New Zealand Breakfast
Natural New Zealand mānuka blends perfectly with strong Assam tea to make a special blend ideal for the morning and late afternoon. Milk and sugar can be added to enhance rich malt and slightly pine flavours.
This t leaf T special blend is simply superb - a uniquely New Zealand twist on the classic breakfast tea that celebrates our native botanicals alongside traditional tea craftsmanship. Experience the robust strength of Assam black tea beautifully complemented by the subtle pine-like character of our finest native mānuka.
Why You'll Love It
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Tea Lovers’ Favourite: 96% positive reviews - a proven favourite
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Robust & Full-Bodied: Praised for the excellent morning and afternoon tea experience
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Perfect with Milk & Sugar: Enhances the rich malt and subtle pine flavours beautifully
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Uniquely New Zealand: A special blend that showcases our native botanicals
Origins & Character
Mānuka Excellence: Featuring one of our finest native infusions, mānuka leaves have been traditionally used for centuries. The honey produced from mānuka is world-renowned for its medicinal properties, and the leaves offer their own unique benefits.
Traditional Wisdom: The leaves of the mānuka tree have traditionally been used for medicinal purposes and were also used to brew a tea-like drink. When infused, mānuka leaf delivers a subtle pine-like flavour and aroma that perfectly complements the robust Assam base.
Health & Wellness: Mānuka is rich in antioxidants and is believed to have anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and immune-boosting effects, supporting overall health and wellness. Research suggests mānuka tea may be particularly beneficial for digestive health, helping to reduce inflammation and promote healthy gut bacteria.
Functional & Wellness Benefits
Assam Foundation: Built on a strong black Assam tea base that delivers the rich, malty flavour essential for a proper breakfast tea - robust enough to start your day right.
Mānuka Magic: The addition of natural New Zealand mānuka creates a subtle pine flavour that adds complexity and a unique character to every cup.
Morning & Afternoon Perfect: Ideal for morning wake-up calls and late afternoon pick-me-ups. The calming effect of mānuka makes it perfect for promoting relaxation throughout your day.
Enhanced Experience: Add a touch of milk and sugar to bring out the rich, malt flavour while the subtle pine notes create a perfectly balanced, uniquely New Zealand tea experience.
New Zealand Breakfast - where traditional tea strength meets native botanical excellence in every comforting, healthful cup.
Tea bag packaging material
There are generally 3 main types of tea bags: Pyramid shaped tea bags made from PLA – Polylactic Acid (t leaf T only uses this type), old style paper tea bags (usually rectangular and heat sealed), Pyramid shaped tea bags, made from nylon.
PLA tea bags – used by t leaf T – commercially compostable and 100% non-gmo
PLA teabags have been around since the mid 2000’s and they are 100% Plant based (non-petroleum based) and our NeoSoilon® Pyramid Tea bags are derived from sugar cane.
PLA (polylactic acid) is mainly extracted from corn or sugar cane and is then spun into thread which is used to weave the clear material that is used in t leaf T’s teabags.
PLA behaves like a plastic, even though it is plant based, this enables the sealing of the tea bags using ultrasonic vibrations that effectively welds the seams together at a specific temperature without the need of petro-chemical based plastics.
PLA tea bags are 100% INDUSTRIAL or COMMERCIALLY COMPOSTABLE -100% NON-GMO
At t leaf T we would love our PLA tea bags to be easily home compostable, but the technology is not there yet. The technology currently exists to achieve home compostability, however it has the tea bag material breaking down in in a matter of weeks so this material would not be a practical option for a long shelf-life like product like tea.
Old Style Paper Tea Bags
Paper tea bags have been around for almost 100 years. They Require heat sealing to close the tea bag because the paper fibres do not naturally adhere to each other. To be able to seal the tea bags, petro-based nano plastics are blended into the tea bag material by the material manufacturers, about 2 % of the teabag, so that when heat and pressure are applied it melts the plastic and the teabag can be sealed.
So, most paper tea bags contain approximately 98% paper fibre, that will break down in home composting, BUT 2% of the teabag is petro-based nano plastics that are not compostable or biodegradable. Not an option for us here at t leaf T.
Nylon Pyramid Shaped Tea Bags
The nylon tea bag material has been around since around 1996 as the PLA technology did not exist at the time. The pyramid tea bags look nice, but the material is entirely a petro-based plastic. The cost of Nylon is substantially cheaper than PLA so low cost driven produces will mostly opt for nylon because of the price.
Nylon is not compostable, or biodegradable so will be around for hundreds of years. Again, not an option for us at t leaf T!
In summary
No teabag solution is perfect but at t leaf T we believe that the PLA material we are using is the most sustainable solution currently for, convenience based, teabags. Every tea we sell is also available in loose leaf and is a better environmentally friendly and sustainable option.
