Working in the NHS, my colleagues and I are horribly institutionalised, punctuating the day with hot drinks which we make at set times, rarely deviating from our clockwork routine. When a new colleague recently suggested a cuppa somewhere between two established hot drink times, the rest of us were outraged at such a blatant violation of the hot beverage code of practice.

My drinking habits are only partly entrenched; the first one of the working day is plain and simple redbush tea. The mid afternoon one is currently a lavender-oolong infusion (because the brand name is '3.15 tea'). Hot drinks taken between those times are less defined and I will make a decision based on how I feel at the time.

Heath & Heather's "Raspberry Leaf" is one of the teas I am drinking quite frequently at the moment. The company makes a range of fruit and herbal teas (or infusions if you prefer) and groups them together in ranges, this one being part of the 'Wellbeing' range. It's worth mentioning, at this point, something about the packaging. While the "front" of the box is quite simple and appealing, the other sides are covered in text - the ingredients and composition (in English and several other languages), company background, nutritional information and information about ethical considerations. None of this information, however, explains why Heath and Heather have included the product in the Wellbeing range other than to say that "Carefully selected Raspberry Leaf has been infused with apple to help support your wellbeing", information I find rather vague.

If you do wish to know why Raspberry Leaf is considered to be beneficial, I suggest you take a look at Jo1976's excellent review of this product, in which she explains why it is recommended for women in the final stages of pregnancy. As I was not personally aware of the possible health benefits when I bought the product, nor would I be able to comment on its efficacy in this indication, I will not comment on its role in the promotion of wellbeing.
I actually bought the product because I hadn't read the name properly and had assumed when I saw the image of the raspberries on the packaging that it was a raspberry tea; no, this is raspberry leaf. One of the ingredients listed is "Raspberry Flavouring" at 5 per cent but it's not really possible to pick the flavour out. In fact the flavour I pick out most is the apple which is a bit disappointing because I'm pretty sure it only appears as a means of sweetening this infusion. I remember seeing apple pomace used in other infusions: it's the pulp you're left with when pressing apples for juice or cider.

This one also contains hibiscus, another commonly found ingredient in teas of this type and instantly recognisable to anyone who drinks a fair bit of this kind of stuff. Raspberry leaves are the main ingredient and there are blackberry leaves in this tea too. Rosehips and raspberries (as opposed to "Raspberry Flavouring") are the last two ingredients and must be included in such small quantities that the precise amount is not listed.
After approximately five minutes brewing time (one bag is enough for one person for an average size mug) the end result is a mildly fruity drink with a slight citrussy tang that gives way to a gentle sweetness. The dominant aroma is that of rosehips and but this infusion does smell like a generic berry tea, even if it's more subtle. If you're used to quite sugary tasting drinks you might find this a little bitter but I tend not to sugar hot drinks and for me this is just sweet enough.

I can't really comment on whether this infusion has any real impact on my wellbeing. It is, however, naturally caffeine free, and contains no artificial flavours, preservatives or colouring, which can be only a good thing.

This isn't my favourite from the Heath & Heather range but it's pleasant enough and at just £1 for a box of 20 bags from Holland & Barrett at the time of writing, I was recently happy to stock up on a few boxes. My last purchased supply have a use by date of February 2015 making them even better value for money, assuming you have the space to store them and you keep the packet sealed until you want to use them (in other words, they won't last so well if you open the box, use a few and leave the rest for a long time). Holland & Barrett also frequently include this brand in their "Buy one, get one for 1p" promotions, though not at the time of writing.