Wellness Infusions
An exciting collaboration
with Chelsea Physic Garden
Tea at Fortnum’s has always been more than just a drink. It’s something of a way of life for us - which is why we’re always in pursuit of new ways to brew, sip and savour these glorious leaves. And the newest blends to arrive on our shelves have found inspiration a lot closer to home.
Sitting on the Thames Embankment, and cradled by high walls, sits Chelsea Physic Garden - one of the oldest and most respected botanic gardens in Europe. Founded in 1637 by The Worshipful Society of Apothecaries of London for its apprentices to study medicinal plants and their uses, it is the oldest botanic garden in the capital, and is only surpassed in age, in England, by Oxford Botanic Garden.
And now, we’re so excited to share something we’ve been brewing with our green-fingered friends at Chelsea Physic Garden: our brand-new Wellness Infusions range. These blends take inspiration from age-old herbal traditions but are crafted for modern life, using all-natural botanicals to help put some pep in your step, and keep the chaos of the day at bay - one soothing sip at a time. Curious? Find out what each brew can do for you...
A decliate blend of camomile, linden flower and lemon verbena; long used in traditional infusions for their gentle character. This is a mellow and soft infusion for calm days and quiet nights.
A berry-rich infusion of sea buckthorn and blackberry, this is notable for its bold flavour a deep colour and has been inspired by traditional berry blends enjoyed for generations.
Our LOVE infusion is a feminine blend of raspberry, rose and hibiscus, with rose linked to ritual and romance in traditional herbal lore. This warming blend is a hug in a mug.
This fresh, aromatic blend of peppermint, fennel and nettle, draws on ingredients with a long history in traditional herb gardens and countryside foraging.
A strong and heady infusion, Vigour packs a punch. Black tea forms the base of this robust blend, layered with apple and ginger – the latter valued since ancient times for its distinctive warming spice.
While every sip of each blend will lift your mood and send your senses to a sanctuary of flavour, we have worked closely with Chelsea Physic Garden’s Florilegium Society to help bring each tea’s story and character to life through the beautifully-illustrated packaging - featuring detailed drawings of the very botanicals and ingredients found in each blend. But for those who haven’t found a moment to brush up on their botany, you may be wondering: what is the Florilegium Society?
While today a florilegium means ‘a collection of literary extracts’, in the past it referred more specifically to ‘a lavishly illustrated book on flowers’, its name meaning ‘flower-gathering’ in Latin. Chelsea Physic Garden’s Florilegium Society is the oldest and largest contemporary florilegium and collection of its kind in the world - and it owes something of a thanks to 18th century English botanical illustrator Elizabeth Blackwell. Blackwell’s A Curious Herbal, a botanical book featuring over 500 hand-drawn, engraved, and coloured plates of medicinal plants that was published between 1737 and 1739, met with considerable financial success - something she needed to fund her errant husband’s debts. It was praised at the time for its usefulness to doctors and apothecaries, and we’re sure her husband found much praise for it, too.
The Society carries on her visual interpretation for medicinal and scientific identification, and up to sixty accomplished botanical artists yearly document the scientifically important flora thriving in the heart of Chelsea at the Physic Garden. We are so excited that artists from the Florilegium Society have provided us with the exquisite illustrations that decorate the packaging of the teas in this range.
Inspiration
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