The Story Behind Bungalow Blend in 3 traditions.
Our Great Taste Award-Winning English Breakfast Tea Has a Curious Name
Why Bungalow? It’s one of our most popular teas, yet the name hints at something a little mysterious. You don’t have to live in a single-storey dwelling to drink it!
The answer lies in three tea traditions we grew up with—one from the tea gardens of Assam, and one from the tasting rooms where we learned our trade.
The First Tradition — Assam’s “Bungalow Tea”
Historically, many Assam estates had a ritual during the second flush. The garden assistants plucked only the finest two leaves and a bud, while the factory team scrubbed every roller and tray until they gleamed. The result was a tiny batch of perfection known as Bungalow Tea, reserved for the estate managers and important visitors.
It was the good stuff, made with care and pride.
The Second Tradition — The Trainee Blends
Fast forward to our own early days as trainee tea buyers. Every morning the tasting room filled with hundreds of samples from around the world. Among them, we were told to create our own “bungalow-style” blend—the tea that everyone in the office would drink all day.
It was a crash course in blending: you quickly learned which teas worked together (and which did not). Feedback was instant and rarely gentle. Imagine! Making a blend for professional tea tasters! No pressure!
The Third Tradition — The Christmas Blend Competition
Around December, the friendly rivalry peaked. Buyers secretly squirrelled away their best samples and blended like mad for the annual Christmas Blend competition. Mark, better known now as Little Spoon, had an uncanny knack for winning—combining the best malty Assams, citrus-bright Ceylon, and brisk Kenyan teas into a blend that hit all the right notes.
From Tradition to Teapot
When it came time to create our own English Breakfast for Two Spoons, that was the recipe we turned to. Bungalow Blend is not just a nod to the past; it’s a celebration of craft, camaraderie, and the endless pursuit of the perfect everyday cup.
Full-bodied, malty, and balanced with a clean lift at the finish, it’s everything we loved about those early blends—only better infused and best enjoyed wherever your bungalow might be.