Nine teas for cold mornings.

Bird & Blend’s earlier Bonfire Toffee-labelled caddy. Tea and the current plain silver tin are sold separately.

01Apple, smoke and a little nostalgia

Bird & Blend Bonfire Toffee

Black tea with apple, cinnamon and smoky lapsang.

Our takeThis is where we’d start if you want a tea that feels made for autumn. Apple and cinnamon meet smoky lapsang, with a caramel note in Bird & Blend’s tasting description. Add a little milk if you’d like to bring out that sweeter side.

Good to knowContains caffeine; packed in an environment that handles nuts. The tea comes in a pouch. If you’d like a reusable tin, the current plain silver caddy is £3.50 extra; it doesn’t carry the Bonfire Toffee label shown here. See the empty silver tin ↗

£8.50 / 50g pouch · 25 cups · 34p per cup

02For the first mug of the day

Brew Tea Co. English Breakfast loose leaf

A classic loose-leaf black tea, blending Assam and Ceylon.

Our takeIt’s a classic black tea, and there’s a reason we’ve made room for it. Assam gives the blend its malty backbone, while Ceylon keeps it bright. A straightforward choice if you want a proper breakfast cup that can take a splash of milk.

Good to knowFor extra strength, use more leaf rather than leaving it to stew.

£7 / 113g

03Bergamot with a smoky edge

Fortnum & Mason Smoky Earl Grey

An Earl Grey with bergamot, lapsang and gunpowder tea.

Our takeIf you already like Earl Grey, this is an easy way to try something different. The familiar bergamot’s still there, but lapsang and gunpowder tea give it a smoky edge.

Good to knowChoose it for the smoke. Keep the caddy tightly closed between pots.

£17.95 / 250g caddy

04The mellow afternoon cup

teapigs Honeybush & rooibos

A naturally caffeine-free honeybush-and-rooibos blend.

Our takeSometimes you want another hot drink without another dose of caffeine. Honeybush and rooibos make sense here: earthy and gently nutty, with enough flavour to enjoy on their own. An easy one to reach for as the afternoon turns into evening.

Good to knowSteep for at least three minutes in boiling water. Try it plain before adding milk.

£4.99 / 15 temples

05A slow morning, properly spiced

Dishoom × Ayushi Patni Limited-edition House Chai

A spiced Assam chai in a 175 g limited-edition tin.

Our takeYou’ll need a saucepan for this one. Ginger, pepper, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves make a much more involved brew than dropping a bag in a mug. We’d save it for a morning when you’ve got time to simmer it with milk and make breakfast properly. We love that we can reuse the tin, too.

Good to knowAllow around twenty minutes; follow the recipe’s additions of fresh ginger, milk and sugar.

£22 listed · 175g limited-edition tin

Rare Tea Company · Earl Grey tin with 50g of tea.

06A brighter afternoon

Rare Tea Company Rare Earl Grey

Malawian black tea scented with Calabrian bergamot oil.

Our takeYou don’t need spice in every autumn cup. This gets its fragrance from Calabrian bergamot oil, paired with black tea from Malawi. We’d choose it for a brighter afternoon pot—and the tin’s rather lovely on the kitchen shelf.

Good to knowYou can brew these leaves twice. Keep the tin and top it up with the £8 refill when you’ve finished.

£9 · tin with 50g refill bag

Original Canton Tea photograph of the loose leaves.

07The full-bodied morning one

Canton Tea Assam

A full-bodied second-flush Assam.

Our takePrefer your tea with milk? We’d look here. Canton blends second-flush Assam from the Meleng and Nahorhabi gardens for a full-bodied, malty cup. Its tasting notes include a lingering sweetness; there’s no added spice or flavouring.

Good to knowStart at 95°C for three minutes. The listed pack is a generous 500g.

£51 · 500g

JING · current Traditional Iron Buddha refill pouch, original product photograph.

08Roasted fruit for a quiet afternoon

JING Traditional Iron Buddha

A traditionally roasted Chinese oolong.

Our takeThe roasting is the interesting bit here. JING describes baked fruit, toasted nuts and a honeyed texture, all from the tea itself. If you like the sound of autumn flavours but don’t want a flavoured blend, this is worth exploring.

Good to knowDrink without milk and re-infuse the leaves to explore a second cup.

£25.50 · 110g, one-off purchase

Hijiri Hojicha leaves. Photography: Postcard Teas.

09Toast and caramelised fruit

Postcard Teas Master Obayashi’s Hijiri Hojicha

Roasted Japanese green leaf and twig tea.

Our takeHojicha’s a good reminder that green tea doesn’t have to taste grassy. The roasted leaves and twigs have notes of toast, caramelised fruit and sweet tobacco, according to Postcard Teas. It’s the one we’d pick if you’re curious about a different kind of autumn brew.

Good to knowUse 90°C water and 3–4g per cup. The maker recommends two infusions.

From £5 · refill options