There aren’t many west coasters who haven’t heard of Murchie’s Tea. Founded in New Westminster over 120 years ago, the company is not only a part of our heritage, they are a favourite part of our present-day tea collections.

We sat down to tea and shortbread with Murchie’s Sarah Vaughan, who brought along four Murchie’s classics: Lavender Gelato, CBC Radio Blend, Murchie’s Afternoon and Russian Caravan. Let’s just say we created some pairings of historic proportions.

Here are Sarah’s sophisticated pairing notes.

Original Shortbread and Lavender Gelato Tea

This herbal tisane (naturally caffeine free!) has a smooth vanilla base that matches very well with the pure, sweet butter taste of the Original shortbread. The lavender is not overpowering; it just floats over top of the combination.

I recommend steeping this rooibos blend for 5 minutes to get full flavour. I typically like it with milk, but with the rich shortbread, I’d keep the tea neat.

Lemon Shortbread and CBC Radio Blend

This was my favourite pairing! CBC Radio Blend is a blend of green and black teas—a combination fairly unique to Murchie’s. The tea has jasmine floral notes, a solid base of black teas, and just a hint of natural citrus flavour.

I found that it combined incredibly well with the Lemon shortbread. The tea is refreshing

without overpowering the shortbread.

Caramel Shortbread and Murchie’s Afternoon

This could become an afternoon addiction. The tea has a light briskness that helps balance the beautiful sweetness of the caramel. It’s a traditional pairing for a delightful afternoon tea!

Chocolate Shortbread and Russian Caravan

Sometimes bold flavours need to be paired with bold flavours! Chocolate is so distinctive and rich, it needed a distinctly bold tea to pair with—hence our smoky Russian Caravan.

I don’t know what it is with the odd combination of savoury smoke and sweet chocolate, but it just makes each flavour boom.

To learn more about Murchie’s storied history, and to browse their vast selection of teas and coffees, visit their website. And of course, you can find more of your favourite shortbread here.