Byrne's Blends

Being from Ireland I naturally love tea. At every event in my life there's been a cup of tea. When I've celebrated, I've had a cup. When I've been told bad news, it's been with a cup of tea. When I've found out I've lost loved ones, it was with a cup of tea. Tea has been with me and has been a part of my journey through my entire life. However it was only a few years ago that I ventured further into tea than Tesco's shelves. I started to learn more about teas, their flavours, and started putting a lot of my time, effort and money into tea. I created an Instagram called 'Tea Reviews Nobody Asked For' where I have reviewed teas and created friendships with some incredible companies and other bloggers. After a few years of refining my tastes I thought about making up my own blends, which I don't think was even the most important part of my learning experience. I think the most important part was learning what I did and didn't like in some companies - overcharging, high use of plastic, terrible websites, poor use of social media. From there, I think is when I really had the spark. I had the thought "if you want something done right, ask people to help you to do it yourself."

So, now I'm here asking for your lovely help.

I plan to start off with 10 different tea blends that travel around my favourite places in the island of Ireland. Some of the teas are of geographical areas and some are of places from my life that feel special to me. Each tea will come with instructions on brewing and a story behind why I've chosen to represent that place in the form of tea and why I've chosen the flavours that I have.

1. The North Coast - this will be a oolong and peppermint flavoured tea that will remind you of classic sea-side chalky rock.

2. Ballycastle - a rooibos base with vanilla and honeycomb flavouring - reminding me of my trips to Ballycastle with my mother on the back of her motorcycle as a child.

3. Glenariff Forest - a green tea, earthy flavouring with nettle for that extra kick.

4. Portnoo Beach - Black tea, little hearts, raspberry/pomergranate flavouring. This is where my partner and I fell in love, and so I want my customers to fall in love with this tea too.

5. Queer Quarter, Belfast -  hibiscus, punchy, fruity, bright and colourful, coconut. I would like 10% of the proceeds of this tea to go to a local LGBTQIA+ charity. 

6. The Mourne Mountains - a lapsang, smokey flavoured tea - this is where I did my DofE and where I've hiked frequently. 

7. Honorary Granny's - Biscuit Tea - this tea will taste like your favourite biscuit. I'm still torn between going from a custard cream/bourbon/jaffa cake biscuit. 

8. Ards Penninsula - Earl Grey Cream (earl grey with vanilla)

9. Bath night in front of the fire - Chai, heating you up from the inside out while the fire heats you from the outside in.

10. Wine Cove - Black tea with rose and cream flavours.

Having painted and run a blog for a while alone I plan to do my own designs and photography to advertise my company. I plan to paint my own pictures to use on the packaging for each of the separate teas.