Some of our Canadian readers, I’m sorry to say, were a little put out by my recent Tea Report from their proud and diverse nation, and have suggested that the generally unsatisfactory state of affairs I found there is not representative of the country as a whole.

Many put forward the names of their own favourite specialist emporia, from the Kamloops Royal Victorian Tea House to the Kingston Old Tyme [sic] Tea Shop, but I feel that this is rather missing the point. It is not difficult to make a good pot of tea, and any establishment that offers the brewed leaf to its customers should be able to make a decent fist of it simply by reading the instructions on the side of the packet. One should not have to seek out a ‘specialist’ in order to be served a palatable cuppa.

None the less, I shall remain open-minded – it may be that my samplings were unrepresentative, and that my views will change when I next travel to that fair land. In the meantime, I suggest that would-be visitors to the ten provinces consult the generally reliable and informative online Tea Guide before embarking.

In celebration of arrival of high summer here at the Tea Caddy's World HQ in South Wales, our current brew of the day is the wonderfully exotic Apple Orchard Tea produced by Taylors of Harrogate. Delicately flavoured black tea is combined with flakes of dried apple and pear, heather and sunflower petals to create a naturally sweet liquour that can be sharpened with a dash of lemon or mellowed with a few drips of honey. (The addition of milk is not recommended.) This flavoursome enhanced tea is ideal for chilling and serving with ice – the perfect way to cool down when you've worked up a sweat mowing the lawn and trimming the borders.

MST: 20 minutes