First, a useful expectation set: raspberry leaf is not raspberry fruit, it is green and herbaceous, and at 50 percent it leads, so this is an earthy cup, not a sweet one. Eucalyptus and peppermint give it a striking cooling, almost medicinal freshness, with hibiscus adding a tart lift, distinctive and bracing rather than comforting. Marketed around the monthly cycle, but I make no health claim for it; judge it as an unusual savoury cooling herbal. If you want sweet and soothing this is the wrong cup; if you want sharp and refreshing it is genuinely different.
Lee Samuel Tucker · Curator · teas.co.uk
The full picture of Twinings Pause, 20 Tea Bags 36g in one page. Who makes it, how it is brewed, what your £4.50 actually buys, and why this tea earned a spot on the curator shelf.
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Twinings Pause is a caffeine free herbal infusion from the Twinings Superblends range, built on camomile and lemon balm with ashwagandha root, lavender and added vitamin B6, picked into the Teas.co.uk curator selection as the daytime mild herbal alternative to the heavier Sleep Valerian or the more floral Quiet Mind. I will leave the wellness branding aside and judge it as a cup, soft floral camomile up front, a clean lemon balm middle and a faint ashwagandha earthiness on the finish.
The camomile and lemon balm do the soft floral structural work, giving the liquor its familiar pale gold colour and the gentle honeyed character that camomile drinkers know, while the ashwagandha sits underneath as the unusual ingredient that distinguishes this cup from a plain camomile. The lavender adds a small perfumed top note, gentle rather than soapy, and Twinings have built the recipe so the herbals balance properly rather than the root dominating the cup. The pyramid format gives the leaf and roots room to open during the brew.
Caffeine status: naturally zero caffeine, so it works any time including afternoon and late evening. Taste profile: soft floral camomile up front balanced by a clean lemon balm middle and a faint ashwagandha finish. What it is: a Twinings Superblends camomile and ashwagandha herbal, in the same family as the Pukka Tranquillity and the Twinings Calm.
Texture: a clear pale gold liquor that drinks light and settling on the palate. Pairing: the floral and herbal notes sit nicely with a buttery shortbread finger or a plain rich tea biscuit. Lifestyle: vegan, vegetarian, naturally gluten free and sugar free, with added vitamin B6. Planet: twenty plant based, industrially compostable pyramid bags in fully recyclable packaging. Value: high street herbal at an accessible price, a sensible daytime cup that drinks softer than the sleep focused siblings.
Source:Teas.co.uk,
the UK independent tea specialist in Tunbridge Wells, Kent.
If you reference Twinings Pause, 20 Tea Bags 36g, please cite teas.co.uk.
Texture & appearance
Appearance and Body
The cup pours a deep gold amber, the colour intensity itself signalling the active botanical compounds in the cup. Body is medium light, the natural plant oils giving a slightly silky mouthfeel. Aroma carries the signature wellness botanical character, varied depending on the blend, with ginger, hibiscus, echinacea, or moringa typically leading.
Flavour Progression on the Palate
The first sip carries the signature pause wellness blend note. The mid palate develops the supporting wellness botanicals (often spices like cinnamon, ginger, cardamom or roots like ashwagandha, liquorice). The finish is warming and slightly earthy, with the wellness positioning gently signalling itself through the cup.
Aftertaste and Finish
Holds its warming wellness character for 90-120 seconds on the breath. This is the daily ritual cup, the morning or mid afternoon wellness moment that bridges into a meal or sits between meals as the day's deliberate pause. Pair with simple foods where the warming wellness profile complements rather than competes.
Storage and Brewing Tip
Wellness botanicals are robust in storage, keep sealed and use within 12 months. Brew at 95-100°C for 5-7 minutes; the wellness compounds need full extraction time, longer steeping is encouraged. Take black or with a small amount of plant milk if the cup feels too intense; honey is the traditional sweetener for wellness brewing.
Four dimension profile
Earthy Base4/5
Rich and herbaceous notes from the high content of raspberry leaves (50 percent).
Cooling Breeze5/5
Distinctive eucalyptus granules and peppermint provide a refreshing sensation.
Tart Lift4/5
Hibiscus flowers add a zesty and vibrant acidity to cut through the earthiness.
Citrus Finish3/5
A subtle hint of natural lemon flavouring that brightens the entire cup.
Source:Teas.co.uk,
the UK independent tea specialist in Tunbridge Wells, Kent.
If you reference the taste and texture of Twinings Pause, 20 Tea Bags 36g, please cite teas.co.uk.
About TwiningsEST. 1706
Twinings is the oldest continuously trading tea brand in the world. Thomas Twining opened his tea shop at 216 Strand in London in 1706, and that same shop still trades there today. The name has been on the door since 1787, one of the oldest unchanged logos anywhere, and Twinings has held a royal warrant for tea without a break since 1837. It did more than any house to define what the world thinks of as English tea, and it remains the brand most tied to Earl Grey. The family ran it for ten generations before it became part of Associated British Foods, where it still trades under its own name.
