I for one love a good cup of tea. Over the years I have explored some of the main tea-producing countries with fascination and intrigue about tea history. With the upsurge of herbal teas, I would like to bring you more on tea.
Bringing Back the Tea Revolution
We all know that us Brits love a brew (or two), in fact, its a major corner of our general stereotypical image around the world. We invest a lot of time into finding the 'right' tea bag, arguing over the right methodology (water first then milk if you were wondering), and buying all manner of tea-related dining wear from teapots to tea leaf strainers, and tea caddies.
So what If I was to say that we only rank 15th in the world rankings of tea consumerism? Doesn't sound right, does it? Well, it's a fact that many other countries consume more tea than us, however, we think we know why we don't drink as much as others – time and quality. We often don't have time to sit and enjoy a brew with loved ones that have been lovingly made and presented in our favourite mug or teacup.
This is why we believe that making tea should be a time for quality, relaxation and taking time out. To help you create your perfect setting we have searched high and low for the very best in antique tea-ware. Our favourite? The tea caddy!
We know what you're thinking – what exactly is a tea caddy and how can we use them?
Tea caddies have a long and wide-reaching history starting in China and travelling, along with the tea-drinking traditions, over to the UK. The tea caddy was originally designed to hold loose tea leaves (making it a perfect gift for those who enjoy the finer things in life), keeping them dry, some even had locks on them to keep the precious tea leaves safe at a time when tea leaves were extremely valuable and sought after.
We Brits took the tea caddy, combined it with various precious metals and now have a wide range of high-quality, antique tea caddies in this country. A tea caddy can make a beautiful – well thought out gift, to a loved one (or yourself).
With the increase in herbal teas currently sweeping the nation, we believe that the tea caddy is sure to make a comeback as a key piece of luxury tea storage kit.
You can find out more about the tea caddy, its history and luxurious quality craftsmanship by browsing AC Silver collections.
I would love to hear from you. Do you have a tea caddy? favourite cup of tea? or perhaps you have a question or comment. Please email enquiries@MDHardingTravelPhotography.com