TeaTime British Tea 2022

I have recently returned from a marvelous tea-filled trip to the UK for the first—and definitely not last— “TeaTime in England” retreat in which I hosted 20 participants for a weeklong extravaganza. So as I put the finishing touches on this special British-themed issue, my mind harkens back to the lovely time we had partaking of afternoon tea at some of London’s top venues as well as elsewhere in the English countryside. This jaunt across the proverbial pond reminded me that there are many wonderful tearooms just waiting for me to experience them in person so that I can then share them with others. In the meantime, I continue to add to my list of future places to visit thanks to the articles in this special issue. They will most…

Jane Pettigrew An international tea expert who has written many books on the subject, including her newest, Jane Pettigrew’s World of Tea, Jane Pettigrew is a recipient of the British Empire Medal. A former tearoom owner, she is a conference speaker, an award-winning tea educator, a contributing editor for TeaTime, and currently Director of Studies at The UK Tea Academy, an online tea-training body based in the United Kingdom that reaches out to students all around the world. Although her travels have taken her around the globe, she resides in London. Bruce Richardson TeaTime contributing editor Bruce Richardson is Master Blender at Elmwood Inn Fine Teas and the author of a dozen books on tea, including Tea & Etiquette and A Social History of Tea, available at elmwoodinn.com. Follow his blog at theteamaestro.com. Kerry…

Hardly a week goes by without a request coming in from a reader asking, “Where should I have tea while visiting England?” For more than 30 years, I’ve traveled from the Highlands of Scotland to the tip of Cornwall in search of unique tea experiences. After driving thousands of miles on the wrong side of the road and consuming gallons of tea and hundreds of scones, I’ve become well acquainted with British landmarks and tea customs. Most travelers begin their journey in London, but from the iconic hotels, such as The Ritz or The Dorchester, to the retail legends, such as Harrods or Fortnum & Mason, afternoon tea can quickly become an expensive adventure here. I suggest you enjoy all the city has to offer while planning a variety of teatimes…

English hearts beat with genuine pride at the prospect of keeping centuries-old traditions alive, such as sharing in the tea ritual by dressing up and escaping the clatter far from the roiling crowd. One of the quintessential havens to make such an escape is The Ritz Hotel, London, located at the leafy rim of Green Park, a short walk from Buckingham Palace and Piccadilly Circus. The hotel was founded in 1906 by the Swiss hotelier César Ritz, whose ambitious intent was to create a luxurious oasis for royalty and the rich and famous. The Ritz, synonymous with glamour and courtly style, has become part of the international vernacular. Venerated in the musical Puttin’ on the Ritz, starring the debonair Fred Astaire, Ritz talk morphs into common language. Everyday references to a “ritzy”…

The county of Kent is said to take its name from the Latin cantia or cantium, meaning “coastal district” or “corner land.” This region is indeed the south-eastern corner of England, whose coastline of sandy beaches and dramatic white cliffs runs from the mouth of the Thames River to the county’s western border with Sussex on the south coast. Important seaside towns, with their rich maritime history of royal dockyards, smugglers, and Napoleonic sea defenses, are home today to ferries that travel daily between the English coast and northern Europe, and the tunnel that ploughs deep under the English Channel to carry people and goods to and from France. Known as The Garden of England, Kent is a land of ridges and valleys, ancient woodlands and sweeping pastures, where royal families…

Before the 18th century, Manchester was a flourishing market town that thrived on the wool trade. Then, at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in the 1760s, it found itself at the heart of the cotton industry, as water-powered cotton mills sprang up in the north and east of the city. As weaving, spinning, and textile design expanded in nearby towns, Manchester became the marketplace and distribution centre for raw cotton and woven and spun yarn. Solid brick-built warehouses, smart office buildings, ostentatious banks, and a Royal Exchange, where traders met to do business every week, dominated the city. And, although the area also became important for engineering, foundries, and other heavy industry, by the mid-19th century, Manchester was affectionately known as Cottonopolis. Today, Manchester is going through a period of…