Sunday, 8 December 2013

English Bell China - Shore & Coggins Longton

    Bought four of these little beauties at a secondhand store for a steal. They are the latest addition to my tea cup collection... well they would be if I had my collection with me here in the UK, so I guess they are really standalones until all my tea cups can be reunited. I miss them so. My teapots too. I have some empty bookcases they would brighten up. Ah well till then I'll just have to sip my tea, pinky up of course, from these English Bell China tea cups by Shore & Coggins or Longton.

A little history on the china:
    Shore & Coggins Limited produced these in their High Street Works, Longton, Stoke-On-Trent. Couldn't find the place, but there is the Gladstone Pottery Museum in an old Potteries, apparently the last complete Victorian Pottery factory in the UK. Must go have a look sometime.

    Back to Shore & Coggins. Their firm dated back to 1887 when it was J. Shore and Co. but in 1905 a new partnership lead to it being renamed Shore, Coggins & Holt, this only lasted 5 years and then Holt vanished and they became Shore & Coggins Ltd. The works closed in 1966.
The stamp on my cups puts them between 1930-1936.

Saturday, 2 November 2013

Tea in London Town

I'm going to try and get out there and try more tea!

Well not just more tea, but more tea shops and tea houses... as well as anything else of curiosiTEA I come across! All in the name of scientific study, relaxation and pure unadulterated enjoyment, of course.

For as Sir Arthur Pinero said, "Where there's tea there's hope."

Hulton Archive/Getty Images
So far I have a list of over 40 places, if you have any suggestions please feel free to shoot them off to me! Just keep in mind I don't have the time or funds to explore further afield then London at the moment.

Wednesday, 16 October 2013

Perfect Pot for Two

I recently moved back to London and as this was not a major move (not sure how long I'll be here or what life will throw my way next) and I could only bring over whatever would fit into two suitcases (mind you one of them was big enough for me to fit uncomfortably inside - below is proof for your giggling pleasure) I sadly had to choose function (clothes and important documents) over fun (books and knick-knacks).

Sadly this meant that my tea cups and teapots had to be left behind. I did have fun trying to drink through as much of my tea as possible and then gave it to grateful friends (good homes all). However, it meant that once in London I had no kettle, no teapot, no tea cups and no tea - HORROR!

Okay I exaggerate a little, I did bring one or two unopened teas with me from Montreal and I quickly started buying teas here to rebuild my collection (we're at about half the selection I had before but it does give me the opportunity to try new things, and some old favourites), yet I was still without the other tea essentials.

We moved into our new little flat (we call it the sub as it's a semi-basement place with a fridge that makes submarine noises - specifically the echo sound after the sonar ping) and found a kettle, bought tea cups from Ikea and a secondhand store, bought mugs from Sainsbury's, and were given a cute teapot as a housewarming gift from my mother.
Left: Ikea 365+ Tea cup and Saucer
Right: Sainsbury's Tea Time Mug set
This stumpy pot is the best teapot for two I've come across.
FORLIFE Stump Teapot

It handles well and the lid is solid but easy to open which is key in getting your loose leaf in and out at the right time.

Holds enough liquid for two mugs of tea or four small tea cups (ideal for two people or one tea-lover).

Keeps the tea warm for quite awhile (I haven't timed it, but I'm a slow sipper and have not had a cold second cup yet).

Pours well without being drippy.

Comes with a removable infuser (I know that a lot of teapots do these days, but this one has a nice little handle so you don't need to fiddle - and it folds down so not to block the lid).

Easy to clean...

And comes in great colours, mine is mandarin but I think it's more pumpkin orange (maybe I have Hallowe'en on the brain though). I also really like the lime, carrot and turquoise colour choices.

I have to say so far I haven't been disappointed by this little guy and though he's not as funky or beautiful as my other teapots he's pretty stylish for a stump.

Wednesday, 2 October 2013

Busaba Eathai Lemongrass Tea (Herbal Infusion)

I've been in London a few weeks now and though I have been drinking tea regularly (breakfast, lunch, tea time, before and after dinner, before bed... really whenever I feel I need a pick me up or something to sooth my soul) I have yet to get out and try some of London's many tea shop and tea house teas.

