23 September 2010

Make Mine A Builders Tea {by @NLi10}


This is a review in two parts:


1. Builders Tea - standard review

Every so often a product comes along where the 'gimmick' or 'concept' behind the product is so amazingly obvious you struggle to understand why it has never been done before. This is the case with Make Mine A Builders Tea, in the UK at least strong tea is often referred to as builders tea, so why not make a product that capitalises on this and has strong flavoured tea that people buy as a joke for people doing DIY or if they just like stronger tea.

Only here's the thing - this product isn't a joke product. Not only do proceeds from the tea go to help train the next generation of young builders, but the tea is covered with relevant content like builder’s tips and manly contests to blow up buildings (now finished). It's also a damn good cup of tea! I'd expected some cheap, naff teabags inside and that they would be targeting people buying for others but this is not the case. The flavours are strong like you'd expect but never harsh, and there is a real blend of flavours. Also it doesn't seem to be massively high in caffeine like some teas can be - important to someone like me who tries to cut down on these things.

It's like popping into your favourite English road-side Cafe for a cup of tea and an escape from the chaos of the real world, and that is a really good feeling. So good that I decided to take half of the box into work leading me to the second part of this review.


2. Builders Tea - 'Good enough for Work tea?' review

It's taken me a while to get around to this review because of all the event reviews I've had to do (Halo potions & Pirates etc.) but mainly because I wanted to give it a fair trial at work. I must be about half was through the packet I took in now and the results have been surprising.

It's easy to make a good cup of tea at home - boiling water and all the supplies like sugar and real, non sachet milk are there ready. At work we have a pathetic water heater (which is perfect for coffee but rubbish for tea) and sachet milk & cheap sugar *acquired* from the canteen when paying too much for lunch there. The challenge was to taste as good as my existing stash of PG Decaf teabags, given these sub-optimal conditions.

I have to say that Make Mine A Builders rose to the challenge admirably. Sure it's not as nice as at home, and it requires a bit longer in the cup, but it makes a good cup of afternoon thinking tea for sitting at my desk with. I'd say I still need the decaf for when I'm thirsty but not in need of the boost that the caffeine inevitably brings, but I've decided that I can certainly make space in my draw for this alongside the PG and the biscuit tin - especially as it makes a perfect visitors tea. I'm not sure what they would call a decaf version (interior decorators tea?) but I'd certainly be tempted to try other variants should they try branching out.

As it stands it's a great tea and one of the products I'll probably end up buying most out of the ones I've tried.

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