Big Chill 2010: Mr Scruff Tea Tent

Time for tea!

Us English are renowned for loving a good brew, and for thousands of hungover and dehydrated festival-goers it’s the only remedy to feeling slightly human again. This is where Mr Scruff’s Tea Tent comes in. Like us, when Mr Scruff isn’t DJ-ing, producing or drawing cartoons, there is nothing he likes more than to tuck into a good cup of tea. And if he isn’t drinking it, he’s making it.

Since setting up his own tea company, Mr Scruff’s aim is to provide top quality, great tasting, 100% organic and ethically produced tea for festival-goers to enjoy. Using ingredients including a blend of organic rooibos, sweet pear, cinnamon extracts and valerian (a natural relaxant), Mr Scruff has developed a wide range of popular flavoured tea available at all good festivals, as well as many respected retailers.

While Mr Scruff is better known for his DJ-ing and collaboration with record label Ninja Tune, he began selling tea from a small room at the Music Box, a club in Manchester where he was a resident DJ. Mr Scruff then took his teashop on tour and has appeared at festivals ever since with his online tea company, ‘Make Us a Brew’ and his own range of fair trade teabags and tea-related paraphernalia, having been born from this.

Offering a wide range of innovative and tasty teas, one of Mr Scruff’s proudest cuppa flavours is his ‘English Breakfast’ tea. Hailed as the perfect kick-start to the morning with it’s full-bodied texture, the organic tea originates from Assam, the birthplace of Indian tea and the largest tea-growing area in the world.

‘Look Lively’ is another popular flavour, blending lemongrass, yerba mate and mint. Its high-caffeine levels and uplifting flavour make it the ideal for those looking for a bit of a pick-me-up first thing or something to spur on their second all-nighter.

‘Mint & Chilli’ is perfectly demonstrative of Mr Scruff and co’s creativity; combining peppermint and spearmint for a refreshing base, with a pinch of chilli for an extra kick. Also caffeine free, it’s the perfect late night warmer during the unpredictable weather of UK festivals, But don’t just take our word for it. Whether you are in dire need of some caffeine, you’re experiencing Tetley’s-withdrawal symptoms or you just cant quite get your head around chilli-infused tea, drag your wellies down to Mr Scruff’s tea tent to see and taste for yourself.

Words by Laura Routledge

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