'Keep the Heid' - Brewing Friendships In Battle Against Loneliness

People impacted by loneliness and isolation have been supported by mental health heroes fuelled through cups of tea made with Scotland’s famous tap water.

A collaboration between Edinburgh-based whole leaf tea company Eteaket and Scottish Water led to the creation of the “Keep the Heid” blend, which has proved a hit with customers around the world.

With donations from every sale being donated to the Health in Mind charity which promotes positive mental health and wellbeing in Scotland, £650 has been directed towards supporting those who would benefit from befriending.

The charity said the link-up through Scottish Water’s Your Water Your Life campaign has made a positive difference.

The boost comes on Brew Monday – led by the Samaritans who encourage people to stay connected with a virtual cuppa to counter the January blues.

Lynne Stanford, Fundraising Manager at Health in Mind, said:

Huge thanks to eteaket for their extremely generous donation of £650 in December, which came from their ‘Keep the Heid’ tea and advent calendar sales.

With this donation eteaket could support and train six volunteer befrienders, enabling six people who are experiencing loneliness and isolation a chance to reconnect with others and their local community. They have wonderfully promoted positive mental health and are true Health in Mind heroes.”

Sales of Keep the Heid have seen tea shipped to Australia, Japan, the USA and Canada. The blend was designed to complement Scotland’s best natural resource, its tap water, with £1 from every blend sold donated to Health in Mind.

Erica Moore, Founder and MD of eteaket, said international sales of the tea boosted the charity donation.

It’s amazing that the blend has been so popular abroad – it’s really a privilege to be able to spread a little bit of Scotland and the joy of tea all over the world.

Keep the Heid is particularly popular in America, but the blend has also found its way across Europe to Germany, Hungary, France and Belgium.

While people abroad can’t enjoy our lovely Scottish tap water, they’re clearly eager to enjoy a taste of Scotland through the blend.”

The blend, a loose leaf tea that retails in 100g packs, is a new take on traditional black tea inspired by Scottish flora; mixing blends of Assam and Darjeeling combined with heather and Scottish meadowsweet, both herbs traditionally native to Scotland. Brian Lironi, Director of Corporate Affairs at Scottish Water, said:

We’re thrilled Keep the Heid has been so popular abroad and has in turn contributed to eteaket’s charitable contributions to Health in Mind.

eteaket has been a fantastic supporter of Your Water Your Life and has really helped dial up our appreciation for one of the most overlooked – yet vital – ingredients in our cuppa, our water.

Your Water Your Life is a celebration of Scottish tap water and how it supports the daily lives of millions of people, encouraging all of us to be more mindful of how we use water.”

‘Keep the Heid’ Limited Edition tea is available to buy online at https://www.eteaket.co.uk/shop/keep-the-heid-limited-edition/  at £7.95 for 100g, and in eteaket’s shop and Tea Room.

Scottish Water’s Your Water Your Life campaign aims to encourage people to top up from the tap to benefit the planet, their health and their pocket and celebrate the country’s precious, natural resource.