ROYAL AIR FORCE TEA: TAKING FLIGHT WITH THE RARE TEA COMPANY

Those of you who tune in regularly will know that one of the most important things in my whole life is that first cup of tea in the morning.

I am being rather well behaved right now and am saving it for my return from the gym as I attempt to lose all the poundage I added to my already ample girth during Road Trip USA 2010. It not only restores and refreshes, it also serves to remind me of Blighty on days when the inevitable homesickness that goes with upping sticks to live in another country occurs.

Usually, my cuppa of choice is the estimable Yorkshire Gold from Taylor's of Harrogate. and one of the rules for anyone visiting me from the U.K. is that they must mule in at least 100 teabags for me to add to my stash. However, it would seem that there is very possibly a new sheriff in town.

Last week my good chum Henrietta Lovell from The Rare Tea Company got in touch and asked me if I would like to try her new Royal Airforce Tea. It is a blend of leaves from two estates, one in Darjeeling and one in Malawi. Henrietta is a keen proponent of Malawian tea and I visited tea estates in Darjeeling when I was on the Eat My Globe tour, so it seemed like the perfect match.

Henrietta was kind enough to send a packet stateside and, after letting the loose black leaves brew for about four minutes, I am savouring a large mug of it as we speak. It is a good, old fashioned type of tea. Perfect for the morning heart starter, strong and bright with enough punch to put all life's woes to one side just for a moment, at least.

Tea, as we all now should know does you good, but drinking Royal Airforce Tea also does other people good with 7% of the £5 purchase price going to the RAFA Wings Appeal and a further 3% supporting the RAF museum. None of this would matter, of course if it wasn't damn good tea, but it is and well worth trying.

You can buy it HERE