The Restorative Power of Tea

It's amazing what a good brew can do for your mood. Whether it's chatting over a pot of builder's best with my nan, clutching onto a mug of Assam for dear life on a hangover, or desperately searching for a decent mug of the stuff abroad - tea makes me feel grounded and at home. Even as I write this, I'm sat in a beautiful hotel lobby in Singapore, with an art deco style cup and saucer plonked next to me.

But it's not just us caffeine dependent humans that benefit from the stuff. Williamson Tea work tirelessly with the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, one of the world's most successful orphan elephant rescue and rehabilitation centres. In support of the amazing work that they do, they have a selection of absolutely gorgeous elephant caddies, full of aromatic and exotic teas that are just begging to decorate your kitchen shelves. Buying one then puts £1 into the pockets of the Trust.

I tried the new purple matcha* which arrived in a picture perfect mini caddie (which my mum firmly has her eye on while I'm abroad!), accompanied with a whisk to blend the powder with boiling water. It's no more effort than a regular loose leaf tea, really. I put a good teaspoon of the powder into a small bowl, whisked it up and supped away.

Sampled a few hours before heading off to Heathrow, I was in my super comfy slouchy clothes but also feeling super stressed. The nutty, almost caramel taste of the matcha was less bitter than the green variety, and helped to calm me down before setting off to the airport. Taking a few moments out of the day to just take a breather is so important, and knowing you're helping endangered animals as well can only be good for the soul.

I was gifted the mini caddie by Williamson Tea but all opinions, love of elephants and reliance on tea are totally my own