So far my first encounter with tea that has not taken place at home has been at a quite nice Thai restaurant called Busaba Eathai on Old Street. Whilst everyone else ordered wine or beer to accompany their spicy meals I decided to try out the Lemongrass Tea.


This herbal infusion or tisane was nicely presented in a little white teapot with sipping cup, honey and cashew and coconut cookies. There was enough tea in the pot to fill my cup four times and keep it nice and hot the whole time (forgot to look at the make of pot as it really was quite good).

As it is not a tea but rather a lemongrass infusion I cannot comment on the leaf. The lemongrass looked, well... like lemongrass, stalky and green/white.

Liquor: Was a lovely light pink-gold (not well captured by my old phone's camera) and crystal clear. Oddly it didn't smell much of lemon, rather it smelt of almonds and a bit biscuity. I thought maybe the cookies had contaminated my first pour, but even with my nose firmly in the teapot it still came out almonds. The taste was rather the reverse, with the lemon flavour coming out more (though still not strong which surprised me considering how pungent lemongrass usually is) then the biscuit and frangipani flavours.

Overall it was a light infusion that went well with the spicy Thai food, helping to cut the burn and not overwhelming the food's flavours, however next time I'd have a beer instead.

Tuesday, 20 August 2013

David's Cream of Earl Grey (Organic)

I've tried a number of David's Teas, but this is the only one I actually bought for myself.
I'm a lover of Earl Grey blends and have tried many, it's my go-to morning tea, so I thought I should give one of his a try.

The name is in French because I live in Quebec.
Why Cream of Earl Grey over one of their other Earl Grey blends? Well because I liked the idea of it already having the creamy taste I enjoy from adding a bit of milk.

In case you are having a hard time making out the description and ingredients they are as follows:
Description: Lovers of Earl Grey adore this creamy alternative to the original blend.
Ingredients: black tea, cornflowers, vanilla flavour, bergamot oil.


David's Tea Cream of Earl Grey (Organic)







Dry Leaf: twisty black-brown leaf with small blue flowers and yellow petals. Has an intensely orange scent with a hint of dark chocolate and sweetness.

Wet Leaf: rough edged light brown tea leaves with a hint of olive green to them. Pale yellow petals. Light orange scent and a touch of vanilla.

Liquor: clear orangey-caramel colour. Velvety texture with delicate orange and vanilla flavour and a creamy nut finish.

It's not an overly complex flavour, but I find it just right for lazy weekend mornings where I putter around the house whilst sipping my tea. Not something I'd drink to wake myself up quickly on work days.

Wednesday, 14 August 2013

Off to the land of Afternoon Tea

My posting will be sporadic over the next little while as I pack up my tea things and move across the pond back to the UK. I've got a lot to do and little time to do it in so blogging about tea will have to take a back seat to drinking my way through my tea collection (as sadly it can't travel with me) as I box my apartment up and sort through my overwhelming piles of stuff (I'm a bit of a pack-rat).

It's sad to be leaving my lovely Montreal and the best apartment I have ever had, but it'll be nice to be back in the land of tea drinkers. I'm really looking forward to finding new tea house and shops, but before I go I will try to get in a few more Montreal tea experiences.

Here's a peak at some of my tea cups before they are carefully wrapped and boxed up for storage.

Thursday, 1 August 2013

Pure Leaf Iced Tea

I was recently in the Plattsburgh with my husband and friends for some State side shopping. We decided to have a picnic at the beach so stopped at a Stewart's convenience store because I thought they'd carry Stewart's sodas and I wanted to try one of the flavours we don't get in Montreal. The answer was they didn't carry ANY Stewart's sodas.

You can see why I was confused.


So in my disappointment I took a Pure Leaf Iced Tea instead. The selection was small (4 flavours) and I went with Raspberry (I don't drink anything that says "diet" so that knocked out two choices immediately).
Find out more here
Picnic purchases done I got back in the sweltering car and we continued on our merry way to the beach. Once we'd found a shady spot and spread out our blanket I cracked my ice tea open.

