Hoogly Blogs

Hoogly Tea Party!

Greetings Hoogly lovers! It looks like the heatwave has subsided for now and our lawns and plants have been given a long-overdue drink from Mother Nature—and we’ve had a chance to turn off our fans and wear at least some of our clothes. This feeling of pleasurable relief is something we’re always looking to replicate in our teas: a lovely treat to look forward to after a long day at work or with the kids; a tasty and refreshing way to take a deep breath and regain your inner balance once more.

And the best thing to do with a good feeling once you’ve got it? Share it around! One of the most Hoogly things you can do—in cool or warm weather—is to host a tea party! Our Danish ethos of Hygge is all about feeling calm and content, surrounding yourself with your favourite people and things and building bonds and memories that sustain and enrich us. So what are you waiting for? Get those invites out and let’s get the fun started!

With Hoogly’s delightful range of brews, there’s something wonderful waiting for every single one of your guests, making the day easy and exciting. You can thrill your visitors with sweet and indulgent treats like Chocolate Brownie black tea, Apple Strudel green tea, or our brand new crowd-pleaser: Berrylicious herbal infusion! For the more traditional tea-drinkers, you can serve up charm and elegance with our English Breakfast black tea, Earl Grey or the calming delights of Chill Out Mint herbal infusion. If your guests want to try something unique and different, why not indulge them with the liquid luxury of Marzipan Rooibos, the national treasure that is Danish Pastry rooibos, or the zest-tastic Spiced Orange herbal infusion. With all these flavours and styles, you can try a different and delicious Hoogly blend with each mug, keeping your taste buds dancing for joy.

And what party would be complete without cake? The Danes are masters at gathering together to get hands-on in the kitchen, keenly aware of the benefits. Being with friends and loved ones, creating in partnership, making a mess and licking the spoon—these are not only a great way to spend an afternoon, but they also help us bond, lower our stress levels, keep us away from those pesky phones and tablets, and hopefully result in a yummy masterpiece!

Why not go even further? Once in a while, make a whole batch of cakes, cookies or muffins, give them a price tag and sell them at your party. The money you raise can go to a charity of your choice—and there are loads of official fund-raising tea parties to help you organise, such as the Marie Curie Blooming Great Tea Party, which seeks the support of tea and cake lovers up and down the country to raise funds and awareness for cancer care—a valuable cause that will affect most of us directly or indirectly at some point in our lives. So invite your friends and neighbours around and get the whole street sipping, scoffing and rock and rolling to create memories that will last for years to come.

And once it’s over, do it all again! What better way to put life’s stresses behind you than to flip on the kettle, turn on the oven and have a Hoogly good time!

Written by Chris Bedford

Visit www.hooglytea.com

Posted on August 25, 2018

Tagged: black tea, fun and tea, green tea, herbal infusions, hot drinks, Hygge, hyggelige, social drinking, tea, Tea Party

Tea at the Theatre!

Going to the theatre is one of life’s rare treats. The excitement builds at home when the tickets or email arrives confirming your attendance, making it real. Then the anticipation ratchets up as you hear friends and co-workers rave about the show, and the critics continue to lavish it with praise. On the big night, you crack out your finest clothes, shoes and accessories and admire yourself in the mirror: you are ready for a big night out! When you arrive at the venue, you drink in the surroundings, admiring the ornate fixtures, the plush carpet, the history of the place. You imagine people from different generations, even a hundred or more years ago, treading the same well-worn path into the stalls. And then you see the stage—the curtains drawn back, the set perfectly arranged and painted, the props in place. The anticipation builds again until the lights dim and a voice announces that it is time to start.

It’s at this point that the real fun begins. The lights go up, the actors take the stage and the drama unfurls. You immediately sense how much more intimate and absorbing this set-up is than any television or film production. The drama takes place within touching distance, the actors speak, shout and sing as if they are communicating directly to you across a room. You can see their sweat, read the anguish or delight on their faces, even sometimes notice the glisten of their eyes. You appreciate the imagination and craft of the props: the way one object can become many if viewed from a different perspective; the way a well-designed backdrop can imply depth and size that isn’t there; the way the lights add mood and focus and drama all of their own.

