Amount:  2oz $4.99 makes about 12 mugs 4oz $8.99 makes about 25 mugs 8oz $15.99 makes about 50 mugs 1lb $28.99 makes about 100 mugs

Description

BUCKINGHAM PALACE GARDEN PARTY TEA

Every May the Queen holds a garden party at Buckingham Palace, serving around 27,000 cups of tea - a lovely English springtime tradition. The Queen invites between 3000 and 4000 guests. Regal cucumber and watercress sandwiches are served on white bread, smoked Scottish salmon pate, delicately scented earl grey cakes and most importantly, tea, are served on this prestigious occasion. The invitees include exotic guests from the far-flung reaches of the former British Empire. The common thread amongst them is that they have each made a contribution to the British Commonwealth of nations. The guests rub shoulders with lords, earls, dukes, duchesses and ladies from aristocratic British society. At about 3:00 p.m. the Royal Family make their entrance - the Queen, Prince Philip, perhaps even Prince Charles, Princess Anne and Prince Andrew. You can see the scene now -the Queen, Prince Philip and the Queen Mother, all dressed in formal spring party clothing, mingling with the excited crowd…shaking hands, smiling, stopping briefly to chat with the guests, making eye contact and the royal nod of the head to acknowledge one’s presence for those unable to personally meet the Royal Family.

The tea that is served is a long time favorite and delicious Palace medley specially selected for the occasion. Intriguing hints of high-grown pure Ceylon Earl Grey blend effortlessly with soft jasmine from Fujian Province. Couple this with malty Assam (from the estate of Borengajuli), flavory Dimbula Ceylon (from Hatton), brisk and golden cup East of Rift Kenya (from Kambaa and Kagwe) and you have one of the most flavorful teas to come from the British Isles. Each cup is a cup of mystery - the flavors all come to the fore at separate times - one minute you taste the Earl Grey, the next you can almost feel the soft floral notes of jasmine. Finally you get the satisfying fullness of the Assam Ceylon and Kenya blend. Enjoy this tea and be a part of the annual tradition in the west gardens of Buckingham Palace.

Variety: Black tea blend Grade: FBOP (Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe)

CUPPING NOTES: Cup Characteristics: Flavoury with medium body. Delicate Earl Grey and Jasmine notes. Bright with a touch of golden coppery colour .Perfect for afternoon settings.

Infusion: Bright liquor tending orange.

Pairing Suggestions: Cucumber and watercress sandwiches, salmon pate, chicken salad.

ORIGIN NOTES: Country(ies) of Origin: Kenya / Sri Lanka / India / China Region(s): Kiambu / Dimbula / Assam, Nilgiri / Fujian

Seasonality: Seasonal quality (Jan.-Feb. growth) / Seasonal quality (Jan.-Feb. growth) / 2nd flush (June growth), Seasonal quality (Jan.-Feb. growth) / Seasonal quality (Mar.-Apr. growth)

Shipping Port(s): Mombasa / Colombo / Kolkata, Kochi / Fuzhou

Grade Composition: FBOP (Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe) / FOP (Flowery Orange Pekoe) / BP1 (Broken Pekoe #1)

Growing Altitude(s): 5500-6500’ / 4000-5900’ / 500-1500’, 4000-6500 / 500-2500 feet above sea level

Manufacture Type(s): Blend of Orthodox (Traditional leafy). CTC (Cut, Torn and Curled) and Traditional Pan Fired Green Tea.

PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS:

Luxury Ingredients: Black tea, Green tea, Jasmine blossoms, Cornflower petals, Natural flavors.

Food Safety: HACCP - Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points GMP – Good Manufacturing Processes C-TPAT – Customs Trade Partner Against Terrorism

PESTICIDE FREE: 35 % of blend grown on estates that do not use pesticides or herbicides

Allergens: Nuts: No Gluten: No Wheat: No Sulfites: No Soy Lecithin: No Crustacea: No Eggs: No Milk or dairy: No • Packed at a factory that has an HACCP certified allergen control program. • Packed at a factory that has nuts on the premises

Caffeine: This tea contains natural caffeine found in the Camellia Sinensis family. A cup of black tea steeped in boiled water for 5 minutes will contain between 27 to 35 mg of caffeine – about the same amount as an equal serving of Coca-Cola. An equal sized cup of coffee will contain between 80 – 100 mg of caffeine. Caffeine quickly becomes soluble in very hot water. If you wish to reduce the caffeine level in this tea, briefly rinsing the tea leaves in extremely hot water will reduce the caffeine content between 25-50% with only a minor effect on taste.

Est. Antioxidant Guide: 10% - 11.5% polyphenols by dry weight. VHP-AT=Very High Polyphenol Antioxidant Tea. Note: The longer you steep your tea the more polyphenols will be extracted. (Test results based on 5 minutes steeping time. Polyphenol percentages may fluctuate with lot, grade of tea, testing method, temperature of water and freshness of tea)

Food Standards: This tea meets or exceeds the food safety compliance standards covering microbiological activity, heavy metals and pesticide MRL’s for the European Union, Japan, Canada, USA and all other major tea importing countries.

Product Assurance: All the ingredients used in this tea are commonly used in teas and other foods. Radiation Statement: This tea is not radiated in any form.

GMO Statement: This product is not made with any elements that might be Genetically Modified.

Environment Statement #1: This tea comes from tea estates that undertake responsible land-use practices. Tea estate land not used for tea cultivation or worker vegetable gardens, remains in its natural state or has been reforested as part of the estate’s managed-forest program.

