Surround Sound

By Frankie Blake Greenslade and Grace Clift

The luxury of a barista-made drink is sometimes the best part of a cup of coffee. Handmade, foamy and artful, it’s a purchase you just can’t get at home without a fancy coffee machine. It makes the £4 worth spending.

If you hate coffee, though, a coffee shop can lose its charm. A cup of tea can be £3, the same price as 320 tea bags at Aldi. What’s the point? 

Enter: Rebel Tea. The York-based tea latte companies aims to create a “renaissance” in the world of tea, with concentrated tea latte syrups in inventive flavours. We spoke to Ross Taylor, the founder of the company, to learn more about the transformation of tea. 

“Honestly, it started as a creative hunch. We love coffee shop culture — the craft, the froth, the flair — and we couldn’t help but notice how far coffee had come in that space. Meanwhile, tea lovers have seemingly been left behind — a bit of an afterthought on a café menus. ‘Sad soggy tea bags dunked in hot water. It felt unfair. Tea deserved its own renaissance, a chance to stand proudly next to coffee again, not in its shadows.”

Taylor hoped to create something fun and experimental for tea drinkers, and make it worth it to spend that £3. But how to do it? 

“We’ve created a tea latte base from loose-leaf black tea. It’s not a sugary syrup or imitation, it’s tea, front and centre. That base lets baristas craft drinks that are every bit as frothy, flavourful, and fun as coffee lattes hot or iced, shaken or blended. In short: Rebel Tea gives tea lovers the flair and froth they’ve been missing. It can also be used to make epic iced teas and even tea inspired cocktails too!”

The drink has a concentrated black tea “shot”, with frothy milk and a range of options. It really is the same as a latte, but without the bitter coffee taste. Plus, there’s a range of interesting flavours to try: Straight-Up Black Tea, Caramelised Biscuit, and Cherry Bakewell. 

“They’re our first wave, but the ideas keep coming, Ginger Biscuit, fruity versions, even a cheeky Caramelised Biscuit Mar-TEA-ni. The community has been amazing at throwing suggestions at us, so watch this space. If you’ve got a rebellious idea, slide into our DMs!” 

Taylor’s personal favourite is the Caramelised Biscuit Hot Tea Latte – mine (Grace Clift) is the Cherry Bakewell. The sweetness of the drink is reminiscent of a chai latte, and it has that same comforting feel. However, the cherry bakewell flavour is something entirely new, and fantastically refreshing.

“[Caramelised Biscuit has] got this cosy spiced sweetness that, dare I say it, is even better than a caramel coffee latte. No bitter aftertaste, just smooth indulgence. The only downside? After drinking so many, my everyday brew feels a little boring now. I’ve spoiled myself!”

We first discovered the company at a pop-up in Spark:York, a trendy community space made up of upcycled shipping containers. Rebel Tea has certainly established itself in York’s most fashionable locations, and the first production run isn’t even out yet!

“We’re about to press “go” on our first production run of the Rebel Tea Latte base. It’ll be available for coffee shops and online for home use (with milk frothers). People can already sign up at www.rebeltea.co.uk to be first in line and to get a cheeky discount.”

Ross Taylor told us that the launch is scheduled for sometime in January, so now is the time to sign up. The tea revolution is coming; we can’t wait to join the troops.