I’d not come across Birchall’s range of Teas before, but having read about their Great Taste Awards, their unique approach to making teas and passion for growing that extends to visiting the fields where the leaves are harvested by hand, I wanted to know more and why, among supermarket shelves laden with many choices, they are so highly rated. As a tea drinker, only occasionally sampling coffee (and when I do, I’m super picky!) I was naturally curious about this brand that I hadn’t heard of before but seemed to be hearing good things about it everywhere I went. Having now tried it, I can confirm, the reason is actually rather simple: the tea is exceptionally good.
There are some brands you discover and simply want to tell other people about – and Birchall Tea is one of them. Having read about how the tea was produced, with care, passion and ethics at every stage, I felt I was missing out, and made it my mission to try them for myself – and believe me, I was so glad I did!
There is far more to like about Birchall than what ends up in the cup. This is a family tea business with a heritage stretching through five generations of the Graham family, a clear passion for its product and an approach to quality and sustainability that makes it particularly easy to recommend – but I didn’t expect to be wowed by the taste, and boy was I wowed, to the point my normal tea has not had a look in since finding this!
Great Rift Is Breakfast Tea Done Properly
I resolved to try as many of these lovely teas as possible, but I thought I’d begin with the Taste Award-winning Birchall’s Great Rift Breakfast Blend – and if you haven’t tried it, you really should. For me, one taste and it’s now become the standard against which all other teas are going to be ranked against going forwards!
The blend uses black teas sourced from estates across East Africa, where high altitude, rainfall and volcanic soils create excellent tea-growing conditions. Birchall says its leaves are hand-picked, while its tea tasters select only a small proportion of the teas they assess for its blends.
Great Rift is an absolute treat. It is rich, full-bodied and satisfying, without becoming harsh or bitter. The taste is pleasant, with or without milk, and honestly the nicest cuppa I have ever tasted – but it seems I am not the only person who says that!
Great Rift has achieved a remarkable run of 16 consecutive Great Taste Awards, while Birchall’s teas and infusions have now amassed 101 Great Taste Awards since 2011.
That’s quite an achievement for a cup of tea.
And by the way, if you are cutting down on caffeine, there’s also an award-winning caffeine-free version of the Breakfast Tea that doesn’t disappoint – all of the flavour, none of the caffeine!
What About The Rest Of The Teas?
Having started with a tea that’s earned so many accolades, I wondered what the others would taste like – and wasn’t disappointed.
Virunga Afternoon Tea offers another lovely option, with a smoother, more delicate character that makes it particularly suited to an afternoon cuppa. It’s light, lovely and refreshing and I am just so excited to have a couple of options for my compulsive tea drinking – and if you haven’t tried a cup of Birchall Tea yet, all I can say is when you try it, you will understand! I won’t ever buy supermarket tea again!!
And Then There Was Serengeti Tea…
Another one I was particularly intrigued to try was Birchall Serengeti Tea. With a name like Serengeti, it already sounds a little bit special – and thankfully, what’s in the cup lives up to it.
This is another tea that showcases Birchall’s connection with East Africa and its obvious expertise when it comes to selecting really good tea. What struck me most when trying it was just how smooth and beautifully balanced it was. There is plenty of flavour and character, but it isn’t harsh or overpowering – it’s simply a really enjoyable, easy-to-drink cup of tea.
Having already been so impressed by Great Rift, I wondered whether another traditional tea could make quite the same impression, but Serengeti certainly held its own. There’s a richness to it that makes it feel like a quality tea from the first sip, and it’s another one I’d happily drink without needing a special occasion as an excuse.
Being a seasoned tea drinker, and a bit of a stickler for quality and higher end brands, I don’t need to be persuaded to drink tea – but after trying this brand, I may need a lot of persuasion to swap back to my old teabags. Right now? Simply not happening….I will drive the 7 miles to Waitrose, past three other supermarkets, and buy this!
Green Tea & Peach – A Gorgeous Fruity Alternative
While I am generally a standard cuppa kind of girl, two of the teas that really deserve a special mention are completely different and nothing like my normal drink : Green Tea & Peach and Peppermint Leaves.
I’ve tried green teas before but they aren’t really to my taste – I either find the green tea completely overwhelms the fruit or the flavouring is so strong that you can barely taste the tea.
Birchall’s Green Tea & Peach gets the balance beautifully right, and while it won’t replace my go-to Breakfast Tea (which has already become non-negotiable in our house!) this traditional green tea blended with real fruit pieces and marigold flowers creates a fragrant tea with the freshness of green tea complemented by the softer, sweeter flavour of peach.