My favourite genre of play has to be the murder-mystery, especially the classic tales of Agatha Christie. From Murder on the Orient Express to And Then There Were None, Christie’s stories have thrilled theatre-goers for generations with their attention to period detail, eccentric and eclectic casts of characters, a famous sleuth trying to solve a murder, and a suspect list that includes everyone except the corpse. Even if you know the story (and the identity of the murderer) inside out, there is still enormous fun to be had watching the whole thing unfold—the deathly scream from another room, the discovery of a body, and delicate assessment of clues and statements until the killer is revealed. It is a tried and tested formula that works a treat every time.

Right now, you can experience an Agatha Christie play with a difference. Witness for the Prosecution is currently showing at London’s County Hall, which for 64 years served as the headquarters for local government in London. At the heart of the hall is the octagonal council chamber, which provided seating for over two hundred council members, as well as four press and public galleries which overlook the chamber. For the purposes of the play, the chamber is transformed into a court room, and you are invited pass judgment on the trial of Leonard Vole, accused of the murdering a widow to inherit her wealth. It really does feel as though you are witnessing a real trial—there are moments when you get so absorbed in the action you want to shout out—and the story of deceit, passion and betrayal is one of Christie’s best. So don’t be guilty of missing out on a unique and riveting theatre experience. Get yourself on jury duty right now!

And when you get home, why not treat yourself to a nice mug of Hoogly tea? Our delightful Danish brews have all the luxury and indulgence of the finest trip to the theatre, crafted to deliver an elegant and refined cuppa that combines Hoogly comfort with the thrill of something new.

You don’t even have to wait until you’re home! Why not take a flask of unapologetically decadent Chocolate Brownie black tea with you for a sweet treat in the interval? For a start, you’ll avoid the bar queue, and secondly, you’ll have a uniquely warming and delicious way to pass the time! If the drama is too much for you, why not calm yourself with Chill Out Mint herbal infusion? This is a classic brew, crafted with soothing menthol and mint, combined with fresh herbs to help settle and satisfy any tea lover!

So there you have it: for a brew that has all the seductive appeal, excitement and just-as-good-the-fifth-time-round star quality of the theatre, then the only choice is Hoogly!

Written by Chris Bedford.

www.hooglytea.com

Posted on August 05, 2018

Tagged: black teas, gin and tea, hot drinks, iced tea, interval, natural, open theatre, showbiz, shows, summer, tea, Theatre

GOING GREY!

The snow has finally gone and the ‘Beast from the East’ has subsided. No longer are we huddling in front of the fire, putting hot water bottles under our jumpers and tobogganing to work. Our mild, grey mornings with intermittent rain showers and sunless afternoons now appear somewhat welcome; there’s no need to hack at the car with ice picks before setting off in the morning, and no immediate threat of turning into Bambi on ice when braving the pavements. And as I write this, on a thrilling rail replacement bus service, that big orange thing in the sky has even dared to make an appearance, poking its face through a cumulus nimbus, hinting playfully at the promise of weeks to come.

All this excitement calls for a celebration. And what better way to celebrate than with a warm, delicious, cosy and Hoogly cup of tea?! This week our feature brew is Earl Grey black tea, our riff on the classic favourite, which we think you’ll go potty for. Perfect as an accompaniment for breakfast and just as good as a treat or pick-me-up throughout the day, our Earl Grey is a thrilling combination of Sri Lankan black tea and natural bergamot oil, infused with zesty lemon peel and sweet orange blossom. The seductive citrus scent is a joy for the nostrils, and the unique taste will have you racing back to the kettle for more!

The assumption is that Earl Grey is named after Charles Grey, the second Earl Grey, Prime Minister of Britain in the 1830s, who was given a diplomatic gift of tea flavoured with bergamot oil by the Chinese. There are stories—not known to be verified—about a Chinese mandarin gifting Grey the tea after one of Grey’s men rescued the mandarin’s son from drowning, but it has to be taken with a pinch of salt as Grey never set foot in China. It would be nice to think, though, that this delightful blend had such a heroic start to its glorious life in England!

Whether you’re a Prime Minister, a mandarin or simply a tea enthusiast, there are certain rules to follow if you want to make the most of your brew. Here’s our Hoogly step-by-step guide to making the perfect Earl Grey cuppa: Start with fresh, cold water—never pre-boiled water that has been left to cool and subsequently re-boiled. Next, heat the water to 208˚ Fahrenheit, or just under boiling point. Before you pour, warm the pot or mug! This is an important one: when hot water is poured into a cold environment it will cool quicker, which doesn’t allow proper and consistent steeping of the blend. Simply pour hot water in, swirl, and pour away. Finally, experiment with how long you want to steep—or brew—the tea. It’s different for different brews—and different tastes—but once you’ve found your style, you’ll soon be in Hoogly heaven!

