Hoogly Blogs / cosy

Advent is finally with us! I think it is now reasonable for us at Hoogly to sneak out first Merry Christmas out. These next few weeks are always my favourite time of year. The decorations can come out, Aled Jones can be sneaked on when no one is looking, and the Christmas films, which multiply year on year, can begin to make their rotation. And if none of those things sound like your kind of Christmas, then whatever it is that you love most can come out too, even if it involves surfing.

We take Christmas seriously at Hoogly. We are Danish, after all! Indeed, half of our teas are designed as delicious and indulgent winter treats with all the taste of your favourite desserts but none of the calories. But just as it’s no doubt important to stay warm and well fed over Christmas, there’s also another element which we might all be beginning to get a little panicked over. Don’t worry though, at Hoogly we believe that there is a perfect gift for everyone!

The first product to mention is one we are very excited about. Our brand new Luxury Tea Selection Box. Designed by our fantastic team here at Hoogly, this elegant and luxurious box is jam packed with our full range of tea envelopes. It is the perfect gift for either someone with an adventurous palate, or maybe just someone who you can’t decide on a particular tea for. We are certain that it’s beautiful design will delight anyone who lays their eyes on it. Our boxes and envelopes are all 100% recyclable and compostable, so there’s no need to be concerned about any environmental impact. Kick back and enjoy! We are very proud of these selection boxes, and we hope you take as much pride in drinking from their contents as we did in designing them.

We also understand that there are those tea aficionados amongst you all with more specific palettes. For those of you who are looking for stocking fillers, our teapods, which contain 5 teabags,  might just be the perfect fit! We offer them across our entire range as well, so whether it’s a caffeine buzz you think they might like, or a warming herbal tea to soothe away the winter chill, we have it. People should be drinking the tea they love, after all.

For something similar but just a little bit fancier, we also sell selection boxes of 4 teapods, which are gift wrapped by our wonderful staff. They might not quite fit in a stocking, but  if you can’t narrow down what flavour tea they would want, or maybe the person is just a little bit special, then this is the perfect gift!

The final, and maybe most grand of them all, is of course our loose tea starter set. A true set piece of a present, is there anyone who wouldn’t love it? Our teapots are all glass to ensure you get to see the tea leaves transforming the water into those wonderful, deep colours. We at Hoogly know that how something looks is just as important as how it tastes ( although, don’t get me wrong, how something tastes is very important). You also get 50g of a loose tea of your choosing. A very difficult choice! Don’t worry though, you can always add extra flavours to improve the present further,

Of course, it goes without saying that christmas is not only a time for gift giving, but also for spreading joy and spending time with the people you love. We just think that if we can spread a little cheer on christmas day then we should let you know! And if you are tired of the growing post-christmas clutter, or want a genuinely sustainable option, then we really are the perfect treat. Our tea, whether loose, bagged or individually wrapped is all compostable and plastic free.

Written by Euan Reid

www.hooglytea.com

Greetings Hoogly fans! I hope you are all well and enjoyed a restful Easter!

Whether it’s the bar from ‘Cheers’ where “everybody knows your name,” or the intimate familiarity of Central Perk in ‘Friends,’ we all crave a place that feels like home away from home; a place where we can meet, connect, unwind and take a load off; a place where we can share good news (and sometimes bad); a place where laughter is the background music and old friends are part of the furniture. A place which provides a simple, trusted answer to that wide-open question: where should we go?

And now that answer has a name!

  Today I’d like to talk to you about a relatively new—and incredibly exciting—member of the Hoogly family: the Hoogly Tea Lodge! Situated near to Preston Park in Brighton, the Lodge epitomises everything that founder Tina has attempted to create with her Hygge-inspired brand, offering a cosy and warm welcome and a beautifully stress-free way to enjoy delicious food and drink. 

Offering beer, wine, spirits and coffee—as well as our famous teas—the Lodge provides an oasis of calm in a busy city, serving up range of artisan-made and home-cooked grub to satisfy your hunger at any time of the day, from cheese and meat boards to chilli and quiche—as well as a comforting toastie or cake as a treat or pick-me-up. We offer a range of vegan and gluten-free options in both food and drink, and we pride ourselves on inclusivity and a welcoming atmosphere. We have baby-changing facilities, as well as space (and love) for all dogs!

With a high ceiling, natural light and well-crafted furnishings, the Lodge is the ideal setting for a quiet coffee, social gathering or business meeting—and we’re also all about events! We currently host seasonal adventures like Easter Egg hunts, as well as a regular film night and a monthly book club. In addition, we also have an upcoming open mic night as well as a tea-tasting and prosecco day! If it’s hot and happening and Hygge—it’s at the Lodge!

