At Somerset View Guest House, Emsie and I, your hosts, have always believed that memorable stays aren’t just about beautiful rooms and views… they’re also about the little experiences that make you feel at home. For us, one such experience that has quietly grown into something special is our morning tea gift box, curated with teas from Carmién Tea.

What started as a simple idea has become a much-loved part of our guests’ stay. When we first introduced the tea boxes, we began with just a few of Carmién’s favourite blends teas. We placed them in our guests’ rooms so they could savour that first quiet moment of the day with the view, and soon after, they became a natural part of our morning breakfasts as well. Before long, guests began asking us about the teas, telling us how much they enjoyed them, and even returning to Somerset View hoping to find their favourites again.

This idea wasn’t born out of marketing… it began on one of our road trips. While visiting the Cederberg Mountains, we stopped at the Carmién Tea shop and were immediately drawn to the quality, variety, and story behind the brand. Standing there, we remember saying to each other how lovely it would be to share something like this with our guests back at Somerset View. That’s how it all started. Today, we’re proud to offer almost the full Carmién range at the guest house.

Carmién Tea itself has deep roots in the Western Cape. It began in 1998 in a small farm shop on the historic Brakfontein Estate near Citrusdal, at the foothills of the Cederberg Mountains. From those humble beginnings, the brand has grown into a producer of quality rooibos and herbal teas, enjoyed both locally and abroad.