Blends with benefits
Country Life UK|April 12, 2023
The British are very conservative when it comes to tea, but a gentle revolution is under way, spearheaded, in part, by a new breed of experts. Rob Crossan meets some of our best tea sommeliers to discuss the nation’s cuppa habits
Rob Crossan
Blends with benefits

A FRIEND of mine messaged me from Guatemala not long ago, having just arrived in Central America for the start of a random three-month ramble around the eastern coastline. Yet, his WhatsApp message didn’t contain pictures of Aztec ruins or sun-kissed beaches. Attached was a photo of a ruined pile of Yorkshire Tea bags, waterlogged and rendered beyond brewing by a leaking hotel ceiling that destroyed the supply he’d brought all the way from London. ‘Feel like coming home already,’ he moaned. He was joking—but only just. Such is the Englishman’s devotion to tea; a product that, like chicken korma, pizza and lukewarm Chardonnay, has almost nothing to do with the nation that has commandeered it as its own true love.

Tea is the great leveller. The vessel you drink it from, the time of day and environment in which you consume it and the posture you assume when imbibing it may vary. However, it’s still the greatest solution to the emotionally constipated, repressed English character we have: our words of comfort or our ability to discuss the mood and health of loved ones may struggle to eclipse the verbal dexterity of a Clinton’s greeting card—but we all know how to offer, make and present a cup of tea to the sad, the grieving, the tired and the hungover.

Bu hikaye Country Life UK dergisinin April 12, 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

Bu hikaye Country Life UK dergisinin April 12, 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

COUNTRY LIFE UK DERGISINDEN DAHA FAZLA HIKAYETümünü görüntüle
All gone to pot
Country Life UK

All gone to pot

Jars, whether elegant in their glazed simplicity or exquisitely painted, starred in London's Asian Art sales, including an exceptionally rare pair that belonged to China's answer to Henry VIII

time-read
3 dak  |
December 04, 2024
Food for thought
Country Life UK

Food for thought

A SURE sign of winter in our household are evenings in front of the television.

time-read
2 dak  |
December 04, 2024
Beyond the beach
Country Life UK

Beyond the beach

Jewels of the natural world entrance the eyes of Steven King, as Jamaica's music moves his feet and heart together

time-read
5 dak  |
December 04, 2024
Savour the moment
Country Life UK

Savour the moment

I HAVE a small table and some chairs a bleary-eyed stumble from the kitchen door that provide me with the perfect spot to enjoy an early, reviving coffee.

time-read
3 dak  |
December 04, 2024
Size matters
Country Life UK

Size matters

Architectural Plants in West Sussex is no ordinary nursery. Stupendous specimens of some of the world's most dramatic plants are on display

time-read
5 dak  |
December 04, 2024
Paint the town red
Country Life UK

Paint the town red

Catriona Gray meets the young stars lighting up the London art scene, from auctioneers to artists and curators to historians

time-read
7 dak  |
December 04, 2024
The generation game
Country Life UK

The generation game

For a young, growing family, moving in with, or adjacent to, the grandparents could be just the thing

time-read
3 dak  |
December 04, 2024
Last orders
Country Life UK

Last orders

As the country-house market winds down for Christmas, two historic properties—one of which was home to the singer Kate Bush-may catch the eye of London buyers looking to move to the country next year

time-read
5 dak  |
December 04, 2024
Eyes wide shut
Country Life UK

Eyes wide shut

Sleep takes many shapes in art, whether sensual or drunken, deathly or full of nightmares, but it is rarely peaceful. Even slumbering babies can convey anxiety

time-read
6 dak  |
December 04, 2024
Piste de résistance
Country Life UK

Piste de résistance

Scotland's last ski-maker blends high-tech materials with Caledonian timber to create 'truly Scottish', one-off pieces of art that can cope with any type of terrain

time-read
3 dak  |
December 04, 2024