Our friendly staff will give you all the help you need to settle in, and will assist you in navigating our broad and eclectic tea menu, walking you through individual brewing times, as well as offering satisfying taste combinations so you can mix and match your food and drink! Book now and reserve the best seat in the house: the Hoogly Couch—the most comfortable spot in Brighton, according to Tina—and who would argue with the brains behind our brilliant brews?!  

Sound good?

Thought so. But, what’s that? You want me to describe a sample of our menu…? Say no more!

For madam: our brand new Banoffee Pie black tea, a classic and indulgent treat-in-a-cup, with a subtly sweet combination of banana and toffee. And to go with it, a delicious vegan cheese toastie with some crisps. 

For sir: Pumpkin Spice Rooibos tea, with warming spices of cinnamon, ginger and allspice berries, this Halloween-inspired brew can be enjoyed all year round and is frightfully nice! And to accompany the cuppa, a plate of wonderful houmous and sourdough, with some olives and mixed nuts on the side. 

And for dessert? How about a vegan chocolate cake and a Oatopia flapjack? Go half-and-half, sir and madam, to experience the best of both puds!

So there you have it: the Hoogly Tea Lodge is ready and waiting to greet you with a smile, and quietly confident that we will become your new favourite place!!

Written by Chris Bedford

www.hooglytealodge.com

Is it me, or is it cold? Properly, bitterly, unacceptably freezing. The summer heatwave now seems like a bad joke, some distant dream involving t-shirts, Magnums and sleeping without a duvet. This morning it was the sort of temperature where getting out of bed seems like a direct contravention of my basic human rights; the sort of temperature where it wouldn’t be ridiculous to wear every single item of your clothing and ride a huskie sled to work. My greyhound has the right idea: he pokes his long nose out of the back door, assesses the climate, and promptly goes back to bed. His canine senses are telling him to prioritise survival over the comfort of his bladder or the filling of his tummy. If I suggest a walk, he looks at me as if I’ve just ripped up his favourite toy in front of him and binned his box of treats. So, we go back to bed, with a warm mug of Hoogly, of course, and wait for the sun to do its thing.

But this time of year is not all bad: we get to have some spooky fun with Halloween (big shout out to the Netflix series ‘The Haunting of Hill House,’ a brilliant story of families and ghosts to get you in the mood for the dark winter to come) In case you’re wondering, my Halloween costume this year will be a hibernating bear. If someone could kindly bring me some trick-or-treat chocolate to my cave, that would be splendid, thank you.

After Halloween we move to Bonfire Night. This is a truly Hoogly celebration, a way to get friends and family together all dressed up in cosy coats, scarves and fluffy socks. It’s a night for icy breath and wellington boots, of mesmerising orange flames and kaleidoscopic firework displays, of burgers and hotdogs with lashings of sauce. Unless it rains, in which case it’s a bit rubbish. But don’t worry you’ve always got a mug of our delightfully Danish tea to sustain you through the unpredictable weather.

And once we’ve navigated November, we move onto the serious stuff. The word that cannot be mentioned. The all-encompassing stress-monster. The jingling bells and familiar songs. The swathes of shoppers elbowing and bumping each other as they cross items their giraffe’s neck list. The day of gorging and regret, punctuated by the giving and receiving of gifts, and the repeat of a good film.

If you survive the-word-that-cannot-be-mentioned, you’ll then find yourself in January, a month of violent introspection and urgent self-improvement, with military-level supplies of fruit and veg stocked up to compliment our new regime of exercise, which we carry out in a manner that suggests we’re being chased down by a monster. Which is why our regime only really lasts until mid-January, February at best. Plus, we’re a bit hungry. For something other than carrots and quinoa.

And then it’s summer again, possibly another heatwave, beaches rammed with the same people who were brawling for presents in December, but this time with less clothes and more burnt skin and beer. At least you can go to work and come home again in daylight—which does improve the working day by 4-5% (the same percentage as getting a free coffee from the barista or discovering that the boss you dislike is off sick.) This is not quite as big as the 12-13% improvement in a working day when you are allowed to punch out early, especially if it’s a Friday and your extra free time bleeds into a weekend. As Mickey Flanagan says, we’re going out out! The list of things that make a working day worse are too long—and the percentages too big—to mention here, but we all know what they are. We’ll choose to ignore them in a burst of Hoogly mindfulness.

To summarise this rant, I would like to say that every season, every day, every moment is improved incalculably by flipping on the kettle and popping in one of our Hoogly tea bags. Bad moods, bad days, bad luck and bad bananas will fall away as you discover our tantalising variety of finely crafted treats, each designed to bring the cosy comfort of Hygge into your life, allowing you to become the centre of attention, the full focus of your relaxation, stripping away stress and strains as if they never existed. Whether you’re a traditionalist, an experimenter, a sweet-tooth or a smooth operator, there is something in our shop for everyone. You may even find the perfect gift for December, and it’s all just a couple of cosy clicks away!

