Earl Grey with Raspberry

In the middle of last year I visited my friend Sonia and discovered a wonderful taste combination.

Earl Grey with Raspberry Flavoured Special K

My first thought was this : You could make a tea out of that! And then I pondered a little longer and realised that the effect would probably just as good without the Special K. Then I'd be left with

Earl Grey with Raspberry

The warm spicyness of Earl Grey would blend perfectly with the tart fruitiness of the raspberries to make what was sure to be the best tea ever.

I decided at that moment that Earl Grey would be my first tea blend. The Whittard's website offers the possibility of producing a personalised blend for you, but to my horror it didn't include raspberry as a possible fruit choice.

My solution was to find the ingredients to make my own. I found dried raspberries at the supermarket. This plan had taken several months to be put into action, so I had considered the problem that the tea is likely to brew much more quickly than the dried raspberries. To get the best taste, I chopped my raspberries into little pieces and added them to the tea strainer. I poured in the water and allowed it to start brewing. I kept the tea cosy on the pot to keep the water as hot as possible (Earl Grey should be brewed with water straight off the boil) and then added my Earl Grey after 5 minutes. 3 minutes later I was ready to try my first ever home-blended tea.

Well, I have to tell you that I was a bit disappointed with the outcome. The raspberries did not keep any of their sourness so the tea ended up being a bit sweet and unpleasant. I was amazed that my incredible idea was not a success.

I am deterred, but I shall try again at some point. When I do, it will be reported here!