“Better to be deprived of food for three days, than tea for one”

January 24, 2021.Reading time 11 minutes.

The ancient Chinese proverb above encapsulates the sentiment I felt when in lockdown last year on a ship heading for Italy at the height of the pandemic. Without warning, the Captain sent us to our cabins, and we did not come out for more than a week. A home without tea is just a house […]

“The spirit of the tea beverage is one of peace, comfort, and refinement.”

May 2, 2020.Reading time 11 minutes.

Our long days of self isolation and being confined to our homes for all but essentials, provide an opportunity for us to think about what we value most in our lives. A chance to reflect on priorities and spend more time doing the things we love. But when we consider how small after all the […]

“Earl Grey is really more of a ‘Sense and Sensibility’ kind of tea”

February 25, 2020.Reading time 8 minutes.

I loved Earl Grey Tea once, but now I find the citrus and floral infused black tea just too aromatic for my taste. I prefer instead, a more robust, cleaner tasting tea. Many others the world over though, love Earl Grey as the perfect accompaniment for afternoon tea. What exactly is Earl Grey Tea? Earl […]

Love and scandal are the best sweeteners of tea.

February 9, 2020.Reading time 11 minutes.

Tea in our digital age or T, is slang for gossip especially on social media. To give Tea, means to tell a story or share a scoop most probably about celebrities. You can give Tea, get Tea or spill Tea. Using the nature of Tea, (that it is Hot) is the slang way of saying, hot gossip or a […]

Not Everyone’s Cup of Tea

February 8, 2020.Reading time 14 minutes.

Is it scone as in stone or scone as in gone?Jam then cream, or cream then jam? Do you put your milk in first or last? How elegant is the The Duchess of Cambridge, seen here sipping her Tea? The photo made me wonder about the old fashioned etiquette of tea drinking and what modern […]

At My Table

January 27, 2020.Reading time 11 minutes.

One of life’s great pleasures is to cook for others and to share a meal around the table. When family and friends gather around the table to share lunch, afternoon tea, a barbeque, or dinner is a natural, welcome and satisfying event. It is a joy and an occasion I eagerly look forward to. Entertaining […]

Tea in The Afternoon

January 8, 2020.Reading time 9 minutes.

Under certain circumstances there are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea. Henry James It was a close friend of Queen Victoria’s, Anna Russell, the 7th Duchess of Bedford with whom we are indebted, for starting the tradition we know and love today called Afternoon […]

Tea and a Chat

January 6, 2020.Reading time 14 minutes.

“In Ireland, you go to someone’s house, and she asks you if you want a cup of tea. You say no, thank you, you’re really just fine. She asks if you’re sure. You say of course you’re sure, really, you don’t need a thing. Except they pronounce it ting. You don’t need a ting. Well, she says then, […]

Home is Where Your Teapots Are

January 4, 2020.Reading time 8 minutes.

What is a Teapot? Ti/pot, a noun describing a pot with a handle, spout, and lid, in which tea is brewed and from which it is poured. A teapot is a simple vessel that we fill with hot water to steep tea leaves in for a refreshing beverage. Teapots are short, often wide with a […]

Boil the Billy Mate!

March 4, 2019.Reading time 4 minutes.

Tea is not only for dainty ladies in Edwardian houses to enjoy an afternoon respite with their contemporaries over tea and cake. There are more rural, masculine traditions associated with Tea. Boiling the ‘Billy’ for a campsite brew of tea is as Australian as the cork hat to keep the flies away. Legends and yarns […]

Time to Put The Kettle On

April 27, 2013.Reading time 10 minutes.

The perfect temperature for tea is two degrees hotter than just right. The best cup of Tea is usually made at home because so many cafes make really awful Tea. There is so much emphasis on coffee origins, varieties and styles, one’s favourite barista and coffee spot, it is a shame that Tea is just […]

“But, indeed I would rather have nothing but tea”

April 3, 2020.Reading time 9 minutes.

