Books & tea are the perfect pair, which is why we’ve been combining them in fun, interesting ways from the beginning!
Books have acted as the inspiration for some of our most iconic blends, from archive teas like The Very Thirsty Caterpillar & Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster, to tea wall faves like Enchanted Narnia Tea & Bears like Marmalade Tea. We’ve even created teas in collaboration with nostalgic icons like Mr. Men & Moomins.
Our love for books goes far beyond tea. In 2020 co-founder Krisi held a series of book clubs over Zoom with Brewbirds, helping people to combat the loneliness of Covid lockdowns by sharing socially distanced conversations about something they love.
A handful of our stores still host their own book clubs, & a couple even have book swap corners. Sofia, a member of our Edinburgh TEAm, showed off their store’s unique take on a free book corner. Each book is wrapped in paper and given a short, intriguing description that hints at the contents, giving readers an opportunity to try something new without judging a book by its cover. ‘There’s something magical about choosing a story based purely on curiosity and letting it surprise you,’ Sofia said.
Image Description: Edinburgh’s little free book corner. An array of books sit on the counter wrapped in brown paper. A hand holds one in the foreground, showing off a description of what’s inside written in green pen.
We have a couple of books of our own to contribute to your shelf, too; World Atlas of Tea, which is Krisi’s essential guide to all things tea from leaf to cup, & Brew, Bake, Sip & Savour, a cookbook published by Penguin with recipes which, just like our blends, range from classic to truly unique (green tea miso soup, anyone?).
We’re frequent attendees at Hay Festival, the largest literary & arts festival in the UK & Europe. This year we brought the store experience right to the grounds, sharing our magical world of tea with festival goers through demos, samples, & even special tea blending workshops!
Meg, who works with our communiTEA & business partners, said that the stand was a massive success this year. Unsurprisingly, the book themed teas drew plenty of attention, but we also ended up with fully packed workshops. The TEAm had plenty of wonderful conversations with book-lovers from all over the world, making sure they went home with something new to try next time they were cosied up with a pageturner. The TEAm, of course, also had plenty of fun of their own, exploring workshops & author panels.
Image Description: Bird & Blend’s stall at Hay Festival 2026. The stand is set up like a miniature version of one of our retail stores, decked with many colourful tea pouches, samples, a front counter, and even its own tea wall!
September is Read a New Book Month, and 2026 is the UK’s National Year of Reading, so we thought there was no better time to show off our love of books once again & grab some book & tea pairing recommendations from across our TEAm. Whether you’re looking for your first read in a while, some titles to add to your TBR, or simply which book we’d suggest based on your fave cuppa, we’ve got you covered.
Natasha from Glasgow recommends…
Apple Strudel Tea + The Hobbit
‘My favourite book to read is ‘The Hobbit’ and when it’s a bit rainy outside I’ve been pairing it with a hot Apple Strudel! Feels very wholesome.’
Lauren from Norwich recommends…
Dark Choc Chili Chai + LJ Ross
‘I enjoy Dark Choc Chilli Chai with a cosy crime or a Whodunnit! I’m reading the LJ Ross murder series at the moment! I feel like the bold flavours and chilli in the tea mirror the complexity [of the story] and keep my mind sharp!’
Shona from Brand recommends…
Smoky Russian Tea + Anna Karenina
‘[I love] Smoky Russian and Anna Karenina in winter by the fire.’
AJ from Windsor recommends…
Moondrop Dreams Tea+ The Midnight Library
‘I find Moondrop Dreams and The Midnight Library (or just any Matt Haig book) go well together!’
Alice from Production recommends…
Gingerbread Chai + bourbon + a western novel
‘[I like] a nice cold brew fruit tea with a summer romance book. Something warm and cozy like Chocolate Digestives with a fantasy novel. Classic Earl Grey with Sherlock Holmes or a Gothic Dracula. And an Iced Chai [Latte] with a shot of bourbon with a western.’
Nathan from Rye recommends…
Bonfire Toffee Tea + Skullduggery Pleasant
‘Bonfire Toffee reminds me a lot of my favourite book series ironically. They are Teen / Young Adult Novels called Skulduggery Pleasant. Very gritty, dry humour and all about magic and fire. The vibe in the books was very Detective Autumn, so the smokiness of the Bonfire Toffee I feel fits wonderfully.’
Emily from Manchester recommends…
Coconut Milk Oolong Tea+ Somewhere Only We Know
‘Coconut Milk Oolong is one of my faves for reading any type of book but at this time of year I love it with a summery romance / emotional fiction - I've just finished Somewhere Only We Know, the coconut flavour makes me feel like I'm sipping on a tropical drink just like the characters in the books - plus I can re-steep it to keep me fuelled whilst I'm reading!’
Elise from Brighton recommends…
Duvet Day Tea + A Court of Thorns and Roses
‘A Court of Thrones and Roses with Duvet Day!!!!! Slaps!’
Katie from Customer Experience recommends…
Sticky Chai + fantasy book
‘ A warming sticky chai and any fantasy book! Even better if it's cold and rainy and I'm under a blanket with something ambient on Youtube.’
Jamie from Chiswick recommends…
Milk Oolong Chai + House of Leaves
Had to slip my own recommendation in here, because what’s more fitting for reading a book about a house that’s always changing than a tea that also changes by the steep? Anybody who knows anything about House of Leaves will also know that it’s LONG, and oolong is a tea that can absolutely keep pace with its resteeps!
