At Hamilton’s Tea House we have specially curated a limited number of products from suppliers who’s stories, passion and quality provide unique offerings that we hope you will enjoy as much as we do. Here is some more information on those products and the people behind them.
Hamilton's Tea House TEA EXPERIENCE
Here at Hamilton’s Tea House, we prepare and deliver your tea in a way that allows you to get the most from the leaves and flowers.
We will make sure your teapot and water are at the right temperature for your chosen tea and you will be served a small pot of tea and a timer with our suggestion on how long to let your tea brew.
Once you’ve poured yourself a cup of tea, which should use up most of your pot and instead of your tea ‘stewing’ in warm water, getting colder by the second, whenever you are ready, we will refill your pot with the correct temperature water so that you can start all over again. Some teas may even deliver a really great 3rd or 4th brew.
In fact, our Earl Grey tea delivers delicate bergamot in the first 2 brews, but on the 3rd brew, the bergamot drifts into the background and the citrus flavours come to the fore, giving a completely different taste.
With all of our afternoon ttea selections, your tea is unlimited, so why not enjoy your favourite tea whilst enjoying your food and then try a loose-leaf tea that you’ve never had before! You might just find a new favourite.
OUR TEA PARTNER
I am honoured to personally know James and his daughter Charlotte, and our family really enjoy the tea from their family business. It is important to us to understand where the tea is from, just as much as enjoying the taste. James Green was a Military man, starting his army career in the Royal Horse Artillery before spending many years active service in Northern Ireland, Hong Kong and Cyprus.
James often tells me that ‘Tea is central to a life of soldiering in good times and times of conflict’. James’ interest in tea stayed with him on “civvy street” and became a passion that sparked the founding of Tea from the Manor.
There are five quality groups for tea, listed in descending order of quality:
Whole Leaf & Flowers (4 grades), Whole Leaf (4 grades), Broken Leaf (11 grades), Fanning (6 grades) and Dust (2 grades)
Our tea partner, Tea from the Manor, only take the top three grades from the finest whole leaf and flowers tea grade – that’s over 20 grades above ‘tea dust’ – the quality found in most “everyday” tea bags! Whole leaves retain their natural oil and give a richness of flavour that is merely hinted at in lower grade teas.
Find out more: www.teafromthemanor.co.uk
BLACK TEA - £2.75
English Breakfast (D) – A classical blend of Ceylon and Assam tea, infused to perfection. Full bodied with a coppery coloured brightness.
Earl Grey (D) – Our Earl Grey black tea is an elegant blend of the finest, rich black tea leaves scented with a delicate citrus bergamot twist.
Darjeeling – Known as the Champagne of teas, Darjeeling can only be given this title if it is grown in Darjeeling, West Bengal.
Lotus Rose – The finest black tea, blended with delicate rose petals. A wonderful infusion with an aroma which is as delicious as the taste.
Lapsang Souchong – A large leaf tea with a unique smoky, drawn-out flavour is regarded as being amongst the best of the black Chinese teas.
Turmeric Chai – A warming, spicy tea blending turmeric with chai spice, sure to keep you toasty on those cold winter days.
WHITE TEA - £2.75
Silver Needle – One of the rarest and most sought-after teas and should be enjoyed as you would a fine wine. Only the top shoots are selected and picked between March and April, but only when the sun is shining so any moisture from the shoots is removed.
White Downey – A rare delicacy. The tenderest white downy tea buds are handpicked with minimal processing.
White Pai Mu Tan – This sought after White Chinese Tea heralds from the Fujian area and is much favoured for its gentle floral scent.
GREEN TEA - £2.75
Chun Mee – A smooth tea with a subtle sweetness with a refreshing aftertaste, reminiscent of plum. Also known as Precious Eyebrow Tea because of the shape of its leaves.
Sencha – A green tea that is steamed before being dried to create a sweet tea flavour.
Dragon Well – A slightly sweet green tea, this tea has a refreshing, delicate, chestnut like flavour.
Jasmine – A beautiful sweet green tea, the leaves are layered with jasmine blossoms, which scent tea with their perfume.
