You don't need to visit a tea lounge to enjoy the cultural benefits of a cuppa. Many people now enjoy the best-quality teas in their own home and often see tea drinking as the perfect excuse for a social get-together. Whether you brew up a pot to accompany a quick brunch or make a colourful array of fruit infusions for a kids' birthday party, tea can be the centrepiece of any celebration. You could lay on a luxuriant high tea for your friends, say - and, if you really feel like it, there are some pretty mean cocktails to be made out of tea.

Whatever the time of day or season, a cup of tea will go down a treat at home. Greet the first buds of spring with a cup of first-flush Darjeeling, or celebrate summer with a fruit infusion of mango, pear and peach. Enjoy the smoky days of autumn with a cup of Lapsang Souchong, and hunker down in winter with a mug of spiced tea.

There's so much enjoyment to be had from a passion for tea, and so many varieties that can enhance your life. So be creative,and start putting tea at the very centre of your everyday activities. You'll feel the benefits in no time.