United KingdomOverview
English Tea Shop began in 2010, founded by the owners of a Sri Lankan tea factory. Suranga Herath is its chief executive. The company moved away from Sri Lanka's auction system to buy organic leaf straight from small farmers. It has been a Certified B Corporation since 2022, with headquarters in Colombo, and employees hold a share of the company through an ownership plan.
The advent calendar is a red Tree Book with a door for each of 25 days, each hiding a biodegradable pyramid bag. The blends named by the brand are mostly fruit, spice and herbal: White Tea with Coconut and Passion Fruit, Apple with Rosehip and Cinnamon, Cranberry with Hibiscus and Rosehip, Turmeric with Ginger and Lemongrass, Lemongrass with Citrus and Ginger, Ceylon Cinnamon, and Mate with Cocoa and Coconut.
Vanilla Earl Grey, English Breakfast, Mint Green Tea, Jasmine Green Tea and a Holiday Boost blend complete the roll. It is described as 100 percent organic, and it costs 18.99 pounds.
Taste & variety
Most of the month is fruit and spice. White Tea with Coconut and Passion Fruit, Apple with Rosehip and Cinnamon, Cranberry with Hibiscus and Rosehip, Turmeric with Ginger and Lemongrass, Lemongrass with Citrus and Ginger, a plain Ceylon Cinnamon, and Mate with Cocoa and Coconut give the shape of it.
Vanilla Earl Grey, English Breakfast, Mint Green and Jasmine Green supply the caffeine, and Holiday Boost falls somewhere in the middle of the roll. It is a herbal drinker's calendar with a tea shelf at the edges.
Coconut turns up in two of the named blends and liquorice in three, which matters at a table where someone avoids either.
Packaging & gift appeal
This is a book, not a box: a red Tree Book with a door for each day, made to be opened, closed and put back on the shelf. That changes the month a little. A book looks tidy on a shelf in a way a cube never quite does, and each morning's door has the feel of turning a page.
Inside, every tea comes in a biodegradable pyramid bag, so the sustainability story is in the cup as well as on the label. The brand calls the book a keepsake.
What is in the box
25 biodegradable pyramid tea bags, one behind each door of a red Tree Book, in organic black, green, white, rooibos, mate and herbal blends such as Cranberry Hibiscus and Rosehip and Vanilla Earl Grey.
Key features
- 25 doors, each hiding a biodegradable pyramid tea bag
- Organic herbal, fruit, rooibos and mate blends alongside black, green and white tea
- Blends include Cranberry Hibiscus and Rosehip, Turmeric Ginger and Lemongrass, Vanilla Earl Grey
- Brand certified as a B Corp, with organic leaf from small farmers
Our verdict
A red storybook of organic pyramids with an unusually good conscience: the maker left Sri Lanka's auction system to buy direct from small farmers. The blends are warm, fruity and familiar, so it suits a tea drinker who likes rosehip and ginger more than a gambler.
Give it to someone who reads labels.
What we like
- Organic throughout, from a B Corp that buys direct from small farmers
- Spicy, fruity blends such as Turmeric Ginger and Lemongrass fill most of the month
- Biodegradable pyramid bags in a keepsake book
A few things to know
- Caffeine turns up in the black, green, white and mate blends, so it is not an all-evening box
- Safe, familiar blends: the surprises are small
- Coconut and liquorice appear in several blends, which narrows the audience
Questions about English Tea Shop Organic Advent Calendar
What is in English Tea Shop Organic Advent Calendar?
25 doors. 25 biodegradable pyramid tea bags, one behind each door of a red Tree Book, in organic black, green, white, rooibos, mate and herbal blends such as Cranberry Hibiscus and Rosehip and Vanilla Earl Grey..
Is English Tea Shop Organic Advent Calendar organic?
The brand describes it as organic. The review repeats that from the box or the shop, and the certification is the thing to check on the listing before you buy.