“Some days ‘staying put’ might feel the same as Going Nowhere. Make a cup of tea, and wait for that feeling to pass.” Vivian Swift I love my cups of tea but recently I was forced to spend a week with no tea at all, locked inside a very small room due to the worldwide […]

“Tea is the Elixir of Life.”

February 2, 2020.Reading time 12 minutes.

As the world moves towards a more heightened sense of environmental and personal concern on health and sustainability, there is a growing trend towards seeking a fair trade, plant-based, gluten-free, lactose and sugar-free drink which may contain antioxidants. What better drink is there that covers all these criteria than TEA? Generally speaking, over the past […]

High Tea in Sydney

January 27, 2020.Reading time 9 minutes.

Sydney, including the Blue Mountains, has a wealth of beautiful High Tea venues. Over time I have enjoyed High Tea at many of Sydney’s best and they have been magnificent and memorable afternoons. Today my recommendations include, The Gunners Barracks, Lilianfels Resort and Spa and The Langham Hotel. As time goes by, I will add […]

Blue and White Charm

January 18, 2020.Reading time 10 minutes.

“I find it harder and harder every day to live up to my blue china”. Oscar Wilde, 1874. There is something very appealing about an assortment of Blue and White China. No matter if it is new or old, English, Italian, Chinese or Dutch it all goes together beautifully in an eclectic, timeless collection. Blue […]

“Every Teapot Has a Soul”

January 14, 2020.Reading time 7 minutes.

Teapots are fascinating, I have a nice collection of them that I use often depending on the guests or the Tea event. My troupe of Teapots includes an Italian Spode family Teapot, various silver Teapots, a bright yellow breakfast Teapot, an 1980’s Laura Ashley Teapot, a Mother of pearl and brass one from Vietnam, a […]

The Ritual Of Tea

January 10, 2020.Reading time 8 minutes.

The daily ritual of making Tea is a worldwide phenomenon. I’m sure that any Tea drinker could share many wonderful stories of the individual ways they enjoy their Tea. How they serve, offer and have Tea prepared for them. My husband regularly makes me Tea when I’m out in the garden and I make Tea […]

The Perfect Cup of Tea

January 9, 2020.Reading time 11 minutes.

“Nobody can teach you how to make the perfect cup of tea. It just happens over time. Wearing cashmere helps, of course”. What is the perfect cup of tea? I think Tea is best made with fresh good quality tea leaves in a pre-warmed china teapot with boiling water and served in a fine lipped, […]

High Tea

January 9, 2020.Reading time 6 minutes.

“The daintiness and yet elegance of a china teacup focuses one to be gentle, to think warmly, and to feel close.” Who doesn’t want to pretend to be Lady Mary from Downton Abbey for an afternoon and sip tea in a genteel, aesthetically pleasing setting with your closest girlfriends. Clink glasses of champagne and enjoy […]

Taking Tea

January 5, 2020.Reading time 8 minutes.

Taking tea is a pleasurable part of life and one to be looked forward to. Afternoon tea, high tea, low tea, morning tea the original meaning of ‘taking tea’ has become a little confused over time despite many articles being written about the meaning of each and the origins and etiquette of Tea in the past […]

George Orwell Musing on Tea, Milk and Sugar

January 4, 2020.Reading time 7 minutes.

Evidently George Orwell loved a cup of Tea as much as any of us. In his essay ‘A Nice Cup of Tea’ he is quite adamant about the proper way to make tea. First published in the Evening Standard in 1946, he writes about the correct way to make tea. On reading his list I […]

Time for Tea?

January 1, 2020.Reading time 13 minutes.

How do you like it? Tea made in a Teapot or with a tea bag? A cup or a mug? Do you fancy a glass, china, earthenware or ceramic cup? Green or black tea, oolong or china tea, white tea or herbal, there are many choices to consider. One thing for sure is, we all […]