be at the top of my list as I drink lots of Rooibos. Good to see West Country businesses doing well.
English Breakfast and Berry Berry sound the nicest
Tough choice, but I’d go for the ginger and lemongrass
Oooh Berry Berry sounds like my cuppa tea!
Berry Berry.
Fennel, orange and hibiscus sounds interesting!
lavender sounds nice
Berry Berry sounds good to me.
Rooibos, My favourite tea.
Love Lavender – would help me to sleep – would love to try x
the rose flavour sounds lovely x
Liquorice, Peppermint & Spearmint looks nice.
The Liquorice, Peppermint & Spearmint sounds yummy!
The ginger and lemongrass sounds lovely. It would be a perfect morning wake up tea
They all sound great, but I definitely have to try the rose flavour
Just my cup of tea!
I like the sound of Green Tea & Chamomile.
I like the look of the ginger tea, great choice of flavours
I would like to try the Earl Grey and cornflower one first
I just love tea, it sorts out a lot of probems
I would like to try the Berry Berry tea
GINGER & LEMONGRASS
lime flower sounds very intersting
I think the Berry tea sounds lovely
I’m very boring and love English Breakfast tea
Love the look of Berry Berry
Would especially love to try Rooibos, Boabab & Chai
Great tea.
berry berry for me
Ginger and Lemongrass
I like the sound of “Super Green, Matcha & Turmeric”. I feel like it would provide a bit of a boost!
The Ginger & Lemongrass sounds great
The Liquorice
The Heritage blend would be my choice
I’d most like to try the Lavender
the berry looks tasty!
Green Tea and Chamomile sounds lovely!
Well firstly, how dare you make me choose!
Secondly…. Probably the Earl Grey with Cornflower….no wait, Lavender, Limeflower and rose!
I’d love to try all of these to be fair, I have a massive weakness for tea. (And for Somerset! I spent some of the best years of my childhood growing up in a little village not too far from Taunton, very happy memories. I envy you your sense of belonging)
chamomile, I find it very soothing!
I have not seen these drinks before but will definitely look out for them now!
Berry Berry!!
The very fruity Berry Berry sounds very appealing.
Super Green!
The Lavender sounds good!
The Liquorice sounds great
Earl Grey and cornflower sounds wonderful
Ginger and lemongrass sounds delicious!
I am loving the sound of the Lavender tea x
I’d love to try Berry Berry
I think I would go for Liquorice,Pepperment and Spearmint first!
id love to try the rose flavour,
The lavender sounds and I bet tastes absolutely amazing
Love the sound of berry berry x
I like the sound of the ginger and lemongrass, nice for the morning. (Angela Kelly)
Ginger and lemongrass!
rose flavour please
Liquorice, Peppermint & Spearmint would be my first choice
The Super Green, Matcha and Turmeric sounds just like my cup of tea :D :D
Berry Berry!
I love the sound of the berry or the lavender…they all sound so lovely! I do love tea! :)
Berry berry sounds lovely x
I would love to try the Lavender, Limeflower & Rose flavour x
Berry berry!
EARL GREY & CORNFLOWER
The berry berry one :)
Berry berry sounds great to me!
I would love to try the Berry Berry tea
i had no idea they did all these amazing varieties – Would LOVE to try lavender!!!
the Berry Berry tea please
Berry Berry sounds lovely
I would love to try Berry Berry, sounds delicious!
berry berry
sounds really nice
the berry berry and fennel orange ones
Earl Grey and Cornflower sounds yummy
Lavender
I would love to try the lime flower
Fennel would be nice
would love to try the SUPER GREEN, MATCHA & TURMERIC
These sound great and I would love to try the ginger and lemongrass
Super green sounds nice
I’d love to try the Berry Berry tea!
berry pleeaaassee
English Breakfast
the berry berry
It has to be Berry Berry, sounds amazing would love to try
I love the sound of the berry berry. :)
Berry Berry
I love the sound of the Liquorice, Peppermint & Spearmint :)
Berry berry sounds refreshing
Lavender!
The LIQUORICE, PEPPERMINT & SPEARMINT sounds nice to me, thanks.
Berry Berry sounds delicious
Lavender tea sounds relaxing!
The English Breakfast tea
Berry Berry sounds lovely
Lavender would be lovely, lavender tea is super relaxing but it’s a bit fiddly to make sure it doesn’t taste too strong if you’re making it from scratch. Ready made would be lovely
berry berry sounds really nice x
Berry Berry sound the yummy
the lavender limeflower and rose sounds lovely
Ginger and Lemongrass I think
Definitely the rose…I’m obsessed with all things rose!
LAVENDER, LIMEFLOWER & ROSE
I would really love the Berry Berry tea.
Intetesting sounding tea. I especially would like to try the Berry Berry tea.
BERRY BERRY Por Favor!
Fennel, orange and hibiscus sounds lovely but I also like rose tea only we call it Turkish Delight Tea
The liquorice, peppermint and spearmint
I would love to try the Super Green !
Super Green seems the perfect choice for me !
Berry Berry sounds amazing!
