Hoogly Blogs / autumn

Autum is Hygge

Autum is Hygge

You might not know it from this bright sunshine, but we are now well into autumn. And even though it’s sunny and warm now, there’s sadly only one direction it can go. This happens every year. We think we have beaten the weather. We could swear it’s getting hotter by the day. But then the cold finally snaps upon us, and the leaves fall, and the jumpers and jackets must be taken out from the summer storage.

While for us here at Hoogly Tea hygge doesn’t take any breaks, believing that time should always be taken out of our lives to spend time with the people we care about and enjoy the simpler pleasures, we understand that others aren’t quite as committed. It seems that autumn is the season where hygge has infiltrated British life the most. The celebration of a quieter warmth in darker months, and of cosiness. Perhaps even one of our wonderful hot water bottles upon your lap!

Because of this, at Hoogly we have a lot of love towards autumn. Slowness begins to return to life, scenery becomes something to admire rather just as an a to b, and of course, people fully appreciate the power of a good cup of tea. And who could possibly resist the pull of an autumnal woodland walk followed by a cup of Hoogly Tea?

What teas though would I recommend for Autumn? I will start with a rooibos tea. Our selection of rooibos are almost all perfect for this season. We ensure that our rooibos tea blends pack a punch. Fruity. Spicy. Ones that I would pick out though would of course be Pumpkin Spice. The richness and depth of the allspice perfectly complements the tartness of the rooibos. Can you get any more autumnal?  While certainly a more American spice mix, dating back to the Dutch settler colonies in the 1600s, it has really become a part of our lives here in the UK since Starbucks first opened its doors in 1998. And, to be honest, we will give the Americans this season. Who doesn’t like halloween? If you fancy, why not turn this tea into a syrup to cover your ice cream with! Simply boil up the tea with sugar and water, scoop out your ice cream,  and hey presto, a delicious and easy dessert. Naturally caffeine free as well, so you won’t be springing off any bedroom walls.

Our black teas are probably our second most autumnal tea selection. Baked Apple Chai embraces the aromatic firieness of a Masala Chai whilst also celebrating the autumn harvest.  The baked apple gives a real smokey sweetness to the tea. This is a more aromatic tea than the pumpkin spice, which is a richer blend, so it depends which style you prefer. If you are feeling adventurous, why not try adding a teabag of our baked apple chai to your apple crumble! Just pop one into the mix when you bake it and enjoy.

Of our white and green teas, Rhubarb and Vanilla is what springs to my mind for this season. This might seem odd. Is rhubarb not more of a spring fruit? Something happens when it is mixed with vanilla though, which brings me straight back to the sweet shops of my childhood. It is, in essence, confectionary in a cup! The hibiscus enhances that clean sharpness of the rhubarb, which is then undercut by the smallest of hints of vanilla. The warmth and the sweetness will bring the flush right back into your cheeks. The hibiscus also makes it a beautiful deep red.  If you are looking for a savoury way of enjoying our tea, why not try making this into a jelly to have in a trifle? Pop it into the hot water for a bit, then pour it over some jelly mixture and leave to set! I promise it won’t disappoint.

We have skirted over some of the more jarring elements of the seasons changing. Colder, longer nights can mean that people are in need of lifestyle changes. Our Turmeric Twist, a herbal infusion made primarily of turmeric, is soothing and relaxing.  A miracle tea, it will sift through the foggy malaise which comes when the days get darker and the sun hides itself for a little bit. Subtle hints of citrus and mint add to the delightfulness of this cup of tea, raising the spirit and the body! It’s delicious in a butternut squash soup as well, and we all know that they are just round the corner.

These are of course just four of our teas. Who knows what your tastes could be. We have a list of over fifty different blends for you to pillage your way through though, so I’m sure one will be the perfect blend to get you through the coming months. 

Written by Euan Reid

www.hooglytea.com

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Hoogly Games Night!

Hoogly Games Night!

Greetings Hoogly fans! The days are gradually getting shorter, the night creeping in earlier. As they are keen to inform us in Game of Thrones: winter is coming. We will be spending more time indoors, shielding ourselves not from undead White Walkers, but from the cold and the dark. But fear not! We at Hoogly love a cosy evening inside. It’s what makes us who we are: warm socks, the low light of candles, comfy pillows and the lovely, carefree conversation of close friends and family. Our whole ethos is about focussing on the things that bring us joy, being mindful and enjoying the moment, and treating ourselves to the nice things in life. And not only this, we know how to have fun—which is why we’re the biggest fans of games nights. What better way to bring your nearest and dearest together than a laugh-out-loud, entertaining night of competitive mayhem, strategic decisions, trivia knowledge, mystery solving and eccentric dice-rolling techniques.

To get you in the mood, we’ve cobbled together a list of our favourite games, all of which are guaranteed to delight your guests, young and old. 

 

  1. Agatha Christie, Death on the Cards. Do you like murder mysteries? Do you like deceiving your friends and family? Then this is the game for you! Players must harness their inner Poirot to solve a murder and find out who among your guests has committed the ghastly crime! Work cooperatively and use your detective skills to unmask the killer—but trust no-one, as one of the players will be working against everyone else, keeping themselves hidden and attempting to escape justice! Each player also has dark secrets they must keep concealed from other players to avoid being disadvantaged and suspected! Do you have what it takes to solve a crime? Do you have what it takes to get away with murder…?
  2. Codenames. An unpredictable game of espionage and subterfuge as two spymasters attempt to make contact with their 25 agents, who are known only by their codenames. The codenames are laid out on the table in the form of single words. Players must give one-word clues to their teammates, who must identify the correct word, while avoiding the enemy spies and the lethal assassin, whose icy touch ends the game immediately. This is a brilliant game for two groups of two, testing your ability to communicate savvily with your partner, proving whether or not you are on the same wavelength. It is a game of risk-and-reward and high stakes, where the wrong answer can prove fatal! 
  3. Herd Mentality. This is a hilarious, cow-themed party game in which you’re given random questions, and you have to answer as you think everyone else would in order to win cows and avoid being the outcast with the solitary pink squeezy cow! It’s great fun to hear everyone else’s answers and learn some (odd) things about them, like their favourite muppet, the largest fruit they could fit in their mouth without chopping it up, or who in the room they think is the best dressed! If a player is taking too long over their answer, the rules state you are allowed to moo at them to hurry it up! Up to twenty people can play and it’s endlessly re-playable because the answers are never the same, even with the same players!
  4. Poetry for Neanderthals. A family-friendly game, similar to Taboo, where players earn points by getting their teammates to guess words and phrases. The twist is that you’re only allowed to use the one-syllable words of a friendly caveman! So, to describe ‘Netflix’ you might say ‘Watch this with friends; pay for it and stream. Much good shows. Not Prime!’ If you accidentally spill a two-or-more syllable word, your opponents are required to bop you on the head with the caveman’s inflatable club, whilst saying, ‘NOPE’! Hours of prehistoric party fun!

 

So, what delicious Hoogly tea would best accompany a games night? Well, we want something fun, crowd-pleasing and moreish. Something you can enjoy time and time again. Something that will put a smile on everyone’s face with its simple charms. 

Look no further than Apple Strudel Green tea!! A stylish and warming gem for the colder evenings, this classic combination of juicy apples and sweet spices, bound by a roasted green tea, offers a well-baked delight with every sip. It's one of our favourite brews here at Hoogly, a dependable and tasty mug of love that everyone will enjoy, and is a treat for anyone wishing to bring a bit of cosiness and Danish delight into their lives.

That’s it for this time, tea lovers. Until next time, get gaming!!

Written by Chris Bedford

www.hooglytea.com

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