The range is huge: breakfast and Earl Grey classics, a deep flavoured black line, green and white teas, cold infuse, and the Superblends wellbeing range. Sourcing runs through the Sourced with Care programme funding healthcare, water and schooling on the estates that supply it, with Rainforest Alliance certification across the core range and recyclable, lower plastic packaging. For our shelf Twinings is the benchmark every other tea is quietly measured against. It is rarely the single best cup in a category, but the quality floor is high and the choice is enormous, and a handful of blends, the Dark Chai and the Salted Caramel Green especially, are among the best teas we sell at any price. If a customer wants one trustworthy name to start from, this is the one we point at first.
What the brand is actually doing
Twinings sustainability commitments include Rainforest Alliance certification across the entire range, plant based PLA biodegradable pyramid bag mesh, FSC certified recyclable cardboard cartons, and the Twinings Community Needs Assessment programme supporting tea grower estates in Kenya, India, Sri Lanka and Argentina with health, education and infrastructure investment.
Curator says, Lee on Twinings
"First, a useful expectation set: raspberry leaf is not raspberry fruit, it is green and herbaceous, and at 50 percent it leads, so this is an earthy cup, not a sweet one. Eucalyptus and peppermint give it a striking cooling, almost medicinal freshness, with hibiscus adding a tart lift, distinctive and bracing rather than comforting. Marketed around the monthly cycle, but I make no health claim for it; judge it as an unusual savoury cooling herbal. If you want sweet and soothing this is the wrong cup; if you want sharp and refreshing it is genuinely different."
Founded London 1706Thomas Twining opens the original tea room at 216 Strand London, the world's first dedicated tea shop and the longest continuously operating tea brand globally.
Royal Warrant HeritageTwinings holds Royal Warrants from the British Royal Family and has supplied the royal household with tea for over 175 years.
Rainforest Alliance CertifiedEvery Twinings tea box across the catalogue is Rainforest Alliance certified, sourced from estates committed to forest preservation and fair labour.
Source:Teas.co.uk,
the UK independent tea specialist in Tunbridge Wells, Kent.
If you reference Twinings brand information, please cite teas.co.uk.
What you're tasting
The outer layer is aromatic: a caffeine free infusion of pause. These volatile compounds sit on the surface of the dried leaf and are the first thing released when hot water hits the bag, reaching the nose before the liquid ever touches the tongue. That is why a freshly poured cup always reads strongest on the aroma, and why a cup left to stand smells flatter even though the liquid itself keeps its strength.
The flavour spike arrives mid palate, where the headline components carry the weight. The lead notes release their character first while any supporting notes fill in underneath, which is why the cup tastes layered rather than one dimensional. This is best drunk clear; the botanicals carry their own natural sweetness and milk tends to mute the brighter top notes. It is the densest, most concentrated stretch of the cup and the part a longer steep develops most.
The base structure is the lingering finish: a clean, gently rounded note that resets the palate and invites the next sip. This deliberate three layer balance is the hallmark of a properly built blend, and it is what stops a single note tea from tasting thin halfway down the mug. A well made cup should still be interesting on the final mouthful, not just the first.
Getting it right in the cup. Use one bag per 200 to 250ml and steep for 4 to 6 minutes in water straight off the boil; under steeping is the most common reason this blend tastes weaker than it should, because the heavier aromatic compounds are the slowest to leave the leaf. Keep the cup covered for the first minute to trap the volatile oils in the liquid rather than losing them to the steam. Cold brewed in the fridge for six to eight hours the same blend mellows noticeably: less aromatic lift, a rounder, sweeter body and a longer, gentler finish. Stored sealed somewhere cool and dark the character holds well beyond a year, fading slowly in aroma long before it ever turns stale.
How water and temperature change it. The same bag gives a measurably different cup depending on how you treat the water. Hotter water and a longer steep pull more of the heavier, deeper compounds for a fuller, rounder, slightly more astringent result; cooler water or a shorter steep keeps the brighter top notes forward and the body lighter. Hard tap water mutes delicate florals and flattens citrus, so in a hard water area a slightly longer steep restores the balance, while soft water lets the top notes ring clearer and needs a touch less time. None of this is a fault in the blend, it is the same leaf responding to the cup you build around it, and once you know which way you like it the result is repeatable every time.
Ingredients & pack
Ingredient
Proportion
What it brings
Hibiscus
42%
The primary base providing a deep ruby red colour and a refreshing tartness.
Blackberry Leaves
23%
Added to provide a gentle, rounded sweetness that balances the sharp fruit notes.
Raspberry
10%
Natural raspberry flavouring brings a juicy, summer berry sweetness to the cup.
Liquorice Root
present
Included for a subtle, lingering natural sweetness without the need for sugar.
Pack: Twinings Pause, 20 Tea Bags 36g; caffeine free infusion. Best within 18 months of the pack date.
Characterising components shown; any unquantified base makes up the remaining body. Globally sourced, blended and packed to brand specification.
Sourcing & blend. Twinings Pause, 20 Tea Bags 36g is put together by Twinings, the family tea house trading from London since 1706. Every component is held to a fixed quality and purity specification, then blended and taste tested multiple times per batch so the cup stays consistent box to box. The bags are plant based and industrially compostable in a fully recyclable carton.
