I’m not sure why exactly I stopped drinking tea. Growing up I used to love a good cuppa but it’s been years since I drank tea, other than the green or herbal variety. So while I can smell a quality cup of coffee a mile off I’m pretty clueless when it comes to tea. All the more reason why I think this new concept by a company called Tea Horse is genius and a real hidden gem.

The idea is that every month for £11.95 they send you out a taster box of four loose teas, which come with taster notes. Each month is a different theme, the one I tried was a basic introduction to the four main types of tea. I received a selection comprising of 2nd flush Assam (Indian black tea) , White Peony (white tea), Keeman Mao Feng (a dark green tea) and Monkey Pickled Oolong (a tea that’s somewhere between a green and black) in either 20g or 15g packets. Other interesting themes soon to come include antioxidants and immunity and weight loss (I’ll definitely be checking that one out).

As someone that knows nothing about tea, what I love about the taster selection is that the pack gives you the low down on where the tea originates from, what it tastes like and (best of all) suggestions of what to eat with it. Tea Horse also supply you with a pack of 40 paper tea filters, so you can brew your tea without having to mess about with a tea strainer (or have unpleasant lose leaves floating around in your drink).

It’s a bit like filling a giant tea bag with loose tea. I did struggle the first time I made a cup to get the water in the bag (it’s not quite as easy as it looks) but once I realised I just needed to tilt the filter a bit I soon got the hang of it. Although it’s not going to convert me from being a coffee drinker, the Tea Horse taster box has reminded me that drinking tea can be an equally pleasant experience. Which is why I’m off now to put the kettle on…