Created for the opening of Mariage Frères in Covent Garden, London, Rose Tudor presents itself, according to the house, as a French tea with a very British accent. Strictly speaking, it is not a tea: it is a red rooibos from South Africa, naturally caffeine-free, offered under the Jardin Premier label, velvety and gentle, decorated with rose petals enhanced by the scent of pink rhubarb.

Rooibos is a shrub from the Cape, not a tea plant; its oxidised needles produce a reddish infusion that is sweet and low in tannins. The composition sticks to four ingredients: red rooibos, flavouring, rose and hibiscus. The mixture may contain traces of nuts.

The liquor is round, a deep red that the hibiscus brightens. The rhubarb brings a tangy note, the rose its floral sweetness, and the rooibos an almost sugary roundness. The house speaks of pastry notes, and one indeed thinks of a warm rhubarb tart, a pink compote, a rose biscuit.

Caffeine-free, it can be drunk at any time, and happily in the evening after dinner, plain or with a splash of milk that makes it wonderfully indulgent. It goes well with a crumble, a jam scone, a cheesecake; iced, it becomes a summer drink of a lovely colour, which children share without hesitation.

Rose Tudor is available loose leaf, weighed and packed to order in our shops in Bordeaux and Nice, from the 5 g sample to the kilo, and in a 100 g black metal tin, airtight and sealed with a lid, presented in its gift box. Allow 2.5 g per 200 ml of water at 95 °C and five minutes of infusion, then keep the blend away from light and strong odours.