Written by Chris Bedford, 

www.hooglytea.com

We all have our favourite Christmas traditions; the little moments and items that make the day extra special and unique, and the activities in which everyone joins in, creating a wonderful sense of togetherness and peace. These traditions form part of the fabric of December, an anchor in the seas of our busy lives, keeping us safely moored and reminding us that Christmas has thrilled our previous generations, and will continue to thrill future generations for years to come.

So what are our top 10 Christmas traditions?

-Christmas Cards! The first card was created in 1843 by the Post Office as a way of promoting its services, and now it’s a lovely, non-digital way of saying hello and offering the warmest of wishes in the coldest of months.

-Stockings! This comes from the legend of St Nicholas, the gift giver, who sent bags of gold down a chimney so that a poor man could pay for his unmarried daughters’ weddings. The gold ended up in some stockings that were being aired, and the tradition was created! The Dutch called St Nicholas Sinterklaas, which eventually transformed into the English Santa Claus!

-Mince Pies. Old Santa has a job to do, and he needs mince pies to fuel his trip! Initially inspired by Middle Eastern Cuisine brought back by Crusaders, this was originally filled with meat, but this ingredient had disappeared by Victorian times!

-Holly and the Ivy. Used in pre-Christian times in Winter Solstice celebrations, these enduringly popular plants offer a dash of colour in the dark winter months.

-Turkey. Originating in Mexico, these were popular with Henry VIII, and became a fashion in high society in the 19^th century. It wasn’t until the 1950s that the turkey became a commodity that everyone could afford. Now they’re an integral part of many households on Christmas Day, and the correct way cooking this big bird is the cause of many yuletide arguments.

-Christmas Crackers. Invented by a sweet-maker in the late 1840s, these included riddles and mottos, but it wasn’t until the inventor made them ‘crack’ that sales really took off. Now the sound of the crack is traditionally followed by the reading of a bad joke, and the collective groan by those who bothered to pay attention.

-Christmas Pudding. Fruity, delicious, and sometimes on fire, this is an essential treat that no-one can fit in but rarely, if ever, refuse. Sometimes includes coins—or credit cards, because my Dad thought that was funny.

-Mistletoe. A pagan practice taken up by early Christians, this tradition of kissing under the mistletoe has its origins in England. A berry should be plucked for each kiss until none remains. Pucker up!

-Christmas Carols. Another pagan tradition swallowed up by early Christians, carols have been written throughout the centuries, but most of the familiar tunes were created in Victorian times. Contemporary Christmas music is played on loop in most public places from the 1^st December, and has led some people to wear ear muffs.

-The Christmas Tree! These noble companions have been around for more than a thousand years, but the UK didn’t see one until the 1830s. Prince Albert put one up at Windsor Castle in 1841 and started a tradition that has created magic for every generation since. Caution: some people are very particular about where the decorations are placed, so if you value your life, don’t interfere. It’s just not worth it for bauble and tinsel.

And this year we warmly invite you to add a new tradition to your December celebrations: a mug of Hoogly tea!

Our delicious brews are designed to recreate the calm, cosy and indulgent pleasures of Hygge—the Danish way-of-life that has captured the imagination of millions, and helped the Danes consistently land a place at the top of the ‘world’s happiest people’ tables! Think of Hygge as Christmas all year round; a devotion to feeling peaceful, happy and comfortable by filling your house with things that bring you joy—cute lamps to add atmosphere, big fluffy pillows to lounge about on, and scented candles to add some spice. Hygge is about wearing your oldest, comfiest pyjamas and fluffy socks. It’s about making cakes and licking the spoon, without worrying about the calories. It’s about having friends and family over to share in your happiness and create laughter and memories together.

So if these things sound appealing, then condense them all into a mug and try a Hoogly tea this December. We’ve got some dazzling winter recommendations to warm your cockles: Spiced Orange herbal infusion, a zesty and fruity combo, coupled with mulled spices, offering the perfect accompaniment to a seat by the fire after Christmas dinner. Or how about Lemon & Ginger herbal infusion? Classic lemon and fiery ginger embrace each other in this energising brew that will give you just enough fuel to survive a game of charades before falling asleep in perfect comfort. Lastly, flip the kettle on for Around the Fire Oolong Tea. This is a lovely mix of the comforting and the exotic as smoky Chinese and Taiwanese tea leaves combine with safflower flames and crushed chilli for a kick that Rudolf would be proud of!

  Whatever your traditions are this Christmas, open your heart to Hoogly and make room for one more. We promise you won’t regret it!

Written by Chris Bedford

www.hooglytea.com