The smell was sweet and raspberry heavy but I could still make out the black tea bite.

The taste was overwhelmingly raspberry and nectar sweet making it hard to taste much of the tea flavour. There was a hint of astringency, but whether that was from the tea or the citric acid added to "provide tartness" I can't say. 

I'll admit I was disappointed as it uses real brewed tea (though I have no idea of the quality of this tea anyways) so was hoping to be able to taste it. None-the-less it is one of the better ready made ice teas I've had as it left no aftertaste and did somewhat quench my thirst. My major complaint was the incredible sweetness of the drink, but there are apparently 10 flavours; 2 of which are labelled as not too sweet and 1 is unsweetened so maybe I'd prefer those.

Monday, 22 July 2013

Ice tea days

It's getting really hot here as summer pushes on.
The heat and sun, though nice after a long winter and wet spring, are not my friends. My fair skin burns easily, my hair frizzes and my brain feels like it's melting. So I spend most of the time hiding indoors, yet the heat still finds me (I don't have AC in my apartment and fans only do some much).

Oddly though I love tea I had never really tried iced tea, except the ready-to-drink versions from Snapple, Nestea, Lipton's and so on, which I don't drink too much of due to their usually high sugar content.
I knew about the existence of iced tea made from real tea, but had some how failed to ever try it (maybe because my family will drink hot tea even if the roads are melting) until I was in Burlington with tea drinking girlfriends and we found a magical tea house that served amazing home-brewed iced teas (I'll tell you more about this wondrous tea house and shop another time). 

I fell in love.

After a few trials with plastic pitchers, teapots, and large bowls I realized the error of my ways (trying to filter out loose leaf tea from a large bowl is VERY messy) and bought a Takeya Iced Tea Maker (because it seemed simple and was on sale when I saw it).
I haven't been disappointed at all.

And it's very straight forward to use (I prefer the cold brew method, but you can also hot brew the tea and add ice to chill it).

Step 1
Take the Takeya Iced Tea Maker and remove lid and infuser.
Fill almost to brim with cold water (I use filtered water).
Measure out 8 tablespoons of loose leaf tea into the infuser (you can use bags or blooming teas as well).
Step 2
Twist the infuser back into the lid.
I then swirl the infuser in the water a bit to get the leaves wet, so they don't all float immediately to the surface, before securing the lid in place.
Step 3
Leave in the fridge overnight or for 8 hours.
Remove the infuser.
Drink your lovely iced tea!
 Pros
- Simple to use
- Nice way to use up older teas that are loosing flavour
- Can mix in fruit, herbs and other things or make your own blends
- Airtight lid means no fun smells/tastes picked up from food in your fridge (my husband loves making spicy marinades so this is really important for us, I don't relish the idea of garlic tea)
- Lots of space in the infuser for tea to expand

Cons
- infuser is hard to wash (really that's all I've got after 3 months of use)
- my infuser is a bit short for the pitcher, but it still works well and I've noticed that now they come with a sort of extender to make the infuser reach further into the pitcher.

I really do love the simplicity of it all and though cold brewing is a slow process I find the tea has less bitterness too it. The hot-brew method is very fast, about 10 minutes and it's ready, so better if you need to make some quick.

There are lots of different iced tea makers out there just be sure to find one that allows the tea to expand so you get the most flavour from your leaf and is airtight to keep it fresh and tea tasting!


Friday, 12 July 2013

My Teapots


This is my teapot collection so far.

   The first one is my favourite, a gift from my step-mother, it's Meito China (Hand Painted - Made in Japan) and very delicate. I especially love that you can actually feel the texture of the paint!

   The blue one is the first teapot I ever bought myself. It's functional and I like light blue. Poor thing is my go-to pot and so is rather banged up (which you can't see here as I took the image above from the web).

   The owl I got from my sister-in-law and have not yet had the chance to use it, but I love the ridiculousness of it and have sworn to serve many of my friends tea from it once the weather has cooled.

   The black and green one is a lovely cheap pot I found in China Town. I particularly like the handle and the crackled glaze.

