My day in cups of tea

We asked herbalist Abi Jackson to tell us all about her day in cuppas – and some of her suggestions for brilliant blends.

Morning! When's it time for your first cuppa?

My cheeky Lakeland Terrier, Eggs, wakes me up with a wet nose around 7am. I then make mine and my partner Tobias' first brew – usually a black earl grey. What do you love best about where you live?

We live on the Devon and Cornwall border and I feel very lucky to be so close to the sea. If the surf’s good, we’ll go in before work.

Tell us more about your work

I’m a medical herbalist and run a wellness business called The Sage Apothecary. My days are spent dispensing prescriptions, blending teas, formulating natural skincare… How did you get into doing that? While living in New Zealand I did a night class in natural herbal skincare and was hooked. I completed two diplomas in herbal studies and natural herbal skincare formulation and set up The Sage Apothecary in 2015. I came back to the UK and studied further – now

I’m a registered Medical Herbalist and member of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists.

Time for a break, what do you fancy?

I blend my teas dependent on how I’m feeling – today I had holy basil, licorice and horsetail. It’s sweet, warming and aromatic with just a touch of astringency. Sounds good! How do you switch off from work? Perhaps taking a break in the garden or reading a book. What’s for lunch?

Mmm, halloumi salad with kimchi, olives and pickles. Who do you enjoy having a chat with over a cuppa? Becci, a brilliant potter (@shorefiredpottery). We both have local indie businesses and a mutual tea obsession. What tea do you recommend to round off a day?

My Counting Sheep blend: passionflower, rose petals, chamomile flowers and ashwagandha.

ABI JACKSON lives near the south-west coast. Founder of wellness and skincare boutique thesageapothecary.com/ uk, her simple thing is the smell of second-hand record shops.