It smells lovely as soon as it starts brewing, but the important thing is that the peach doesn’t taste artificial or overly sweet. Instead, it gives the green tea a wonderfully fruity lift and definitely an option when you just need a change – and perfect for summer over ice. It’s also a nice option for people who want to move away from drinking black tea all day. Green tea naturally contains less caffeine than black tea, and this is light and refreshing enough to enjoy throughout the day – and this one boasts another Great Taste Award.
For someone who normally reaches automatically for a traditional cuppa, Green Tea & Peach was, for me, the surprise of the box. Different, delicate and refreshing, this still feels like a proper cup of tea rather than a fruit drink pretending to be one.
I will however be recommending this to my former catering colleagues as the fruit tea option of choice because it’s unlike anything else out there!
Peppermint Leaves – Possibly The Freshest Cuppa In The Cupboard
Then there is Birchall Peppermint Leaves – a type of tea I’d never normally try, but did!
If you have only ever experienced fairly ordinary peppermint tea, like me, either you are a fan or you aren’t and I’m one of the latter – however, this one delivers a noticeable difference to the rest of the pack.
It is difficult to get excited about something as simple as peppermint leaves and hot water until you taste a really good version. Birchall’s is fresh, crisp and full of flavour, and it’s the sort of tea that could easily convert someone who previously thought herbal infusions weren’t really for them. Steaming hot on a cold evening, or brew it, allow it to cool and serve it over ice with a slice of lemon when the weather is warmer.
Birchall uses pure peppermint leaves, carefully selected to produce that wonderfully distinctive fresh aroma and cooling mint flavour. There is no caffeine and no need to add milk – just hot water and a few minutes to brew, and the result is incredibly clean and refreshing. It has that lovely cooling peppermint sensation as you drink it, but without becoming overpowering. There’s also a natural light sweetness to the infusion, despite there being no need to add sugar.
While I’m still a traditional tea girl, I can see this being an especially good drink after a meal, although being naturally caffeine-free means it can be enjoyed at virtually any time of day – including in the evening when you may not necessarily want another traditional cup of tea.
And once again, it’s not only approved by me, Birchall’s attention to flavour has been independently recognised, with Birchall Peppermint winning Great Taste Awards in 2012 and 2019.
The Birchall Difference
I noticed by the end of my little tasting, there had become something of a theme with Birchall.
You start off thinking you’re simply trying another tea and then find yourself wondering why the tea you were drinking before suddenly seems rather ordinary.
For anyone who loves a proper cup of tea but fancies exploring something beyond their usual supermarket favourite, Serengeti is definitely one to try. It reinforces what I discovered with Great Rift: when the quality of the tea itself is this good, you really can taste the difference.
I haven’t yet tried the full range and there is still plenty more to discover…. and as an ex-restaurateur I am spreading the word among my former colleagues, Tea deserves an upgrade and this is it – why drink ordinary?
A Tea Collection Made For Trying Something New
For anyone who can’t decide where to start, Birchall’s Tea Collection Box is an especially nice introduction.
It brings together a selection of different varieties, making it a great way to discover that your favourite Birchall tea might not necessarily be the one you expected.
It would make a lovely gift for a tea drinker, but equally, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with buying one for yourself.
In fact, trying the different varieties is part of the fun. You may start out convinced that nothing could replace your morning breakfast tea and suddenly discover that Green Tea & Peach has become your afternoon favourite or that Peppermint is the cup you look forward to after dinner.
Sustainability With Substance
There is another reason to feel good about choosing Birchall. I recently learned that the company operates what it describes as the UK’s first fully solar-powered tea factory in Wiltshire, generating more electricity than the site requires and returning surplus power to the National Grid. Birchall also says all of its tea bags and packaging are plant-based.
While these aren’t facts that determine whether a cup of tea tastes good – but the feel good factor helps and when the tea is already excellent, they certainly add to the appeal.
A Lovely Company Making Lovely Tea
Perhaps that’s ultimately what makes Birchall so likeable.
There is an obvious sense of pride behind the brand. Five generations of family tea expertise, carefully sourced ingredients, more than 100 Great Taste Awards and investment in more sustainable production all point towards a company that genuinely cares about what goes into the cup.
And yet, none of that would matter if the end product wasn’t enjoyable – fortunately, it really is.
Whether you’re someone who needs a strong breakfast tea before attempting conversation in the morning, a green tea drinker or someone who prefers a refreshing herbal infusion, there is plenty in the Birchall collection worth discovering.
My pick? Great Rift remains an exceptional everyday cuppa, but don’t overlook Green Tea & Peach, Peppermint Leaves or Serengeti. They’re very different drinks, but together they demonstrate just how good Birchall is at producing teas beyond the traditional breakfast blend.
Beautifully presented, thoughtfully produced and – most importantly – genuinely lovely to drink, Birchall is proof that something as simple as putting the kettle on can still feel like a little treat.
In fact, having finished my write-up – it’s time for tea. There’s only one brand I’m going to drink from now on!