If you’ve followed me for a while you’ll know by now that I was born in South Africa and spent the first 8 years of my life living there before moving to the UK. Growing up, rooibos was a drink that I enjoyed every day. It is grown in South Africa but is now a popular tea across the world, and over 30 years later, it is still a drink that I consume every day. I am quite particular when it comes to Rooibos and there are only two brands that I tend to buy, so I was excited when The Tea Makers of London got in touch to see if I wanted to try one of the teas from their Rooibos Tea Collection. I was really impressed at the choices on offer, literally like a kid in a candy shop! Usually my go-to selection would be a standard Organic Rooibos which I love having with milk before bed, although I’m also guilty of having 4-5 cups during the day. I think this is due to reading some research a while ago that 6 cups a day is the recommended amount for optimum health benefits. Speaking of which, the health benefits of rooibos are amazing, which is why I always recommend it to friends.

Rooibos health benefits

• High in antioxidants- Which means it may help protect cells from damage by free radicals. Long-term benefits of antioxidants is thought to protect against certain diseases such as heart disease.
• May help to lower cholesterol levels and improve heart health. I track my blood pressure on a weekly basis and there is always a noticeable difference on weeks where I have been drinking rooibos over caffeinated tea.
• May benefit people with type 2 diabetes. There are ongoing studies on this, but it sounds promising so far.
• Caffeine-free. Rooibos is caffeine-free so is a good choice for anyone who gets side effects from caffeine. It is also a good bedtime drink.
• May help anxiety. I always feel much calmer after drinking rooibos and it is my go-to drink when I’m feeling anxious. Again more studies are needed on this but it seems to be a popular health benefit amongst people I have spoken to.

Flavoured rooibos is also popular in the UK and with that in mind I was sent the Organic Vanilla Rooibos to try. I’ll be honest, I have only tried vanilla rooibos once before and I wasn’t a fan. It tasted artificial and I swore never to go back. However, I was pleasantly surprised by this version. It is made with added vanilla pieces and natural vanilla flavouring, making it sweeter than the original rooibos and, in my opinion, is best consumed on its own without milk or sugar. It is perfect if you have a sweet tooth or if you usually have sugar in your regular tea.

I found this really refreshing and loved the plum notes. There was also no artificial after taste like in my previous experience of vanilla rooibos. The tea is available loose (which I received) or as tea bags. There is also a tea envelope option. As someone who works from home I think that the Working From Home Speciality Tea Gift Set would make the perfect Christmas gift or even a treat for yourself. There are also a range of other Tea Gift Sets including a Christmas hamper, which would be perfect for family or even a teacher.

If you would like to try The Makers of London range then make sure to take advantage of their Black Friday offer which gives you 20% off sitewide from Wednesday 23^rd until midnight on Monday 28^th. 

Before and after this you can get 15% off of your first order when you sign up to their newsletter using the form at the bottom left of their homepage.