United KingdomOverview
Harrods started as a tea business. In 1834 Charles Henry Harrod opened a wholesale grocery with a special interest in tea at Cable Street in Stepney, and the Knightsbridge store grew from that. The calendar draws on the numbered range the store sells today. English Breakfast N°14, Earl Grey N°42, Afternoon Ceylon N°16 and the house Knightsbridge Blend N°15 are the classic cups, with a Summer Earl Grey N°41 and a Green Tea N°07, and then a long run of flavoured and fruit teas such as Apple N°64, Strawberry N°61, Mango N°63, Rose N°55 and Vanilla N°85.
Chamomile N°112, Lemongrass & Ginger N°115, Peppermint N°123 and Rooibos N°121 take the evenings. Eighteen blends are spread over the 48 bags, so some repeat. The tea is packed in Sri Lanka for Harrods, and the bags weigh 116 g between them. The box is green with gold illustration, the Harrods building on the front, animals and birds on the sides, and numbered drawers inside.
Harrods lists it at £60.
Taste & variety
The backbone is the Harrods numbered range, the teas the store sells under numbers, here in small doses. English Breakfast N°14, Afternoon Ceylon N°16, Earl Grey N°42 and the house Knightsbridge Blend N°15 are the classic cups, with Summer Earl Grey N°41 and Green Tea N°07 for the lighter hours.
Then the sweet side: Apple N°64, Strawberry N°61, Mango N°63, Rose N°55, Vanilla N°85 and Strawberry and Cream N°75. Chamomile N°112, Lemongrass & Ginger N°115, Peppermint N°123 and Rooibos N°121 do the evening work.
Two silken bags are behind each door, so a good tea gets a second outing.
Packaging & gift appeal
A green box in gold illustration, with the Harrods building on the front and animals and birds climbing the sides, opening onto rows of numbered drawers. Drawers are the right choice here.
They have the feel of a grocer's cabinet or an apothecary's, and they suit a store that began as a tea dealer. The bags inside are silken and wrapped in coloured envelopes.
In December 1883 the store burnt down and still delivered every Christmas order on time, making a record profit that year.
What is in the box
48 silken tea bags (44 of 2.5 g and four of 1.5 g, 116 g in all), two behind each of the 24 drawers, from 18 named Harrods blends, in an illustrated green and gold box.
Key features
- 24 drawers with two silken tea bags in each, 48 bags in all
- Black, green, flavoured and fruit teas from the Harrods numbered range
- Named blends include Knightsbridge Blend N°15 and Strawberry and Cream N°75
- Green and gold box printed with the Harrods building
Our verdict
Two silken bags in each of 24 drawers, from English Breakfast N°14 to Strawberry and Cream N°75, in a green and gold box printed with the Harrods building. A grand present for someone who likes a department store gift, and one where the store's name carries a good share of the occasion.
The history of the house as a tea dealer gives that name some weight.
What we like
- Two bags behind every door, so a favourite gets a second cup
- Classic black teas and flavoured and fruit teas in one box
- A Harrods box that looks like a present before it is opened
- Caffeine-free evening options such as chamomile and rooibos
A few things to know
- Eighteen blends across 24 drawers means some repeat
- Silken bags, so every cup is a bag and none is loose leaf
- Stock moves: some regional Harrods pages show the calendar as unavailable
Questions about Harrods Tea Lovers Advent Calendar
What is in Harrods Tea Lovers Advent Calendar?
24 doors. 48 silken tea bags (44 of 2.5 g and four of 1.5 g, 116 g in all), two behind each of the 24 drawers, from 18 named Harrods blends, in an illustrated green and gold box..
