The Great Earl Grey Taste-Off Is On!

Calling all lovers of Earl Grey Tea – here is your chance to select a brand new Twinings Earl Grey blend especially for New Zealand!

The Twinings Great Earl Grey Taste-Off roadshow will run from November 7 – December 5, travelling from the top to the bottom of New Zealand in a colourful custom vehicle, asking all Kiwis along the route to sample four different variations on the original Earl Grey blend.

They will then be asked to vote for their favourite, and the winning blend will be launched in 2012. At the same time, they will also be able to vote for the charity they would like to receive a donation from each pack when it launches – either SPCA; Variety - The Children’s Charity; Surf Life Saving NZ; or St John.

Earl Grey is a distinct citrusy tea has become a favourite across the globe, including New Zealand. However, the experts at Twinings are always at work! They have created four new and exciting Earl Grey blends that they think will go down well here, but they want to know which one we like best. Lovers of the original Earl Grey MUSN’T panic however - the new blend is very much going to be an addition to the Twinings NZ family. It certainly won’t replace it.

The travelling Taste-Off team will be updating facebook and the website regularly to let locals know where they’re going to be, and also keeping you informed of which blend is in the lead. The most popular blend will be announced at the completion of the trip, and will then become New Zealand’s very own Earl Grey blend.

Those who can’t get to the Roadshow can still have their say in the Great Earl Grey Taste-Off by ordering free sample kits anytime from now until Monday November 28 and voting online at www.earlgrey.co.nz.

Twinings was the first company to blend Earl Grey. In 1831, one of Earl Charles Grey’s employees rescued a Chinese Mandarin’s son from drowning, and to show his gratitude, the Mandarin gave the Prime Minister a special blend of tea.

Everyone loved the tea’s unique taste. So, before it ran out, Charles asked his tea merchant, Richard Twining, to recreate it for him. And the rest is history: over 200 years later, our Earl Grey range is still the only one to be approved by the current Earl, Earl Grey VI, who lends his signature to each box.

“As Earl Grey is one of the most popular teas around the world, we are delighted that our blend carries this exclusive endorsement,” says Stephen Twining, 10th generation of the Twinings family.

“However, as with all great recipes, there can be variations on a theme, and our experts are convinced they have come up with some blends that New Zealanders will love. No existing blends are being replaced, but New Zealand has a very distinctive palate and passion for tea, so I think it is a terrific idea that they are being asked to vote for their favourite to ensure they receive a special blend that’s just right for them.”

Twinings Earl Grey is a blend of fine black teas, delicately scented with bergamot and Seville orange. The new Earl Grey blend will have a similar profile, but with a special twist that Kiwis themselves will have selected as their favourite.

www.earlgrey.co.nz

www.facebook.com/twiningsnz


Note to Editor:

Last year, New Zealanders proved their tea expertise by helping Twinings create the Breakast Tea taste of the nation. Twinings New Zealand Breakfast tea has proved so popular that the blend is here to stay, and there are global requests for the blend. So Twinings is asking New Zealand to do it again, this time with Earl Grey, however, this time instead of creating their own blends, they will be picking their favourite of four different blends.