Breakfast black tea
Strong and malty, made to take milk. Small leaf from lowland tea gardens.
$9 / 100 g
Loose leaf tea, weighed out and brewed with care
Leaf and Kettle Tea Merchants sells black, green, oolong and herbal teas by weight from open tins, with teaware for every way of brewing. Read the brewing guide, book a tasting, or stay for a pot in the tea room at the back.
50 gthe smallest bag
70teas in open tins
22seats in the tea room
- Smell any tin before you buy
- Brewing times on every bag
- Tea room at the back
- Sealed, light proof pouches
Teas and teaware
Loose leaf prices are for the weight shown, and teaware is priced each. Pure teas carry none of the common food allergens; any blend with nuts, milk or flowers says so on its card.
Steamed green tea
Grassy and sweet, shaded before picking. Brew it cooler than black tea.
$12 / 50 g
Tasting favouriteRolled oolong
Floral and creamy; the leaves open slowly over five or six short brews.
$14 / 50 g
Spiced chai blend
Black tea with cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and cloves. No nuts or milk in the blend.
$10 / 100 g
Chamomile flowers
Whole flower heads, honeyed and calm, with no caffeine. Not for anyone allergic to daisy family plants.
$8 / 50 g
Glass teapot with infuser
600 ml of heat resistant glass with a steel basket for loose leaf.
$38
Porcelain gaiwan set
A lidded bowl, its saucer and four small cups for short, repeated brews.
$32
Tea for your café or office
Tins, pouches or bags blended for you, with brewing cards for your staff.
Price on enquiry
EnquireTea leaves the shop in sealed pouches that keep out light and air, and the checkout works out the delivery charge for your address. Visitors can smell any tin at the counter before a bag is filled.
Brewing guide
Use freshly drawn water and warm the pot first. These are starting points, so taste and adjust to suit.
| Tea | Water | Leaf for 250 ml | Steep | Brews |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black | Just off the boil, 95 °C | 2.5 g, a heaped teaspoon | 3 to 4 min | 1 or 2 |
| Green | 70 to 80 °C | 2.5 g | 1 to 2 min | 2 or 3 |
| Oolong | 85 to 95 °C | 5 g in a gaiwan | 30 to 60 s | 5 or 6 |
| White | 80 to 85 °C | 3 g | 3 to 5 min | 2 |
| Chai | Simmered in milk and water | 5 g | 5 min | 1 |
| Herbal | Boiling, 100 °C | 2 g | 5 to 7 min | 1 |
A rule of thumb: the more delicate the leaf, the cooler the water and the shorter the steep.
A tea room behind the shelves
Any tea on the shelves can be brewed in the tea room, by the pot for one or two, so you can taste it properly before buying a bag. Every pot arrives with a small timer and a jug of hot water for the second brew.
Cakes and scones come from a bakery round the corner each morning and are listed on the board with their allergens: most contain gluten, milk and egg, and two contain nuts. Ask whoever is serving about cross contact if an allergy is severe.
- A pot for one from $5
- Twenty two seats, no booking for pots
- Allergens written on the board
Guided tastings
Small groups around one long table, with the kettle on from start to finish.
Tea from leaf to cup
a seat$30
Ninety minutes on how black, green, oolong and white teas are made, with six teas to taste.
- Up to ten people
- Thursdays at 18:30
- Notes to take home
Oolong and the gaiwan
a seat$36
Two hours brewing rolled and twisted oolongs in a gaiwan, many short brews from one measure of leaf.
- Up to six people
- Saturdays at 10:00
- A gaiwan each for the session
Private tasting
a group, from$220
An evening for a birthday, a team or a book club, planned around the teas your guests like.
- Up to twelve people
- Evenings by arrangement
- Cakes can be added
Tell us about allergies when you book, and the cakes and blends on the table are chosen around them.
Tins, cups and steam
A day at the counter and around the tasting table.
Poured, sipped and reviewed (example reviews)
Smelled four oolongs before choosing and was shown how to brew the one we bought. The gaiwan session a week later made all of it click.
The brewing time on the bag finally fixed bitter green tea at home: cooler water and a shorter steep. Tasting it in the tea room first helped too.
Booked a private tasting for a book club of nine. Every cake was labelled with its allergens and the host kept the kettle going all evening.
Questions over a pot
How much caffeine is in your teas?
Black and oolong teas usually carry the most, green and white rather less, though it depends on the leaf and how long it steeps. Herbal teas such as chamomile have none. Anyone who is pregnant, or whose health is affected by caffeine, should ask a health professional how much suits them.
How should loose leaf tea be stored?
In an airtight tin away from light, heat and strong smells such as spices or coffee. Most teas taste best within a year, and green teas within six months of opening.
Are any teas a concern for allergies?
Pure teas contain none of the common allergens, but some blends include nut pieces, dried fruit or flowers, and chamomile can affect people allergic to daisy family plants. Each label lists everything in the blend.
Can a tea be tasted before buying?
Yes. Every tin can be smelled at the counter, and any tea on the shelves can be brewed as a pot in the tea room.
Can cafés and offices buy from you?
Yes, in tins, pouches or bags, with brewing cards for staff. Use the form to tell us roughly how many cups a week and which teas you serve.
Can tea be sent abroad?
To most countries, yes. Food import rules differ from country to country, and some restrict herbal blends or ask for extra labelling, so we check the address before the order is packed.
Book a tasting or plan a supply
Name the tasting, the date you would like and how many are coming, or tell us what your café or office drinks. You hear back within one working day with the seats confirmed, or with teas and quantities to suit.
- Seats confirmed by email
- Tea room cakes can be added
- Payment settled directly with the shop
Visit the shop and tea room
Come in to smell the tins, or stay on for a pot at the back; the last pot is poured half an hour before closing.
Write or call
Shop and tea room in the covered arcade near the station
Shop and tea room
| Monday to Friday | 9:00 to 18:00 |
| Saturday | 9:30 to 18:00 |
| Sunday | 11:00 to 16:00 |
The new season
Green teas arrive fresh each spring and the first pickings go quickly. Ask in any message to hear when they land.