Infused: Adventures in Tea, by Henrietta Lovell is a great read for any tea enthusiast.

Henrietta Lovell is best known as ‘The Rare Tea Lady‘. She is on a mission to revolutionise the way we drink tea by replacing industrially produced teabags with the highest quality tea leaves. Her quest has seen her travel to the Shire Highlands of Malawi, across the foothills of the Himalayas, and to hidden gardens in the Wuyi-Shan to source the world’s most extraordinary teas.

Infused invites us to discover these remarkable places, introducing us to the individual growers and household name chefs Lovell has met along the way – and reveals the true pleasures of tea. The result is a delicious infusion of travel writing, memoir, recipes, and glorious photography, all written with Lovell’s unique charm and wit.

If you ask around who sells the best tea . . . you hear the same name – Henrietta Lovell. ― Daily Telegraph

Over the years I’ve fallen in love so many times, with so many teas. When I’m not visiting farmers and gardens, my travels take me to my customers, including some of the world’s best restaurants … My life has become consumed by the finding and blending and sharing of the most delicious things I can find to infuse. Rather aptly, it’s got me into a fair amount of hot water along the way.

A mature summer tea leaf is hard and shiny like an enamel lidded pill box or a glossy beetle’s back, but the spring tea leaves are pea green and tender, some edged with pink and red. Breaking and chewing the soft stems is like plucking fresh grass stems in an English field, with an intensity of flavor a thousand-fold.—Henrietta Lovell, The Rare Tea Lady –This text refers to the hardcover edition.

Henrietta Lovell left a career in corporate finance to found the Rare Tea Company in 2004. She buys rare and precious harvests from tea growers around the world and has had many adventures along the way. Her expertise is sought by the world’s most prestigious restaurants and hotels, including Gordon Ramsay, Alain Ducasse, 11 Madison Park, Noma and Claridges.

This book is steeped in fascinating facts about what seems like an ordinary but is actually an extraordinary drink that powers us through our days. It is a glorious memoir from Henrietta Lovell aka The Tea Lady- who has experienced many adventures whilst journeying the world searching for the best teas and happiness. A great book as a gift for any tea lover and definitely one for the coffee table.