Now you’ve got your tea, it’s time to get Hoogly. Get your friends or family over, pull on your comfiest, loungiest clothes, crack out the cakes, bakes and sweets and have a super-chilled evening of light chit-chat, board games and digital detox! This is what our company ethos Hygge is all about, and it’s the perfect way to shed your stress, ditch your dramas and unwind. And with our uniquely delicious Earl Grey blend at your side, you’ll soon be as calm, cosy and contented—just like all those delightful Danes!

www.hooglytea.com

Written by Chris Bedford!

Posted on May 07, 2018

Tagged: Beast from the east, black tea, cosy, cup of tea, Earl Grey, hot drink, hot drinks, Hygge, storm, tea, Zesty lemon

The Hunt For Hoogly!

Believe it or not, the weather will eventually warm up and Spring can begin in earnest. One of the most highly anticipated events in the coming weeks is Easter, a time for family bonding, gift giving and relaxation. It’s also a time to indulge in serious amounts of chocolate, as shops are stacked floor to ceiling with our favourite brands in egg form. And there is something extra exciting about finding chocolate within chocolate, with some eggs containing bonus treats!

Easter celebrations take place around the globe, but not all cultures refer to it by the same name. Early Christians knew it as Pesach, the Hebrew for Passover; and today many languages use a variation of this word: Pesach in French, Pasqua in Italian and Pask in Sweden. In Christian tradition, Easter Sunday celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day after his crucifixion, but the historical roots of contemporary festival practices are more widespread.

The origin of the English word is that of a pagan fertility goddess called Eostre, whose celebratory festival always took place during the Spring Equinox. Early European Christian missionaries slowly began to merge the pagan names, timings and some of its symbols into the Christian celebrations. Eostre’s symbol, in fact, was that of a hare or rabbit, thus creating one link to the Easter Bunny! Rabbits also tend to give birth in Spring, so as people saw fields overrun with baby bunnies at this time of year, it was natural to incorporate them into the celebrations, and eventually into Easter.

And the tradition of eggs goes back even further than the time of Jesus. Many ancient cultures, including the Egyptians and Greeks, viewed the egg as a symbol of fertility and renewed life. Eggs were used in pagan rituals, hung in temples and utilised for mystical practices. As missionaries observed people hunting for eggs in Spring, they began to assign value and meaning to the eggs to describe Christ’s resurrection and renewed life. Eggs would be dyed symbolically: yellow for resurrection, red for the blood of Christ, blue for love. Children would hunt for hidden eggs, and then recount the story associated with them.

Nowadays, Easter is big business around the world, especially in America, where spending at Easter can reach up to the tens of billions through a mixture of cards, candy and other gifts. This year, make sure you incorporate the gift of Hoogly into your celebrations! Our delicious teas are the perfect accompaniment to your relaxing, family-orientated holiday, created with the Danish concept of Hygge in mind, which focuses on being calm, cosy and enjoying life’s simple pleasures.

And one of life’s greatest simple pleasures is flipping the kettle on and putting your feet up with a warming brew, surrounded by your favourite people. We at Hoogly can take this simple pleasure to another level with our tantalising range of tasty teas. As Easter approaches, put the stresses of the working week behind you with brews such as Cosy Chamomile, a gorgeous herbal infusion combining snuggly chamomile with lemon verbena, lime leaves and lavender, all especially chosen for their ability to soothe the body and mind. It’s a hug-in-a-mug—what are you waiting for?

If hunting for hidden eggs and other treasure is your thing, then track down and discover Sparkling White Tea!! A magical and elegant blend of Chinese White Tea, fruit pieces and flowers, this sensationally seductive brew will add a touch of glamour to your Easter break! As with all our teas, it smells as delightful as it tastes, bringing you back again and again to experience its charms!

However you spend this Easter, we hope you feel relaxed, renewed and recharged. And don’t forget to hunt down Hoogly!

By Chris Bedford

www.hooglytea.com

Posted on March 17, 2018

Tagged: black tea, Easter hunt, gift, green tea, herbal teas, hot drinks, Hygge, infusions, luxury tea, tea, warm up

Hoogly Blogs / hot drinks

Hoogly Tea Party!

Tea at the Theatre!

GOING GREY!

The Hunt For Hoogly!

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