Gunpowder – A tightly rolled green tea, with a slightly fruity flavour, made up of green leaves that ‘explode’ or rather, unfurl when infused.
Matcha – Matcha is a Japanese light tea, grown under shade, finely ground, then whisked. This vibrant green powder, is steeped in Ancient Japanese history and enriched with tradition and ritual.
SPECIAL TEAS - £2.75
Rooibos (D) – A naturally earthy, caffeine free full-bodied tea that comes from the bright green needled shrubs in South Africa.
Lemon & Ginger – This Lemon and Ginger blend is sure to clear the sinuses. We recommend adding a tea spoon of honey if your throat is sore.
Honey – Honey, one of nature’s most delicious gifts, blended with our much-loved Ceylon tea to create a soothing, sweet and memorable flavour.
Bird of Paradise – A classical black tea, flavoured with apple, exotic papaya pieces and fragrant marigold blooms, cornflower and rose petals.
Oolong – the best balance between the richness of black tea and the tang of green tea, this high-grade oolong certainly delivers the best of both worlds.
Camomile (D) – Essential oils in flowers produce a soothing, pleasant aroma which gives way to a sweet, surprisingly juicy flavour of Camomile.
Wild Cherry – A high grade Chinese, black tea enhanced with the delicious tangy flavour of wild cherry for a fantastic taste experience.
Red Berry & Rose Petal – A unique fruit blend of hibiscus, rosehip, apple pieces and orange peel rounded off with the delicate edge of rose petals.
Peppermint Black – A combination of quality black tea and refreshing peppermint creates a delightful balance between uplifting and soothing.
Moroccan Mint – A combination of quality black tea and refreshing peppermint creates a delightful balance between uplifting and soothing.
WELLNESS TEAS - £2.75
Motivation (D) – A unique blend of fragrant rosehips, hibiscus, peppermint, blackcurrant and vibrant strawberry leaves will give you a great start to the day.
Heavenly Life – A refreshing blend of organic green tea infused with aromatic apricot, ginkgo leaves and scented marigold petals.
Bird of Paradise – A classical black tea, flavoured with apple, exotic papaya pieces and fragrant marigold blooms, cornflower and rose petals.
COCKTAIL SELECTION - £2.75
Amaretea – A black tea seasoned with apple pieces, roasted elderberries, flaked almonds and sour cherries
Gin & Tonic – A white tea, pieces of apple, zingy lemon peel, fragrant rose petals and an enticing aroma of gin.
Pina Colada (CN) – A combination that seals in the flavour and aroma of hibiscus, shredded coconut, fruity pineapple and tropical mango with sweet black berries.
Rum Arabica – A traditional Rooibos tea combined with cocoa cores, coffee beans, cinnamon, blackcurrants with rum flavour.
EXCLUSIVE TEAS - £3.00
Gurkha Blend – A unique blend of Nepalese teas. All profits from the sale of the tea go directly to The Gurkha Welfare Trust in Aldershot.
Luma Tea – An extra strong English breakfast tea in honour of Des and his team from Luma Developments that helped us build Hamilton’s Tea House.
(D) This tea is also available decaffeinated decaffeinated
(CN) This tea contains nuts
OUR COFFEE PARTNERS
I met Chris and Monika, owners of Surrey Hills Coffee at their roastery in Abinger Hammer, which is on the grounds of their home, over a delicious cappuccino we discussed their coffee ethos, I was then introduced to the roasting and grinding process and left knowing that their coffee was what I was going to serve at Hamilton’s Tea House.
Find out more at www.surreyhillscoffee.co.uk.
We will be serving the delicious Holmbury Hill blend which is their premium espresso blend and my personal favourite. A medium roasted espresso blend consisting of coffee from Brazil and Colombia.
Taste profile: Full-bodied and sweet with notes of milk chocolate and nuts. No bitterness.
ESPRESSO
£2.00
The foundation for all espresso-based drinks. At best it should have a syrupy body, be full flavoured (but definitely not bitter), be complex, sweet and have a generous layer of smooth thick crema on top.