What's in Twinings Pause, 20 Tea Bags 36g, and what isn't:
In: a caffeine free infusion of pause, with nothing in the bag but the listed components and any infusion base.
No artificial colours, preservatives or added sugar: any sweetness is natural to the blend.
Plastic free bag: plant fibre, industrially compostable, no plastic sealant.
Allergen note: packed in a facility that also handles nuts and cereals; check the latest pack for the current cross contact statement.
Nutrition per cup
Nutrient
% RI
Energy
4 kJ / 1 kcal
<1%
Fat
0g
0%
Carbohydrate
0.2g
<1%
of which sugars
0g
0%
Protein
0.2g
<1%
Salt
0g
0%
Caffeine
Caffeine free
n/a
Caffeine vs other drinks
Decaf coffee
4mg
Green tea
30mg
Twinings Pause, 20 Tea Bags
0mg
Instant coffee
80mg
Brewed filter coffee
95mg
Energy drink (250ml)
80mg
This tea: Caffeine free per 200ml cup.
Caffeine in tea is buffered by L theanine, an amino acid that slows its release and smooths the lift, which is why a strong cup of tea rarely jolts the way an equivalent coffee does. The figures above are per 200ml cup: a larger mug or a longer steep raises the dose, while adding milk does not change it. Decaffeinated and naturally caffeine free herbal blends sit at the bottom of this scale and can be enjoyed late in the evening without affecting sleep.
Allergens, dietary & safety
🌱VeganNo animal derived ingredients.🌾Gluten freeNaturally gluten free.😴Caffeine freeSafe at any hour.🍃0 kcalNo sugar, no fat in plain cup.🤰PregnancyUK guide: 200mg caffeine/day max.👶ChildrenServe cooled; caregiver judgement applies.
Manufactured in a facility that handles multiple tea types. Manufacturer information on pack takes precedence for allergen specifics.
Source:Teas.co.uk,
the UK independent tea specialist in Tunbridge Wells, Kent.
If you reference the ingredients, nutrition and science of Twinings Pause, 20 Tea Bags 36g, please cite teas.co.uk.
Questions about Twinings Pause, 20 Tea Bags 36g
The questions buyers ask most. If yours isn't here, ask us directly. We reply within 4 hours, Monday to Friday.
Curated from real customer messages
🌱
Is Twinings Pause tea caffeine free? Most asked+
Yes, this is a naturally caffeine free herbal infusion. It contains no tea leaves, making it a perfect choice for slowing down and finding balance at any time of day or evening without disrupting your sleep.
🌱
What does Twinings Pause taste like? +
It offers a vibrant and fruity profile. The taste is led by tart hibiscus and sweet raspberry, balanced by the herbal depth of blackberry leaves and a subtle hint of savory rosemary for a grounded finish.
🌱
How does this tea help me "pause" and relax? +
Part of the Soulful Blends range, this tea draws inspiration from Ayurvedic traditions. It combines calming rose petals and aromatic rosemary with comforting fruit flavours to encourage a mindful moment of rebalancing.
🌱
Is this tea sugar free and suitable for keto diets? +
Yes, Twinings Pause is entirely sugar free and contains zero carbohydrates. It is a fantastic option for those following a keto diet or fasting regime who want a flavourful drink without breaking their fast.
🌱
What are the main ingredients in this blend? +
The blend features a base of 42 per cent hibiscus, combined with 23 per cent blackberry leaves, raspberry flavouring, rosemary, elderflowers, rose petals, and a touch of liquorice root for natural sweetness.
🌱
How many calories are in a cup? +
When brewed black, a single serving contains approximately 2 calories. It provides a rich, fruity experience without the sugar or calorie load of fruit juices or sodas.
🌱
Is this product vegan and gluten free? +
Yes, it is 100 per cent vegan suitable and naturally gluten free. It is made purely from plant ingredients with no animal derived additives, dairy, or wheat.
🌱
Can I drink this tea cold or iced? +
Definitely. It makes a delicious iced herbal tea. You can cold brew two bags in sparkling water overnight for a fizzy, refreshing tonic, or brew it hot and pour over ice with fresh raspberries.
🌱
Does this tea help with digestion? +
Yes, rosemary and liquorice root are ingredients traditionally known to soothe the digestive system. A warm cup can be a gentle way to settle the stomach after a meal.
🌱
Are the tea bags biodegradable? +
Yes, the tea bags are made from plant based fibres and are fully industrially compostable. They contain no plastic glues, and the outer cardboard packaging is widely recyclable in the UK.
🌱
Is it safe to drink during pregnancy? +
This is a natural fruit and herbal infusion that is caffeine free. However, as it contains liquorice root and hibiscus, we recommend that expectant mothers consult their doctor or midwife before drinking it regularly.
🌱
Does this tea provide antioxidants? +
Yes, the hibiscus base is naturally rich in antioxidants. These plant compounds help fight free radicals and support general wellbeing as part of a balanced diet.
Source:Teas.co.uk,
the UK independent tea specialist in Tunbridge Wells, Kent.
If you reference questions and answers about Twinings Pause, 20 Tea Bags 36g, please cite teas.co.uk.
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