IT’S been around since before the Egyptians built the Pyramids and has been lauded for its bountiful health benefits and therapeutic properties.

Just as fine wine and fine food has become the norm, gourmet teas are now proving to be the perfect blend for drinkers in search of something a bit more refined.

TEA is a serious business. And with hundreds to choose from, and new ones coming on to the market, fans of the beverage are becoming more and more adventurous in their choices.

Tea connoisseurs Neil Dobson and Jacqueline Marsh certainly know their darjeeling from their milky oolong.

Since opening their cafe last year and introducing customers to around 19 different flavours and makes, they have increased this to more than 50 on offer.

The couple run an on-line business sourcing, importing and selling teas under the brand name Jacqueline’s Tea and next month will see their products stocked for the first time at Williams and Griffin department store, which is owned by Fenwicks.

Neil says tastes have changed lately: “It’s the novelty teas that are really going well.

“Black teas are less popular and people are really going for fruit teas and white teas or a spicy chai.”

He says if you find the fruit and green teas smell great but are lacking in flavour it might be down to how you are making it.

“Our fruit teas are all made with real fruit and they taste like that.

“If the ones you are making at home don’t taste like that you are probably not brewing it correctly.”

Not only are sale of their teas rocketing, but more and more are taking up the chance of Jacqueline’s regular tea tasting sessions.

“It gives people a chance to try them without buying them to find out what they do and don’t like.

“One of the more unusual ones, which is a white tea, is pai mu tan. It has an amber colour, which sets it about from the black teas, and is lightly spicy.

“It is very expensive, most of those types of tea are but people really like them,” adds Neil who along with Jacqueline also runs a vintage tea room in Colchester also called Jacqueline’s.

The success of the tea side of things lead Neil and Jacqueline to re-brand and name their tea Jacqueline’s Tea so keep it separate from the cafe.

“Obviously food is popular and we are doing a lot of afternoon teas but equally people come in just to enjoy a cup of tea on its own and also for the tastings which we are doing more and more of,” he adds.

Meanwhile in south Essex, foodie entrepreneur and owner of Southend’s Mangetout restaurant, Will Fishenden, is launching his own speciality green tea.

Called Mighty Matcha, the drink is hailed to be the UK’s newest 100 per cent organic matcha tea. Matcha is a finely ground powder of specially grown and processed green tea. It is unique in the way it is farmed and processed. The green tea plants are shade-grown for about three weeks before harvest, and the stems and veins are removed in processing.

Mighty Matcha is the latest testament to his entrepreneurial skills.

Will says his brew offer the perfect alternative to a morning coffee, or a quick fix pick me up for the dreaded afternoon slump.

He explained: “I wanted to bring matcha tea to a wider audience. It packs the punch needed to get through the week and is a great addition to any diet. The health benefits are unrivalled.

"Made from pure ground tea leaves, each tin contains 30 servings of Mighty Matcha; and every cup is loaded with 137 times more antioxidants than a cup of standard green tea. Mighty Matcha is also all-natural and vegan, whilst contributing to weight loss, fibre levels and the lowering of cholesterol.”

Visit the website mightymatcha.com for more information.