Ooh we love a brew. National Tea Day - What could be better?
Ever heard of National Tea Day? A whole day dedicated to the celebration of Britain's favourite brew.
Only started in 2016, the date, April 21st, was chosen to coincide with Queen Elizabeth the Seconds birthday, someone who famously enjoyed a cup of the good stuff.
Second only to water, the art and occasion of tea drinking is described by Henry James, author and nominee for a Nobel Prize in Literature, who once said, “There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.”
Of course afternoon tea, as an occasion, can now be taken with prosecco or champagne rather than the traditional brew, but the idea of a tall china stand brimming with neatly trimmed finger sandwiches, cakes and scones is so quintessentially British. It just oozes lavish decadence and places like Betty's Tea Rooms amongst others regularly have queues around the block to savour their delicious fare.
National Tea Days slogan is "Brew More. Do More"
I for one can't function without my morning cuppa. Never coffee, I always have to have my cup of red tea, my particular favourite.
There are so many varieties to choose from, we are spoilt for choice.
The tea shelves in the supermarket are bursting with delicious flavours and fragrances.
Here at Ooh we have created several gift sets containing tea.
The Mum to Be with specialist Pregnancy Tea. The Mindful with white tea by specialist tea maker Bird & Blend and several gift collections featuring calming herbal blends by Pukka Tea.
We also have you covered if you're planning to bring out your inner Mary Berry!
Our Baking Day gift box is a super stylish hamper of baking kit essentials that will be perfect to show off to your guests, just to show how talented you are in the kitchen!
Fancy hosting a "Tea Party"? Well, here are 5 fabulously posh rules to follow if you are to be the host with the most:
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Pouring the tea
The host should pour everyone’s tea and the teapot should remain on the table with the spout facing the person who poured.
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To dunk or not to dunk
Unless situated in an informal setting, it is inappropriate to dunk a biscuit into tea.
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Food presentation
A tiered cake stand should be used when food is served with tea. The top tier is usually filled with scones, the middle for sandwiches and the bottom comprises sweets, pastries, and desserts. Don’t forget the order of eating, which is sandwiches, scones, and finally, sweets.
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Mind the napkin
Napkins are placed to the left of the plate with the folded edge on the left and open edge closest to the plate. Place a napkin back to the left of the plate — never on the chair — when momentarily leaving the table.
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How to stir tea
Starting from the 12 o’clock position in the cup, slowly fold the tea with a spoon from 12 to 6, back and forth about 2 to 3 times. The spoon should be resting on the saucer to the right of the cup when it is not being used.
Health Benefits
Apart from the endless choice of flavours available, tea is full of health benefits. There are tea remedies dating back centuries for all manner of ailments. Black and Green teas are good for the heart, chamomile is soothing, red is naturally caffeine free (and yummy), raspberry leaf is good for late stage pregnancy. Tea is just great, full of antioxidants and Vitamin H which is good for the immune system.
Start your tea journey today. Invite friends for a chat and a brew and sample some different flavours, you could have a flavour for every person and every mood!
