Update: Congratulations to winners Katie, Seana, Kat, Sarah, and Michelle!
This post is sponsored by Nuffnang.
No-one is as fussy about tea as me. They can’t be, surely.
Over 25 years I have honed my tea concoction to a fine art. There is a delicate balance of tea to milk, and nothing makes my heart sink as much as staring down the barrel of an insipid brew. Begone with you, weak tea. You disappoint me.
My tea-loving homies will no doubt have seen the limited edition Twinings Australian Afternoon tea on the shelves over the last 12 months, its distinctive orange-and brown package enclosing a full-bodied lively blend that is just right for waking you up in the morning and giving you a much-needed kick in the afternoon when the 2pm slump hits. At that time of day, some people reach for sugar, some (more virtuous than me) a green tea and a handful of nuts, but I pop the kettle on and brew a nice strong blend. I like the ritual, the little break you take mentally, and perhaps a special little something on the side to go with your cup of happiness.
The Australian Afternoon Tea blend was created last year, when Twinings challenged 100 Australian celebrities to brew a blend they felt most reflected the taste of Australia. The top five were turned over to public vote, and the winner was K.Rudd, our former prime minister. He created a tea with attitude – a full five leaves on the strength scale, and howsoever one feels about his policies, his politics or his knife collection, I personally owe him a debt of gratitude for taking a tea I loved dearly and ratcheting it up a notch or two. Representative of Australians, created for Australian climates, and suiting the “mood of the afternoon”, its no surprise the full-bodied flavor quickly became one of Twinings’ best sellers (probably thanks to me).
The RSPCA was K.Rudd’s charity of choice for donations, and Twinings has raised more than $120,000 so far. They are significantly increasing their donations to the RSPCA through specially-marked packs to coincide with the first anniversary of the release. The limited edition twin pack of Australian Afternoon Tea with either English Breakfast or Earl Grey, and the limited edition Australian Afternoon Tea tin pack are available in Coles stores, while stocks last. One dollar from each twin pack and 50c from each tin will be donated to the RSPCA, with the rise in donations a response to the vital services needed for animals in the post-christmas season (pets are not presents, people!), and after the recent vicious bushfires.
Drink tea, help save animals. What a combination!
If you would like to win one of these gorgeous limited-edition Australian Afternoon Tea tins for your very own, then I’ve got a little game for you.
In 10 words or less, describe the best cup of tea you ever had. I’m deliberately making it short so you stretch your writerly vocab brains and make every word count to tell a story. I know you can do it! Waffle is out, conciseness is in! It’s good practice and is also probably the reason I can’t ever write long articles any more. Leave it in the comment section here on the blog.
Full Terms and Conditions are here, but basically the competition is open to Australian residents 14 years and older, beginning on January 24, 2013 until 5pm AEDST on Feburary 1, 2013.
Entries will be judged by Nuffnang and the winners will be the ones deemed most creative. There will be five winners, all of whom will receive a limited-edition tin.
DO please make sure you’re contactable, by either signing in to the comment system with your profile info, or through a social media function. If not, please leave your email address in the comments (or your blog link!) or email me personally if you’re not cool with it being visible.
Good luck!