AMERICANO / LONG BLACK
£2.25
The Americano was invented for the American soldiers during WWII. The difference between an Americano and a Long Black…..you add hot water to an espresso for an Americano, but add an espresso to hot water for a Long Black!
FLAT WHITE
£2.50
This is the standard drink in Australia and New Zealand where they make coffee stronger using more quality coffee per shot.
CAFÉ LATTE
£2.75
Arguably the UK’s favourite coffee, ideal for those who want an espresso drink without the milk dominating the cup and flavour.
CAPPUCCINO
£2.75
According to legend, 17th century Capuchin monk, Marco d’Aviano, invented the cappuccino after the Battle of Vienna.
MOCHA
£3.25
Mocha is like a hybrid between a cappuccino and a hot chocolate, which makes it quite popular for the sweet tooth!
Add a shot of our syrups to any coffee (+50p)
SLOANES OF LONDON HOT CHOCOLATE
Sloanes of London, who are actually based in Byfleet, Surrey produce incredible real chocolate pearls that we believe makes the most indulgent and rich hot chocolate….ever!
Their Hot Chocolate contains more cocoa than most, delivering a real chocolate taste and the unique chocolate pearls are lovingly shined for up to 4 hours, so they not only look beautiful but melt perfectly to make an indulgent drink.
All products are certified by The Vegetarian Society and the Dark Chocolate products carry the Vegan Approved logo.
Find out more: www.sloaneshotchocolate.com
HOT CHOCOLATE – £3.50 (add caramelised marshmallows + 50p)
Small hot chocolate for Children £1.50
ELEGANT EQUADOR MILK – made from the much sought after Arriba Nacional cocoa beans and has intense roasted cocoa flavours, with a creamy caramel taste and subtle fruity hints. 39% cocoa.
RAVASHING RICH DARK – made with cocoa beans from West Africa and has a ravishing cocoa body with delicate vanilla notes, delivering a pleasing rich intensity. 57% cocoa.
EXQUISITE EQUADOR DARK – intense roasted cocoa flavours with hints of fruit, rum, whisky and tobacco creating a round and balanced chocolate taste. 70% cocoa.
Hamilton’s Tea House is the home of the Afternoon Tini ™
The exact origin of the martini is unclear. The name may derive from the Martini brand of vermouth. Another popular theory suggests it evolved from a cocktail called the Martinez served sometime in the early 1860s at the Occidental Hotel in San Francisco, which people frequented before taking an evening ferry to the nearby town of Martinez, California.
The exact origin of the Hamilton’s Tea House Afternoon Tini is much clearer. As a family, we were sat having afternoon tea in Cornwall, Steph and I looked at each other and said that it would be perfect if the cafe sold cocktails, the next day we trademarked the term Afternoon Tini.
OUR MARTINIS £7.95
HAMILTINI – our signature martini
Gin, blue curacao, vermouth and fresh lemon juice
MARTINI
2 parts London Dry Gin and 1 part Dry Vermouth, stirred over ice and garnished with a green olive
DIRTY MARTINI
2 London Dry Gin and 1 part Dry Vermouth, stirred over ice and garnished with a green olive and a dash of the olive brine
FRENCH MARTINI
Vodka, Chambord (black raspberry liqueur) and pineapple juice
LEMON DROP MARTINI
Vodka, Cointreau, fresh lemon juice and sugar syrup
LYCHEE MARTINI
Vodka, lychee liqueur, lychee juice, lychee syrup and vermouth
CHOCOLATE TINI
Vodka, crème de cacao and Godiva chocolate liqueur
ESPRESSO MARTINI
Vodka, a shot of espresso and Kahlua (coffee liqueur)
OUR WATER
We are delighted to be working with PureH2O Ltd, a Woking based company who manufacture, install and maintain the world’s most innovative water purification systems and the most technologically advanced boiling, chilled and sparkling water taps. Since 1991 they have been committed to providing the purest, safest, most sustainable choice of drinking water, which helps them and us to reduce environmental impact by avoiding single-use plastic bottled water.
