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 […]
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 […]
“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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
“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 […]
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 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 […]
“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, […]
“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 […]
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 […]
“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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]