Knowing that vast quantities of tea are consumed by the TVR team, the lovely people at Bruu decided to send us a little boost to our supplies.
Founded in Yorkshire in 2014, Bruu has an interesting backstory. It may not be a company you’re familiar with, but they like to do things a little differently at Bruu, standing confidently in their stance that once you try their tea “your tastebuds will be hooked”. The idea was born out of a frustration with the tea offered at family get-togethers as well as the lack of quality and variety available on the mainstream market. It was noted by the founder that a wonderful variation of tea could be found IF searched for, but it wasn’t easy to do and the quality was never quite high enough. Consequently, they made it their mission to bring top quality tea that isn’t restricted by our traditional “bagged” formation.
How it works
Bruu teas are typically purchased through a subscription scheme, though it is possible to buy individual selections through the website. If subscribing, teas are sent out each month in a gorgeous, letterbox sized box. And no two months are the same, with three varieties included with each delivery. Bruu confirmed that there is enough tea in each box for 20-40 cups depending on the type of tea you select and if you re-infuse more than once. Because of the freshness of each ingredient and the strength thereof, it’s completely possible to re-infuse a few times over.
“Always fresh, better tasting, as you like it, every month.”
But there’s no worry of being sent a type of tea of which you’re not fond. On registration, your preferences are noted and then through a super clever “tea engine”, your ideal selections are chosen each month. Noting enough variety that it doesn’t feel samey but ensuring an element of familiarity that means you’re happy with each cup of tea made.
What’s in the box?
Aren’t subscription boxes always so exciting to open? Well, this one is no different. They really make an effort on appearance.
Each tea is contained within an individually labelled packet, with a description card pegged to the top. The details are really useful with information such as what your tea is made up of and why these ingredients were chosen, as well as why they love it and where it’s from. Each card is really interesting to read, for example with Grandma’s Garden tea, it states “The finest and freshest British fruit from sustainable farming sources right here in the UK. Thanks to poly tunnels, eliminating many of the weather related risks, we are able to grow some of the freshest fruits around.”
It’s little details like this that we feel sets Bruu ahead of much of the competition.
Aside from your three teas, there is also an additional “Discovery” tea from that month’s featured region. You will also find a range of VIP discounts and benefits plus a free surprise gift.
What did we think?
Slightly sceptical that Bruu tea would be anything better than we’ve tried before, we were instantly put in our place. Overall, this tea is unique in its flavour and the brand impressive in its diversity, thoughtfulness and ability to know how to put the best ingredients together. You can tell from first glance that the quality of the ingredients is high. Not only because of the beautiful unique fragrances but because of the colours and textures within each package. If it’s a fruit tea, for example, you’ll see fruit pieces in your infuser. There’s nothing false or artificial here. And I admit to having a little root around each one, identifying the ingredients as I went.
As a consequence, everything tastes beautifully smooth, with no bitter aftertaste.
And the little pegs? An adorable extra touch that doesn’t go unnoticed.
Our favourite from the trial: Biscottea
Our assumption was that Biscottea would be quite bitter from the addition of cinnamon and cloves but this couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, the taste was incredibly clean but not too sweet with a touch that’s almost close to caramel. They call this one “a tea with a soul” and we can understand why. The flavour is deep with a background subtlety of a gentle black tea.
To conclude, if you are a tea lover, or want to buy a thoughtful gift for a tea lover, then we can’t recommend Bruu enough. I thought myself quite the tea connoisseur but now know where I’ll go in future, for a wider understanding and experience of all the magical tea possibilities.
Subscription is from £10 per month with free delivery within the UK. Your box is delivered on the first of every month, usually taking just a couple of days to arrive. More if you are ordering from outside the UK.