Environment Statement #2: Metropolitan Tea Company created its own carbon-offset program by purchasing 200 acres of land. This land contains 45 acres of wetland maintaining a healthy home for more than 50 different species of amphibians, reptiles, fish, songbirds and migrating waterfowl; 95 acres of mature hardwood forest for an immediate carbon-offset and 60 acres of pastureland which will be reforested by 2015 with more then 25,000 native hardwood trees.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION: Canada per 175 ml - % of Daily Values Calories 0 Fat 0g 0 % Sodium 0mg 0 % Carbohydrate 1g 0 % Protein 0.1g Not a significant source of fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, dietary fibre, sugars, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium and iron.. USA Serving size 1 teabag or 2.5g of loose tea. Makes 8 fl oz or 240ml Amount per Serving, Calories: 0 Cal. Percent of Daily Value Fat 0g 0 % Sodium 0mg 0 % Carbohydrate 0g 0% Protein 0.1g Not a significant source of fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, dietary fiber, sugars, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium and iron. UK 100 ml tea infusion *(no milk) typically gives you: Energy 2kJ less than 1kcal Protein 0.1g Carbohydrate trace - of which come from sugars: trace Fat trace – of which come saturated fats: trace Fibre 0g Sodium trace Per serving of 200ml (1 cup) 1 Calorie 0g Fat Per serving of 170ml tea infusion and 30ml semi-skimmed milk 14 Calories 0.5g Fat * Based on tea brewed with freshly boiled water for 3 minutes.

PRODUCT CREDENTIALS: Organic Credentials: This tea is a non-organic conventional tea packed at The Metropolitan Tea Company, a certified organic tea handler. Certified to the standards of the USDA/NOP program by QMI. Certificate number 150-2008 - go to www.metrotea.com for the most recent copy of our organic certificate. Social Credentials: 100 % of the tea comes from tea estates certified by: - Ethical Tea Partnership and/or - Fair Trade and/or - Rain Forest Alliance and/or - Metropolitan Tea global audit program

BREWING RECOMMENDATIONS – 1 cup; 230-280ml, 8-10 fl oz): Weaker Tea: ¾ teaspoon (1.7 gr. / 0.06 oz.) Regular Strength Tea: 1 teaspoon (2.2 gr. / 0.08 oz.) Stronger Tea: 1 ½ teaspoon (3.0 gr. / 0.10 oz.) Sugg. Brewing Temp: 100’C / 212’F Sugg. Brewing Time: Weaker < 3 min. / Regular Strength 4-5 min. / Stronger > 6-8 min* Sugar: To taste if desired Milk Y or N To taste if desired Lemon Y or N To taste if desired Fresh Mint Sprig Y or N To taste if desired Energy Saving Tip Don’t over-fill your kettle. Boil only the water you need for the amount of tea you are serving. It is recommended that you use about 40-50ml (2-4 ounces) more water then required to account for steam loss and avoiding any calcification in your kettle. ** Note: The longer brewing time for stronger tea, may be too astringent for some tastes – but, more polyphenols will be extracted!

Hot tea brewing method: Bring freshly drawn cold water to a rolling boil. Add desired quantity of loose-leaf tea to your teapot. Infuse with the freshly boiled water, cover and let steep for 3-8 minutes in accordance to desired strength.

Iced tea brewing method: (Make 1 liter/quart): Bring freshly drawn cold water to a rolling boil. Place 6 teaspoons of loose-leaf tea into a teapot or heat resistant pitcher. Infuse with 1 ¼ cups boiled water and let steep for 5 minutes. Next, fill a large pitcher ¼ full of freshly drawn cold water. Strain brewed tea into pitcher with the cold water. Fill the remainder of the pitcher with ice and top up with more cold water. Sweeten to taste, garnish and serve. (Note: Some premium quality teas may turn cloudy when poured over ice. This is a sign of quality leaf and nothing to worry about!)

STORAGE GUIDELINES Storage conditions: Unopened - ideally in a cool dry location and not in direct sunlight. After opening store in an airtight container in a cool dry location. Tea can safely be stored in vacuum pack bag - tightly fold the top of the bag over and seal with tape. Do not refrigerate.

HEALTH AND WELLNESS NOTES: • Black tea comes from the same plant as green and white teas, (Camellia Sinensis) and is an excellent source of antioxidants and polyphenols. • A Dutch study published by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that the risk of heart attack in people who drank 3 or more cups of black tea per day was 1/2 that of non-black tea drinkers. The study also found that the risk of dying from a heart attack, if they had one, was reduced by 1/3rd.* *(Geleijnse, Johanna M et al. Inverse association of tea and flavonoid intakes with incident myocardial infarction: the Rotterdam Study. Am J Clin Nutr 2002;75:880-86.) • Green tea – Studies published in the Journal of the Federation of Experimental Biology indicate that a major component of green tea known as epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) may reduce the risk of a variety of illnesses, including cancer and coronary heart disease. * *Am J Clin Nutr2000;71(suppl):1698S–1702S. Printed in USA. ©2000 American Society for Clinical Nutrition

TRADITIONAL, THERAPEUTIC AND FOLK USE NOTES: • Jasmine petals – Traditional Chinese medicine indicates that Jasmine may be beneficial in combating colds, depression and muscle spasms. • Cornflower petals – In countries with long histories of herbalism and traditional medicine, i.e. China, cornflower petals are believed to aid digestion, strengthen the liver and protect the body against infections.