Good quality ingredients, unique combinations, well presented, beautiful flavours
Online shop needs creases ironing out and a ‘Search’ facility installed, some teas are pricey for every day
The company Metrodeco are based in Brighton’s trendy Kemptown area. They are a tea salon and describe themselves as ‘a sumptuous taste of a bygone era, lingering luxuriously on the taste buds of today’s tea lovers’.
Being a bit of a tea nut, I was happy to review a small selection of their teas. They kindly sent me 2 lots in those gorgeous little muslin bags and some Matcha tea.
Matcha Tea
Essentially Matcha is 100% green tea leaves which have been ground into a powder. This is then added to hot water by the teaspoonful or the other way round. You can also (according to their website) add it to your baking.
It is prized for being very high in (health protecting) antioxidants and giving all the considerable benefits of green tea but in a more concentrated form. This is because you consume the whole dried leaf rather than just as an infusion which leaves the leaves behind; so to speak
Matcha tea is understood to be good for:
- Fat-burning
- Liver support
- Cleansing
- High in antioxidants and minerals.
- Energizing
- Metabolic support
- Detoxing
- Calming
That’s a big list but what does it taste like?
Matcha whilst made from powdered green tea leaves has a softer taste; I can find green tea quite bitter. I usually drink it only when I remember its good for my liver or need a very gentle caffeine hit. Although as ever you definitely get what you pay for; generally the more expensive teas are milder.
I couldn’t remember ever having drunk Matcha before and did enjoy it. A little goes a long way and I topped mine up several times; that may be a tea crime!
I assume the point to Matcha rather than green tea must be the health benefits. It bears a hefty price tag with a starting price of £18.50 for 50 grams. Unfortunately due to current advertising standards and EU regulations no one can promote something for the advantages it brings, so maybe the price is reassuringly high?
If you hate green tea but what to broaden your tea (and health) horizons then do give this Matcha a try. Start with a ¼ teaspoon in a cup and see how you get on.
Rockerfella Cleansing
Another sample Metrodeco sent me was this strangely named tea; Rockerfella Cleansing. Whilst they do sell loose leaf tea, this one came in those lovely ‘tea temples’. These triangular shaped muslin teabags are very in vogue; justly so, in my book. They allow the tea to infuse properly, maximising the flavours and allowing the aromas to percolate, improving the whole tea experience.
Funny name or not, the tea was delicious! Metrodeco didn’t tell me what the teas were but this was easy to identify. It was comfortable marriage between spearmint and peppermint. I would certainly recommend it as an after dinner alternative to coffee, the combination should be great for digestion. I can also see it as a summer drink, cooled, laced with fresh lime and a few mint leaves; perhaps a raspberry or two?
Liberty Spirit
Not sure where these names came from? I found it an odd choice for the ubiquitous ‘detox tea’. However I am reviewing the tea not the name.
Metrodeco did not know that I have an inherent dislike of detox teas. It seems to give companies carte blanche to throw disgusting ingredients and herbs into a bag and call it a detox tea. Working on the old adage that ‘if it tastes awful it’s probably good for you’.
As I didn’t know what I had been sent, I made this tea up with absolutely no preconceived ideas. The smell was vaguely familiar but basically indistinct. The flavour was however NOT horrid nor was it delicious; it was perhaps best called ‘interesting’.
Normally when people say that, they are trying to be polite; I am not. The flavour made me wonder what was in it, sipping again and again trying to figure it out. I decided that whilst I didn’t dislike it I probably wouldn’t necessarily part with my money for it.
When the nice people at Metrodeco retrospectively told me what they had sent; it all made sense. For a detox tea Liberty Spirit was in fact not bad. Within its genre, it was probably one of the best I’d tried. If I had to drink a tea for this purpose I would definitely chose this one. However I wouldn’t bother with it again unless it was part of a health regime (or they sent me some more!).
Metrodeco teas – my conclusion
I am an avid tea drinker, not (just) for health reasons but because I love the flavours and the tasting experience. I like what Metrodeco have done and am impressed that anyone could come up with something different.
Would I recommend them? Certainly I would for the flavours I was sent, even the detox Liberty Spirit tea, which wasn’t a favourite.
They have also sparked my curiosity. Good tea and 1930’s antiques; sounds like a great way to pass away an hour or two.
Put the kettle on, I’m on way!