Lancaster Blend Full Body / Rich Tannins / Red Liquor

Lancaster Blend Tea

Our local champion blend of Indian and African teas are robust enough to rival our Yorkshire neighbours’ more famous brew. It’s the perfect traditional afternoon cuppa to lubricate any tea interval. That could be at the Roses Match enjoying the thwack of cork on willow. Or it could be procrastinating in the face of a deadline while working from home. It's good to know then, that it was concocted long ago, to lift the gloom of a Winter’s afternoon or slake the thirst on a hot Summer’s day.

East of the Rift

A very ‘English Tea’ - that is to say, a typical black tea that we are all familiar with on these islands. It is garnered from long established tea growing areas in Assam and Kenya. One third of it is a Kenyan grade called: KTDA BP1. It is smallholder-grown, on the Eastern side of the Rift Valley - the better side of the rift, off course! Tea blenders fall back on these deep, tasty Kenyan leaves to give backbone to a blend.

The Quality Belt

The other two thirds come from the Assam quality belt and is made up half and half of two different grades: a BP1 for strength and a GFBOPS - which stands for Golden, Flowery, Broken, Orange, Pekoe, Superior and gives the tea its floral notes. The Quality Belt in Assam, just like the East of the Rift designation in Kenya, is a sign of indisputable geological, topographical and climateological superiority. It's a volcanic gift to tea drinkers everywhere!

Revolutionary Tea

In days of old it will have been consumed with gusto as the human fuel of the Industrial Revolution. Don't forget, Atkinsons was there from 1837 as a young start-up just as the whole thing kicked into gear. In those days it was probably drunk with milk and two sugars, to replace the spent sweat of graft, as the Steam Age rolled on throughout the 19th and into the 20th Century. How many turns and how many tons did our lovely old red Tea Blender churn out in days gone by…?

Turning Over a New Leaf

Nowadays, here at the beginning of the 21st Century, this old favourite is close at hand during the Digital Revolution. We have subtly tweaked the blend to make this a delicious companion for those working from home. To herald these new ingredients and to celebrate the longevity of the brand, we have ironically gone back to the archives for the redesigned label.

Some Comfort in your Cupboard

We believe that, as we sit here facing all the uncertainties of a post pandemic future, a little heritage can provide some warm comfort in your cupboard. So pour some wellbeing in your mug as part of your daily tea-making ritual.