Fennel sounds good xx
ginger and lemongrass. detoxing and refreshing
Oh love the sound of the Green Tea & Chamomile because I am a big chamomile tea fan, though I’d most like to try the Lavender, Limeflower & Rose because it sounds interesting!
Being Somerset born and bred I have a soft spot for Miles Tea :)
Berry Berry baby
Liquorice
Would love to try Berry Berry
Ginger
Hmmmm heritage blend all the way!
The Earl Grey & Cornflower looks really good.
LIQUORICE, PEPPERMINT & SPEARMINT – quite a mix of flavours there, wonder how it tastes?
The Lavender sounds amazing! wonder if it will help before bed to aid sleep too.
Berry Berry sounds nice.
I’d choose the English breakfast .
I’d like to try the ginger and lemongrass
I would like to try the Earl Grey tea.
Fennel, Orange & Hibiscus would lovely!
Rose
The Fennel, orange and hibiscus sounds interesting or the super green
Mmm lavender
Berry Berry sounds refreshing!
Earl Grey and cornflour sounds great but nothing beats English Breakfast. Just for intetest my Great Nana was born in Darjeeling. Her father had the tea plantations. Tea is in my blood!
super green
Love Rooibos, Boabab & Chai.
The peppermint, fennel and liquorice one sounds good to me.
I’m a such a plain Jane that my first choice would be the English breakfast tea. If I was feeling a little braver I would opt for the rooibos tea as I am sure that would have a refreshing flavour .
super green sounds good to me
Ginger and lemongrass sounds delicious!
Berry berry!
I’m obsessed with anything floral…lavender and rose sound amazing!
Ginger and Lemongrass sounds amazing, i work in a tea shop so love tea and am always looking to try more!
Ginger & Lemongrass
Lavender tea is lovely so I would love to try this!
Berry Berry sounds great!
Berry Berry sounds delicious
I like the sound of the LAVENDER, LIMEFLOWER & ROSE one!
The lavender sounds interesting.
Berry berry sounds great!
Liquorice,Pepperment and Spearmint sounds beaut
Berry Berry for me, I absolutely love red herbally teas
Ginger and lemongrass
berry berry sounds delicious :)
the berry berry sounds lush
berry berry sounds tasty
I fancy trying the Lavender one. The flavour sounds so interesting and interesting.
I love all things Citus so the ginger and lemongrass sounds divine
Super green
Earl grey with cornflower
I’d like to try the Liquorice, Pepperment and Spearmint.
Fennel
I love anything Lavender flavoured, so that would be my first choice
I’ve never heard of this tea, but very fond of fennel and the combination with orange deserves a try!
Berry berry :)
Berry flavour sounds great.
Earl Grey is my all time favourite so I would love to try that one first
The lavender one sounds amazing
I wold love to try the Lime as I love a refreshing tea. x
Berry Berry sounds very nice
Berry berry sounds interesting to me would love to give it a go
They all sound nice but I’d like to try the Berry flavour the most
Liquorice, Peppermint & Spearmint
The green tea with chamomile
English breakfast
Berry berry !
Berry Berry sounds delicious
Rooibos, Baobab and Chai
green tea and chamomile
Would love to try the Berry Berry
Ginger and lemongrass (Jacqui Rushton)
I’d try the lavender. I’ve got a big bunch of it growing outside my front door. When it’s in full bloom I get the best whiff of it every time I leave/return to the house. It’s be nice to try as tea. Plus it’s supposed to be relaxing.
Berry berry sounds nice
The lavender one sounds interesting
Lavender sounds very relaxing guys
The berry flavour sounds lovely!
I’d like to try the green tea with chamomile
super green
Lavender
not tried Mile`s version but i do love Rooibos tea
English Breakfast for me!
Lavender sounds intriguing
Green tea and chamomile could be worth a try…
Lavender sounds great
Ginger & lemongrass – good for headaches :)
Super green
The lavender sounds interesting
Big fan of english breakfast tea so I’d love to try this brand
berry berry i love
Berry Berry
ginger and lemongrass are favourites, so i would like this tea, but i like green tea, too xx
Super green
I would like to try the Berry Berry
English Breakfast
Ginger and lemongrass
The Berry Berry flavour looks awesome x
I think the GINGER & LEMONGRASS.
English Breakfast :) perfect in the mornings
I’m really curious about lavender, I can’t imagine what it tastes like!
the lavender tea sounds nice
the lavender certainly sounds interesting!!
Ginger and lemongrass.
The Berry Berry tea sounds nice.
Lavender – yummy
I’m a wimp so English breakfast all the way for me….but would love to give the others a go..
im a new convert to flavoured teas and happened upom miles tea whilst having a day out in Goathland, N yorks and really enjoyed the spearming peppermint and licquorice so refreshing and no nasty after taste like normal tea
Berry berry would be my favourite but I’d drink all these
i love liquorish so would love to try it in a tea
Berry Berry
I’d love to try Berry berry!
Berry Berry
The lavender has me intrigued as I’ve never tried anything flavoured with it before so I would try that first too. I’d expect the ginger and lemongrass to be an instant favourite too