I never expected Durham to have so much charm! On a recent trip to the city, we wandered around for several hours and stumbled upon this really cute tearoom. The Tealicious Tea Room serves a range of loose leaf teas that are available to buy and take home, as well as a tasty savoury and sweet menu.
After feasting on salmon and cream cheese bagels, we sipped our teas and enjoyed watching the world walk past from the tearoom windows.
Although you cannot buy this tea blend online, I highly recommend heading to the tearoom if you pass through Durham and pick up a box for yourself.
Update 19/07/2022: Tealicious Tea Room now has an online tea shop! I’ve linked to where you can buy this tea below.
Tealicious Tea Room House Blend at a Glance
- Blend: Black tea leaves from Assam (India) and Dimbula (Sri Lanka)
- Flavour: Rounded, malty black tea with considerable tannins and bitterness
My goodness this tea is bitter! The black tea has a gorgeous aroma and a really rounded, full flavour. It is also undeniably astringent and is hard to drink without a generous splash of milk.
Full Review – Tealicious Tea Room Durham
- Type: Loose leaf
- Tea: Black tea blend
- Origins: Assam region of India, Dimbula region of Sri Lanka (Ceylon)
- Flavour Notes: Malty, tannins, rounded, bitter, astringent
- Aroma: Malty, tannins, rich, bright, honey sweetness, warm
- Milk or Lemon: Plenty of milk
- Where to Buy: Tealicious Tea Room Official Website
This house blend is designed as a hearty and rich black tea that’s perfect for a pick-me-up at any time of day. It’s like a breakfast blend! The aroma from the dried leaves is malty and rich, with significant tannins. It’s not overly sweet, but still pleasant.
But when it brews. Oh man. It’s gorgeous! The aroma develops in depth and warmth, adding honey sweetness to the malt and tannins, with an overall bright and fresh note.
The flavour is shockingly bitter, however. From the first sip, it almost makes your cheeks suck in! Nevertheless, it’s a very satisfying and rounded flavour with good maltiness and strength. I took my tea photos before adding milk, to show you the colour of the tea, but it’s really hard to finish a cup without adding some dairy or sugar.
I can definitely see this becoming a firm favourite at breakfast or lunchtime in my house, but it’s a little too strong to be an evening tea.
How to Brew Black Tea by Tealicious Tea Room
Instructions from the Tealicious Tea Room are to use 3 heaped teaspoons per 400ml of boiling water. Let it brew for 3-4 minutes, then strain and enjoy.
For my usual 250ml teacup, I use just 1 teaspoon (not heaped) because I find this tea so strong. But if you are brewing a 2 or 3-cup teapot, then definitely use the 3 heaped teaspoon ratio.
You can try to drink this tea black, but I guarantee that you will struggle. Add a good splash of milk and maybe some sugar if you have a sweet tooth. This is a great tea blend to sip with a slice of cake, or with a hearty lunch. It packs quite a caffeine kick too.
Why Tealicious Tea Room?
I visited the Tealicious Tea Room in Durham in 2021 – it is amazing! There is such a welcoming atmosphere, and you can see all the delicious cakes available. But I highly recommend ordering some savoury food too – we went for the salmon and cream cheese bagels.
The quality of the tea they have is amazing as well. This whole leaf tea features large pieces of leaf and the other blends they have available contain whole spices and other ingredients. As for origins, the leaf in this blend is sourced from the Assam region of India (which creates that malty note) and the Dimbula region of Sri Lanka (also known as Ceylon).
Owned by Alison, the Tealicious Tea Room was created in 2011 to give tea lovers a place to discover rare loose leaf teas. I really identify with Alison’s story – I too have left so many coffee places disappointed with the range and quality of the teas available. It’s refreshing to find a place that can serve high-quality loose leaf tea as well as delicious food.
You can visit the Tealicious Tea Room in Durham. The opening times are 10am to 4pm, Wednesday to Saturday.
Summary
If you are passing through Durham or planning a trip to the city, then the Tealicious Tea Room is a great place to stop for lunch or an afternoon tea. The House Blend is delicious but make sure you ask to see their full menu of teas – there are so many to explore!
Tea Recommendation
If you want a strong and flavourful black tea, but you don’t want to make the trip to Durham, then my blog has plenty of options for you. Today, I’ve been sipping Janat Apple Black Tea and enjoying the early springtime sunshine. Read the full review to learn more about it!