How I love tea, let me count the ways…

Have I told you how I’m obsessed with tea? The drink, not the meal that really is called dinner (although I am fairly fond of all meal times, obviously). When I was a little girl, I started drinking tea then albeit more milk with a dash of tea. My dad was a massive fan of tea drinking, even claiming that drinking a hot cup of tea on a hot day cooled you down. No idea if that’s actually true or not. I’ve progressed onto the opposite these days, tea with a dash of milk but it’s still my main drink of choice. Cut my veins open and I’d swear I’d bleed tea, not blood.

Tuesday afternoon saw my mum and I get all civilized and get my two vintage china cups out as well as dig out my teapot and go all afternoon tea on our backsides. We even had some mini cakes which came courtesy of the local co-op’s mark down section. Very rock and roll. We also watched a film but it was so shockingly bad I’m not going to name it. (However it did make me go ‘god, did everyone really dress like that in the early noughties? And christ *insert name of actress* looks bloody young’)

I like tea drinking at home as much as I like it out and about. I will state this is a rare occurence and normally its a teabag in a cup when drinking indoors like. All of my family are tea drinking mad…my dad, my mum, my sister, my auntie and cousin, my uncle…I mean like, if you were to go round to a party of my relatives, the question is not ‘do you want a drink’ but ‘do you want a cup of tea?’. I’m probably reasonably towards the top of the pyramid when it comes to whom is the best at tea making – however, I miss out on top spot due to my easily distracted nature. What, there’s a book over there? *abandons tea making*

Tea means so much to me that it often influences my relationships with others. For instance, I knew Jem was to be a friend for life when I discovered that she loves tea as much as I do, if not more so. (see here for further evidence…the second teapot is in fact mine as it was a mutual tea drinking adventure when Jem snapped away!). Anyone that can consider three stops for tea normal during a shopping trip is to be valued in my book. Similarly, when I realised the bloke is just as keen on stopping for a cuppa as I am, especially in venues a bit off the beaten path, well I suitably swooned. That’s right, you can keep your fine  dining, take me to a tea room and I’m yours. Price of a cup of tea and maybe also a slice of cake is all that costs you for the pleasure of my company. Being entirely serious.

(image I nabbed from Thea Caffea’s Facebook page…all copyright to them not me..obviously I can’t take pictures this brilliantly!)

So, the place where I sampled rosebud tea with the delectable Miss Cope is somewhere called Thea Caffea which recently opened up in my own hometown of Nottingham. If you’re ever in that neck of the woods, you should definitely go. It’s hidden down a narrow alley, opening out into a gorgeous outdoor eating area before stepping into the loveliness that is the tea room itself. I went twice in two days….once with my mum for a birthday lunch and then that time with that bird off t’internet whom I ‘appen to know.

On my first visit, I wimped out of having one of the flowering teas or anything particular adventurous, thinking ‘what if I don’t like it?’ but it turns out that if you order a speciality tea and you don’t like it, they replace it for an english breakfast free of charge. Fairly nifty that. But yes, on my first visit I went with an Earl Grey, which was very nice indeed.

I just love the art of afternoon tea in particular….the sandwiches cut into triangles, the cake stands, the vintage china, the oodles of tea. I think it’s probably one of my favourite way to have tea…somewhat indulges my inner urge to live a Regency life style. There’s nothing I’d love better than just tea drinking and letter writing all day long.

Its one of my ambition to drink tea in as many places as possible, given my fondness for a tea room or ten. So keep your eyes peeled at various points for more posts where I wax lyrical about whatever tea room I’ve visited.