Book III · Chapter III · The Last Trick

The Mopoke's Lullaby

A bush lullaby of chamomile, hops and rose petals

Long after midnight, Ambrose sits on a log in the gully, all out of tricks. Then a mopoke in the gum tree starts her soft two-note call, and one by one the lights in town go out. Ambrose finally understands: the last trick isn't a trick at all. He sets his top hat aside, drops chamomile, rose petals and a pinch of hops into the pot, and pours one last warm cup for himself and the owl. Lights out.

Where it's from · The mopoke, or southern boobook, is Australia's smallest owl, named for her two-note call. Hops are the papery green cones best known for flavouring beer; here they add a mellow, gently bitter depth. Chamomile and passionflower carry on from the lamplighter's hour, joined by rose, cornflower, lemongrass and spearmint.

Caffeine: None
Good for: Sleep, Calm
Tastes: Floral, honeyed

50 g · $12.95100 g · $21.95250 g · $44.95

Chamomile, passionflower & hops herbal blend with rose & spearmint · Hot · Ordering opens soon

Chapter II Loose-leaf organic chamomile, lemon balm & lavender herbal blend in a white ceramic bowl

Book III · Chapter I · The Afternoon Show

The Aniseed Conjurer

Liquorice and chocolate, conjured from aniseed and vanilla

In the back room of an old lolly shop, Ambrose the fox tips his top hat and pulls liquorice out of thin air: a pinch of aniseed, a curl of vanilla bean, a flourish over strong black tea. The queue swears there's chocolate in it too; he just winks. The show is such a hit that by sunset nobody wants to leave, so Ambrose sets off to find one last trick that will send everyone happily home.

Where it's from · Aniseed is the tiny seed of a Mediterranean herb, and the flavour behind old-fashioned liquorice lollies. Vanilla is the dried, fermented pod of a climbing orchid first grown in Mexico and now mostly in Madagascar. There's no liquorice root or cocoa here: the chocolate-liquorice trick is all aniseed, vanilla and flavouring over black tea.

Caffeine: High
Good for: Treats, Weight
Tastes: Sweet, chocolate

50 g · $14.95100 g · $24.95250 g · $49.95

Chocolate-liquorice style black tea with aniseed & vanilla · Hot · As a latte · Ordering opens soon

Book III · Chapter II · The Lamplighter's Hour

Lavender Lamplight

Chamomile and lavender for the hour the lamps come on

Ambrose follows the lamplighter down the lane, flicking each lamp alight with his wand. At the last cottage a small grey moth is watching a kettle through the window, so he slips inside to see what's brewing: chamomile, lavender, lemon balm and a curl of spearmint. The room smells like a summer meadow at dusk, and the crowd that followed him grows quiet for the first time all day. Closer, thinks Ambrose. But not quite.

Where it's from · Lavender loves the sunny, stony hills of the Mediterranean, where whole valleys turn purple in summer. Chamomile is a little daisy grown across Europe and North Africa, lemon balm is a lemony cousin of mint, and passionflower is a climbing vine from the Americas. Every ingredient in this jar is organic.

Caffeine: None
Good for: Sleep, Calm
Tastes: Floral, honeyed

50 g · $12.95100 g · $21.95250 g · $44.95

Organic chamomile, lemon balm & lavender herbal blend · Hot · Ordering opens soon

Love it, brew it, know it

Why you'll love it

Naturally caffeine-freeFlowers and leaves only, without a single tea leaf in the pot — pour it as late as you like.
Evening botanicals of oldChamomile, lavender and lemon balm have filled evening cups across Europe for generations; here passionflower and spearmint join them.
A last-hour ritualBoiling the kettle and waiting six quiet minutes is a gentle way of telling the day it is done.

How to brew it

Water: 100°C
Leaf: 2.5 g
Per cup: 250 ml
Steep: 5–7 min

Drop a thin slice of apple into the pot to bring out the chamomile's orchard sweetness.

Good for & good to know

Better sleep
Calm & de-stress
Happy digestion

Contains: Daisy family, Not pregnancy-friendly.

May contain traces of nuts, soy, sesame, gluten.

Contains daisy-family flowers — avoid if you are allergic to ragweed, chrysanthemums or marigolds.

Contains passionflower. Not recommended during pregnancy or breastfeeding without advice from your healthcare professional.

Lavender Lamplight

The make-up of this chapter

Love it, brew it, know it

Why you'll love it

How to brew it

Good for & good to know

More from Ambrose's book

The Aniseed Conjurer

The Mopoke's Lullaby