    And last but not least is a glass teapot for blooming teas given to me by friends. It works well with blooming teas, but the strainer is a disaster with loose leaf.

I'll update as my collection grows!  

Monday, 8 July 2013

Bridal Shower ParTea!

I had really wanted to high Afternoon Tea with my girlfriends and family and when ideas for my bridal shower were being bandied about I thought that it would be a lot of fun to go out dressed up in hats, gloves, pearls and floral print dresses for Afternoon Tea at one of the hotels here that offer it. However, my plans were disappointed by numerous unfavourable reviews for these venues.

Not to be without a tea party (and the lovely sight of my friends and family decked out, as my sister put it, "for the races.") I figured it could easily be held in my garden, or at worst apartment. It being summer and quite hot I thought iced tea would be better and bought a lovely Takeya Iced Tea maker and began to plan the food and decorations.

The food was easy... crust-less cucumber sandwiches and salmon cream cheese sandwiches for the traditionalists, cheddar and chutney sandwiches for the adventurous, and ham and cheese for the picky. Sweets comprised of cupcakes provided by my mother and sister, gingerbread men (so everyone could have a sweet man for a bit), and Victoria Sponge made by me (with the help of Felicity Cloake's wonderful recipe - here) and decorated by my talented sister.

For drinks we made pitchers of Pimm's and lemonade and numerous different iced teas (from the giant selection in my cupboard and my mother packing half her suitcase with Whittard's teas) - the only ones I remember drinking, for my cup kept get misplaced in the merriment and I had had quite a bit of Pimm's, were the David's Tea Lime Gelato, a mate I picked up in Burlington, and the Whittard's Afternoon Tea.

Decorations were harder. I had inherited a floral and a lace tablecloth, some bunting, plastic flowers and enough tea cups for everyone, but I didn't enough to serve the nibbles on so traipsed out to Ikea thinking I would at least find some cheap and brightly coloured plates. What I found was even better!
BÄRBAR Tray from Ikea
Isn't it adorable! I also found a table runner with tea cups printed on it and couldn't resist.
I did get a few coloured serving plates too, but the Barbar tray and Glanta table-runner made my day.
GLÄNTA table-runner from Ikea
The bridal shower was a great success (though rained in) and fulfilled me desire for an afternoon tea with my girlfriends and family...of course I don't think traditionally one would play pass the parcel or wear stick on 'taches, but who knows!

Friday, 5 July 2013

Tea making tips from wartime Britain

According to the BFI:

Tea connoisseurs will benefit from the six golden tips for making the perfect cuppa, as well as countless other handy hints (never store your tea next to cheese, for example). There's an assessment of the pros and cons of various teapots and words of wisdom about the tea bush itself. 

Slightly grotesque methods for producing tea en masse are demonstrated - it was wartime, after all - and tea had to be produced by the oceanful. As such, there are some top tips for cleaning that hard-to-reach tap in your tea urn. Remember: "a dirty tap means dirty tea". (Robin Baker)

All titles on the BFI Films channel are preserved in the vast collections of the BFI National Archive. To find out more about the Archive visit http://www.bfi.org.uk/archive-collect...

Begin at the beginning...

I've been a tea drinker for as long as I can remember.

My Nana used to make me hot-toddies (virgin of course) to sooth my fevered aches and pains. 
My father would ply me with warm mugs of milky Assam and we would watch the leaves fall, the snow drift, or sit and quietly play board games.
My mother would make me large cups of chamomile to sooth me after an upset or before bed.

Yet my love for tea and all things tea related developed recently.
It started with old porcelain tea sets and silver teapots, then tea trays and tea towels, before progressing to tea prints, tea shops, tea houses, tea tins, loose leaf tea, tea accessories, tea recipes, and finally to the history and production of tea. 
The end, my being fully obsessed with all things tea and the proud owner of five tea pots, a cupboard full of tea, 14 tea cups and saucers, and a Japanese ice tea brewer - along with other random bits and pieces of tea paraphernalia. 

In a nutshell this is an outlet for my tea mania and my curiositea!