Lavender has long been a favourite fragrance of producers of soap, skin creams and those soft toys you can put in the microwave. It is also associated with several health benefits. I consulted my Culpeper Herbal to see what the 17 th-century herbalist and astrologer had to say about it. (One might argue that this isn’t the most up-to-date medical resource, but realistically, how much is likely to have changed in the last 400 years?) Whether you’re new to Earl Grey tea or have always loved Earl Grey tea and are looking to try something new, T2’s collection certainly won’t disappoint. Our delightful blends include:

This tea is sturdy enough to withstand a dash of milk, and it really does slip down beautifully. It was a pleasure to drink. My only concern is that it could ruin regular Earl Grey for you. You might be drinking a cup of perfectly nice normal Earl Grey and thinking, “Hmm, I don’t know. It’s not really lychee-y enough, is it?”This medium-bodied blend combines the essence of classic Earl Grey with a delightful bouquet of floral notes. As you steep the tea leaves, the soft aromas fill the air, transporting you to a sun-kissed French garden in full bloom. This tea delivers exactly what it promises. There’s bergamot, there’s lychee, and there’s tea, and they’re all having a whale of a time together. The flavours really bring out the best in one another. It’s a match made in heaven. Or rather, a match made in Margate, which is more or less the same thing. This blend is a bit of a challenge to get hold of because it is only available at Lady Dinah’s Cat Emporium in London. It’s worth the trip, mind. And not just for the tea. This cat café is full of the most delightful feline residents you could ever wish to meet. (Apart from my own cats, obviously. And I’m not just saying that because I know they read this blog.) My daughter bought me afternoon tea at Lady Dinah’s as a birthday present. Cats and tea! She knows me well. Admittedly, none of these suggestions are practical (and I suspect one of them might be illegal). This is why I’m in the ‘drinking tea and talking nonsense’ business rather than the tea-blending business. I wouldn’t want to change the recipe for Extreme Earl anyway. It really is very nice indeed. 4. Whittard Earl Grey Twinings Earl Grey”, I said, “is the linchpin, the cornerstone, the very foundation of my tea-drinking life. Brewing a cup of this perfectly balanced tea and bergamot blend reassures me that the world is worth waking up for.”

Now, that was many years ago, and I have drunk an awful lot of tea since then. And I no longer think that Twinings is the best tea there is. But I do think it’s the ninth best Earl Grey blend, so that’s something. Also, it’s a lot cheaper than many of the other teas on the list. 8. Lady Dinah’s BlendCulpeper advises taking the powdered leaves at breakfast to stop “the running of the reins in men and whites in women”, a confusing combination of words that immediately made me think, “Is that a sex thing? It sounds like a sex thing.” Further investigation has confirmed that yes, it is. Culpeper is talking about the symptoms of syphilis. Obviously, I can’t attest to the efficacy of treating your syphilitic discharges with lavender tea, but regardless, Blue Lavandula is very nice. 5. Debonair Extreme Earl The Tea Keepers’ Earl Grey & Vanilla contains actual bergamot oil rather than the bergamot “flavouring” used in most Earl Grey blends. I’m sure this is a significant factor in its wondrousness. The Tea Keepers also do an equally amazing regular Earl Grey.