You would think that in Blighty, of all places, you’d be able to get just about any tea you want. Well, not if you want Chai (Indian spiced tea). Yes, this commodity which is falling of the shelves of any NZ supermarket with any self respect is a rare commodity in London.
After finding the supermarkets lacked this basic commodity I went to Whittard. After all, not only do they have a superb range of excellent tea but even a mixing table to make your own blend. Surely, I thought, they’ll have it, and they did: but only in leaf form. And while leaves are the only way to enjoy decent tea they’re a pain in the arse for work.
And so my quest finally ended when I stumbled across a small grocery shop in Mayfair selling the Twinings version for an extortionate price. What a kerfuffle – it would almost be easier just to take a large detour to King’s Cross each morning and pick up a ‘Chai Steamer’ from the coffee cart (a highly recommended option with my personal seal of approval). In any case, next time I’m asked if there’s anything I want from NZ I’ll know just what to say.
