Whittard of Chelsea

 

Whittard of Chelsea

The Whittard company was started by Walter Whittard in 1886 and has gone through several stages in a long history of supplying tea, coffee, and hot chocolate. It is an interesting introduction to variety in beverages.

Though I never drink coffee and rarely have tea, I enjoy buying distinct types occasionally, for other people.

The coffee names alone are a delight – Guatemala Elephant, Monsoon Malabar, Jamaica Blue Mountain, Kenya Peaberry, and Sumatra Mandheling are just some of the options for coffee.

There are notes to accompany each selection. For example, Guatemala Elephant is described thus:

“Our most popular medium-dark roast with good reason – these big Guatemala Maragogype beans trumpet a bold dark chocolate and orange flavour.”

Following that are reviews from satisfied, even ecstatic, customers. They say things like, ‘It starts off each and every day with style and sophistication,’ or ‘Finely balanced flavour,’ and ‘The best coffee in the world.’

Monsoon Malabar is “Exceptionally smooth with a sweet, spicy kick, this dark roast coffee is unique to the lush Malabar Coast of Karnataka and Kerala, where it has protected status.”

At Christmas, there are brightly coloured tins to tempt the customer, and it’s an extra temptation to consider the biscuits, which are also presented in pretty tins. Stem ginger and lemon biscuits are delicious, and Earl Grey 'all butter' biscuits are very moreish, though perhaps better suited to tea.

There is a wide choice of loose teas – black, green, white, and matcha among them, as well as flavoured teas, and fruit and herbal infusions.

Peach bellini is described as 92% green tea with flavourings, including passion fruit, apricot, and marigold – apparently no peach! 

               The leaves are substantial and make a pleasant fruity brew.

If you’ve read any of Alexander Scott McCall’s novels about the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, featuring the irrepressible Mma Precious Ramotswe in Botswana, you will have heard rooibos tea mentioned frequently. Rooibos or Red Bush Tea is an herbal Southern African tea, and a great favourite of Mma Ramotswe’s.

If tea and coffee are not appealing, there are hot chocolate options, and miniature marshmallows, of course!

Whittard’s offers a number of gift options, like milk frothers, infusers and even stencils to decorate your drink, or perhaps a hamper or gift box.

Also available is equipment and tableware including cafetières, tea pots, and double-walled mugs.

 The goods are carefully packed in sturdy, recyclable cardboard boxes. The interiors are covered in illustrations depicting the early days of the company.

Apostle spoons

 

Apostle spoons

I make a pot of tea two or three times a day. I use Twinings Assam loose tea, or occasionally Earl Grey if my son-in-law is visiting (the writer, not the plumber) and spoon the leaves into the pot with a little spoon that came from my parents’ home, long before they died. The spoon is an Apostle spoon, of no great value other than sentiment. I don’t know if my parents had a set, or whether they just had one, perhaps as a christening gift for someone in the family.

Similar spoons had their origin in 15^th century Europe and were used at table, often being produced in sets of thirteen, and representing Christ’s Last Supper in company with his twelve disciples. It is rare now to find a complete set, though they were popular and produced in large numbers in England and Germany.

During the 16^th century they were popular gifts from godparents to their godchildren, but the tradition had declined by the middle of the 20^th century. They were also sometimes given as wedding presents, to bless the couple with good fortune.

The earliest spoons were made from silver, with a representation of an apostle at the top or finial of the handle. Apostles could be identified by the objects they carried, known as attributes. Saint Peter was shown with a key or sword, or sometimes a fish. Judas was depicted holding a bag of money, and Saint Andrew held a cross. The Master, or Christ, carried a cross and orb. The British Museum in London has an irreplaceable set of thirteen, in which the thirteenth character is shown as the Virgin Mary.

In later years, many spoons were created in base metal, like nickel silver, with a thin layer of silver electroplated onto it. Nickel silver is a mixture of nickel, zinc, and copper.

My little spoon has EPNS (Electro Plated Nickel Silver) stamped on the reverse. It’s difficult to be sure, but I think the apostle is intended to be Saint John the Evangelist. It looks as if he is carrying a chalice, the cup of sorrow foretold by Christ.

