I always want more. (Sainsburys lemon and grapefruit tea bags)

Member Name: Rosassnaps

Product:	Sainsburys lemon and grapefruit tea bags
Date:	19/08/04 (423 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Caffeine free, Refreshing, So good for you

Disadvantages: Needs an acquired taste.

?Oh yeah?, I thought, ?they?m playin? their liddle trick again??takin? an item off the shelf fur a few weeks, then puttin? it back again at a higher price, thinkin? that you?m gwain to furget how much it was before!!?

Have you noticed this? I?m sure you have!!

(I naw me spellin? is wrong in that there paragraph, but tiz what I was thinkin? in me Debenshur accent!!)

This is the thought that went through my mind, a couple of months ago, when doing the weekly supermarket shop, as I arrived at the tea section to buy my supply of fruit tea bags, but was shocked to find that there were none on the shelf.

Being a little fussy, I don?t like all the flavours, so I started to look through all the other brands available.

Twinings do some assorted flavours, but most of them have at least one flavour that I know I would not like??AND the price is higher.

It was no use looking at ?normal? tea (full of caffeine), as I really don?t like the taste of it any more.

You see, I have now been drinking fruit infusion teas for many, many years now, and it gets to be an ?acquired? taste.
The first flavoured bags that I drank were Lemon Zester and Apple Bliss, made by the London Fruit and Herb Company, but after a while, I also discovered that Sainsburys were introducing their own brand of fruit tea bags, which were a few pence cheaper too.

There was just ONE flavour that appealed to me?.Lemon and grapefruit?..delicious I thought.
AND I was NOT disappointed!


Now, getting back to the supermarket??.when I had almost given up searching for a suitable tea purchase, I spied right down on the bottom shelf?..boxes of Lemon & grapefruit tea bags in boxes of 40?s.
The outer box was now different than before?that?s probably why I didn?t spot it sooner. AND this is a known sales technique of supermarkets?..they put the cheaper things low down and the more expensive items at your eye l
evel, hoping you won?t look down!!


APPEARANCE of the BOX.
All sides apart from the bottom (that is if you stand the box on its smaller square end), which has the bar code, are covered with pictures of lemons growing on their branches (bright yellow and bright green)?.quite attractive really.
On the front side of the box, there is an inset square telling you what is in the box?..Sainsbury?s ?naturally caffeine free?.lemon & grapefruit flavour tea?..zesty and uplifting?.40 tea bags.
On turning the box to it?s back, we find quite a lot of useful information??how to prepare, ingredients, storage, quality checking, careline number, address, web site and weight ,which is 100gram.
It also tells you to look on the top of the pack for the best before date.
So looking on the top of the box, there is a small square stating a best before date which is more than 12 months away.
Also on the top, is a small rectangle with the same info as on the front square.


Before you can open the box of tea bags, you have to break though the outer cellophane wrapper?..not too difficult?I suppose this keeps the tea bags fresher.


The TEA BAG.
On opening the box, you will find the 40 tea bags sitting in the box in pairs, (no strings attached), and the aroma that hits you is very pleasant?..sort of lemony and grapefruity! The bags are not square?more rectangular, measuring 3? by 2 ½? (or approx. 7.6cm by 6.4cm if you were not brought up with inches, as I was!)
Each bag is about one third full of small granules?very much like a bag of seeds to look at.


BREWING.
This tea can be drunk hot or cold, but I always drink it hot.
Put your kettle onto the heat, (after filling with freshly drawn water, of course!!)
While waiting for it to boil, pop one of the lemon & grapefruit tea bags into you mug (or cup, if you are more ?posh?).
When the kettle has boiled, pour the freshly boiled water
onto your tea bag (in the mug, of course!!), and allow to infuse for 3 to 5 minutes?.this is the recommended time on the box. Then, you are supposed to remove the bag and squeeze it out.
This is where I don?t stick to the ?rules?(rules are made to be broken, aren?t they??!!)
I usually sit down and wait a while, as it is much too hot to drink, even after the maximum 5 minutes??.(no milk is added to cool it).
Then I ?swish? the bag about in the cup, to mix evenly, and leave it in the cup while I enjoy my refreshing caffeine free drink?..beautiful.


To drink this cold, prepare as above, but only half fill your mug to infuse.
Top up your mug with ice cubes, and allow to melt a while before drinking.


A Summer Punch can also be made, by preparing cold, as above, then adding fruit and/or sweeten.


WHAT YOU SEE AND SMELL.
The infusion colour is a pinkish orange colour.

The smell?..I should say that aroma is a better word?.is ?fruity??.not a very strong aroma, but I think it is much better than your ordinary tea.


THE TASTE.
As I mentioned before, drinking fruit flavour teas is an acquired taste?you either like them or hate them, but don?t discard these tea bags after only one cupful.
They are so good for you, not having any caffeine content.
Probably good for a slimmers drink too, as no milk is added.

Have at least a dozen cupfuls before deciding if you are going to like the taste.
As the flavourings are only 4% grapefruit and 3% lemon plus even less hibiscus, there is no overpowering taste.
Just a gentle lemony, grapefruity taste, which I think is absolutely delicious. (I can?t get enough of it sometimes!!)

As well as the flavourings, the main ingredients are
Apples,
Rosehips,
Lemon Peel(20%)
and citric acid.

I do not sweeten my drink, but you can sweeten with honey if you so desire (not sweet en
ough without??!!)


PRICE.
The box of 40 tea bags cost £1-39p, which is a good price, as I think their old packaged boxes of 20 were about 79p.
So when you think about it, they have actually put the price DOWN! (which is unusual!)


If you compare with the price of
Twinings flavoured teas, which are £1-09p for boxes of 20,
and £1-53p for boxes of 40,
and Dr. Stuarts botanical teas at £1-39 for 20?s,
and Whittards at £1-50 for 25?s,
I?d call them a bargain price.


TO SUM IT UP.
Personally, I will never drink ?normal? tea again, having drunk fruit teas for so long now.

If I?m out somewhere, and have forgotten to top up my ?handbag supply?, or the café doesn?t have fruit teas, I?d rather drink a cup of hot water.
I think that cafés are beginning to stock more flavours now, as the popularity grows.

Maybe they won?t have my Sainsbury?s lemon & grapefruit bags, but other brands are stocked.

I was so pleased a couple of months ago, when on holiday, as a couple of little tea shops, one in St. Marys(Isles of Scilly) and one in Wadebridge(Cornwall), came up trumps with a selection of flavours that I liked.

OTHER INFO.
On the box, Sainsbury?s state that,
like all their brand foods, there is no GM ingredients,
and all their suppliers meet their stringent standards of quality and safety.


If you have a complaint,
the careline is on Freephone:- 0800636262.

Goods are packed for Sainsbury?s at
33 Holborn,
London EC1N 2HT.


The web site address is:-

www.sainsburys.co.uk


OTHER FLAVOURS.
If you are not a lemon & grapefruit fan, here are the other flavours that available in the Sainsbury?s fruit tea bag range.

Cranberry,
strawberry & raspberry;
Blackcurrant;
Rosehip; (All at same price of £1-39 for 40).;

Pure Camomile;

Pure peppermint, (these 2 are £1-49 for 40).

Then there is the selection box
of 20 at 99p containing 5 bags each of
orange,
blackcurrant,
lemon& grapefruit,
and cranberry/strawberry/raspberry.


You really should try these Sainsbury?s tea bags.

I?ve never looked back since I started drinking them.


Thanks for reading.

Summary: