A biting Easterly blows over the city of London, skies take on that all too familiar grey hue and the temperature drops. This is no cause for concern. Don your favourite wooly hat, twirl into a soft scarf and keep your hands warm around a flask of hot tea. Here’s a simple, cost effective way to get your tea fix on the go and spare the landfill another paper cup.
I’m the proud owner of a matte, coral T2 Travel Flask. It comes with an infuser so you can elevate your tea experience from boring bag to luscious loose leaf. A spicy chai, also from T2, is a perfect pairing for the gloomy weather. Cardamom, star anise and cloves call to mind a Christmas market visit with the aroma of mulled wine lingering in the chilly air.
On Fridays, you can bring your Travel Flask to any T2 shop and have it filled with your favourite tea for free. How’s that for return on investment?!
To save a little more time in the morning, you can measure your tea into the infuser, seal to keep fresh and fill the kettle, all the night before. Everything will be waiting and knowing there’s a special treat in the kitchen will diminish the shock of getting out of a warm bed. Hopefully.
Fill the flask with boiling filtered water. I use a Brita filter to improve the taste of the “government juice” from the tap. The filter also reduces the water’s calcium content, in turn protecting your kettle from limescale deposits and the need for harsh descaling chemicals.
Once the tea has steeped, remove the infuser, dispose of the leaves in the food bin if you have one (never down the drain!). Add milk and sugar to taste.
Keep warm. Keep smiling.