It is not valuable, but I would be very sorry to lose it. All the while it rests in the tea caddy there’s little chance of that!

Whoops! or A New Way to Wash the Floor

I know that tea-leaves used to be used to clean carpets in the nineteenth century. Used leaves were spread across the floor and then swept up. I learnt this from one of Valerie Martin’s novels where there were frequent references to a servant carrying out this task.

I have not heard of tea, particularly hot tea, in recently brewed liquid form, being applied to bare floors but this is what happened this morning. It was unintentional and was dispensed from this vessel . . .

. . . as Gus barged past. He received a hot shower, and so did Barry. Gus’s thick coat prevented any damage and Barry’s trousers did likewise.

Sadly, the mug broke when it hit the floor.

It is appropriate that it was dispatched by one of the breeds depicted on it.

It’s simple . . .

When an elderly person has spent some time in hospital, following a fall perhaps, or an infection (actually, infections usually occur after the elderly any person has been admitted to hospital) tests of preparedness to return home or to remove to another care facility are conducted. Sometimes, when a patient has demonstrated confusion, mental states are checked – 'What's your address?' or 'What day is it today?' (I am frequently unsure what day it is now that I no longer have the framework of a working day, so I don't think that's a reliable marker!) Otherwise the tests are used to assess mobility, strength and a degree of organisational ability in addition to mental capability.
One test that seems to be standard involves making a cup of tea – or coffee, I suppose, if tea is not the patient's beverage of choice. It reminds me of one of the tasks that used to be set for 5 and 6-year-olds – describing in correct sequence the stages required to make a sandwich, which is probably actually definitely more taxing than making tea or coffee. That reminds me – my grandson made tea a few months ago. When he brought the mugs to us - (We're not posh, we don't often use cups and saucers. You get more tea in a mug than a cup and don't have to keep getting up to refill it, not that we're lazy, of course!) - but as I was saying writing typing, Callum brought the tea to us. It was nice and hot but had lots of tea leaves floating in it. Gillian said tactfully, 'How did you make this, Callum?' 'I put a spoonful in each mug and poured in the boiling water,' he replied, clearly puzzled. It's the logical thing to do when that's the way tea is made – at home – with tea bags. Actually, I have no objection to some tea leaves in my mug but a complete teaspoonful is too much. Since then Callum has made tea correctly in the teapot.In the hospital utility room/kitchen, specially equipped with the appropriate requisites – a short flight of steps to check safety and ability on staircases, cooker, fridge, pots, pans, baking trays, mixing bowls, kettles, tea pots, mugs, cups and so forth – the patient is invited to make tea. Some fall fail at the first hurdle obstacle, unable to find the tea (often in a tea caddy labelled TEA). Difficulties over the choice of kettle should not arise – some are electric, others are heated on a hob. The examinee may be wondering how many people are expected to take tea and whether they would prefer cups or mugs but this is not to be taken into account – it is simply the ability to make a pot of tea that is being assessed. Now, some might fail because they are of the 'old school' – warm the pot and then empty – whoever does that?? (Me, occasionally, trying to impress . . . generally I like to 'shock' the flavour out of the tea leaves!) Others may omit to boil the water and attempt to produce a good brew with cold or tepid water. Yet others may not have the strength to lift a full kettle or teapot.
On the basis that making a pot of tea is an indicator of one's mental and physical abilities I must confess to failure in the first category! At the weekend I made tea many times but twice omitted the tea leaves! So, on those performances, I would definitely not pass the competence test!

Microfiction Monday #35 Taking tea

Susan from 'Stony River' organises and hosts this weekly meme. She provides a picture and the challenge is to create a story in 140 characters or less – including punctuation! Click here to read more marvels of microfiction – and perhaps join in. It's fun!
Here is this week's picture and my offering.

 'That's hot,' said the monkey.

'What did you expect?' said Alice. 'Iced tea? And by the way taking sugar in your tea can make you go blind.'

(139 characters)