What’s more, tea infuses perfectly when prepared with PureH2O™. The oily residue that floats on the surface of tea made with tap water is both unsightly and detracts from the taste. Because these impurities are removed by our system, tea produced with PureH2O™ takes on a beautiful clear amber hue tasting clean and refreshing.
Find out more: www.pureh2o.co.uk
OUR SPARKLING TEA PARTNERS
As a family we are always on the search for different eating and drinking experiences and like to find things that surprise us. Sparkling Tea did just that. The combination of Nordic innovation and Asian tea traditions, has resulted in an organic low-/non-alcoholic sparkling drink, enjoyed in a champagne glass and really refreshing. Copenhagen Sparkling Tea Company founded in 2017 in Copenhagen, by the award-winning sommelier, Jacob Kocemba, and his business partner, Bo Sten Hansen. They still hand-brew every batch themselves, as this is a labour of love, as much as it is one of precision.
Find out more: https://sparklingtea.co/
375ml CARAFE £14.95
750ml BOTTLE £25
BLÅ – 0% alcohol
BLÅ starts out with delicate aromas of Jasmine, chamomile and a hint of citrus. This is followed by a round taste from the careful selection of white teas and accompanied by good complexity and depth from the green teas. It ends in a long finish joined by tannins from the Darjeeling First Flush.
LYSERØD – 0% alcohol
LYSERØD is a great alcohol-free alternative to a dry rosé. Aromas of red berries and red apples. A complex and dry taste follows, from the Oolong tea, with hints of blackberries and hibiscus. It’s all balanced by the smooth Silver Needle white tea and finished with light bitter fruity notes.
GRØN – 5% alcohol
Sparkling Tea GRØN has clear aromas of lemongrass and citrus. The fresh characteristics are also significant in the taste, where they are joined by notes of green apples and a hint of ginger. This creates a mineral and crisp experience, which ends in a balanced bittersweet finish.
RØD – 5% alcohol
The taste of RØD has immediate notes of red berries, hibiscus, blackberries, and balanced citrus. This is followed by a light bitterness from the bergamot oil found in our Lady Grey and Earl Grey teas. The finish is semi-dry, which harmonizes beautifully with the initial berry notes.
OUR WINES
PROSECCO - Stelle d'Italia (NV) – 11% alcohol
125ml GLASS £6.95 - BOTTLE £27.50
A vivacious Prosecco, aromatic and appealing, all lemony delicacy and fresh, green pears.
WHITE: Blanco Sobre Lias, Care (2020) – 13% alcohol
125ml GLASS £3.95 - BOTTLE £20.00
A vivacious Prosecco, aromatic and appealing, all lemony delicacy and fresh, green pears.
WHITE: Sauvignon Reserva, Viña Leyda (2020) – 13% alcohol
125ml GLASS £5.95 - BOTTLE £25.00
Sauvignon Blanc from a cool Chilean valley that’s awash with citrus, particularly grapefruit and mandarin, with a slice or two of crunchy green apple.
ROSE: Embrujo Rosado Garnacha Organic (2020) – 13% alcohol
125ml GLASS £4.95 - BOTTLE £22.50
Subtle pink wine: the nose a bouquet of roses, the mouth a bowlful of strawberry and raspberry.
RED: Tinto Sobre Lias, Care (2020) – 14.5% alcohol
125ml GLASS £3.95 - BOTTLE £20.00
Complex, Appealing red left on the lees – for added depth and packed with raspberries and blackberries, with a faint, insistent aroma of spice.
OUR OTHER DRINKS
Chilled purified still water COMPLIMENTARY
CHILLED PURIFIED SPARKLING WATER
£2.00
COKE, DIET COKE, SPRITE - 33CL
£2.75
Appletise, apple juice or pineapple juice
£2.75
REAL KOMBUCHA - Royal Flush - 27.5CL
£3.95
REAL KOMBUCHA - Dry Dragon - 27.5CL
£3.95
Fantastic Suppliers We Work With
BAKEHOUSE – (www.hellobakehouse.co.uk) beautiful cakes and treats hand-baked and crafted by Ellie in Farnham