Tea
We've been blending our own teas for five generations - ever since Edwin H Booth opened the first Booths store back in 1847. Trained as a tea-trader, his skills have been passed through successive family members, ensuring that tea remains one of our true specialities.
All our loose teas are tasted, blended and packed in our own tea-rooms in Preston. To ensure absolute consistency, we measure out each tea to be tasted with a sixpence - the exact weight used for the first tastings in India. We then rate each one by a flavour strength of 1 to 3.
Flavour strength 1 includes the likes of Nuwara Eilya, a delicate tea from Sri Lanka.
Flavour strength 2 includes Assam, a malty tea from North East India.
Flavour strength 3 includes Kenya with a rich golden colour.
Coffee
Our coffee roaster grades and blends the beans, then hand-roasts them in small batches which are delivered fresh to our stores every day. The blending of beans is essential to achieve the best flavour, after which roasting is used to subtly alter the style. Our coffee comes in flavour strengths of 2 to 5.
Flavour strength 2 includes High Mountain from Central America - ideal for enjoying at any time.
Flavour strength 3 includes Old Bean, aged for a dry, oaky flavour.
Flavour strength 4 includes Monsoon Malabar, wind-dried in India for a velvety body.
Flavour strength 5 includes Mocha, the world's oldest coffee with a rich, chocolatey flavour.
Recently we've introduced Espresso, Brazilian and Guatamalan blends certified by the Rainforest Alliance, an organisation whose members follow sound agricultural practises while guaranteeing farm workers fair wages, dignified living conditions and access to education and health care.
All our loose teas and coffees are served in foil packs with a ziplock to maintain freshness for you.