Two Shots and a Pint
  • Home
  • Blog Posts
    • From The 2 Shots Cellar
    • Beverages
      • Wine
      • Spirits and Cocktails
      • Beer
      • Coffee and Tea
      • Juice
    • Equipment
    • People
    • Wine 101
    • 2shotsaway
    • 2ShotsinChile
  • Events
  • About 2 Shots and a Pint
  • Contact Us

Two Shots and a Pint

  • Home
  • Blog Posts
    • From The 2 Shots Cellar
    • Beverages
      • Wine
      • Spirits and Cocktails
      • Beer
      • Coffee and Tea
      • Juice
    • Equipment
    • People
    • Wine 101
    • 2shotsaway
    • 2ShotsinChile
  • Events
  • About 2 Shots and a Pint
  • Contact Us
BeveragesCoffee and Tea

For the Love of Things Austen-tea-cious

written by Gail Sotelo August 7, 2015

I have been going through a crazy borderline psycho Jane Austen phase (you know who you are, this is your influence). 😉

Chad initially bought us frou-frou teacups because of my Downton Abbey phase a couple of years ago (why did they kill Matthew?!? WHYYYYYYY?!?), but because Jane Austen… I (re-) fell in love with the art of British tea service, this time during the Regency era.

tsaa pa rin

Rustan’s Makati rocks

That being said, Chad decided to be a super awesome husband and complete our 100 Years of Royal Albert tea set, adding 1950-1990 to our existing 1900-1940 set (yay, Rustan’s Makati).

To fully be immersed in the art of Regency tea, here are some tidbits to read about while enjoying your afternoon cup:

  • Tea used to be expensive during the Regency period. The economic situation at the time (named so because of King George III going “mad”, thus leaving his son, the prince regent to rule the country in the background) was the aftermath of civil war, the beheading of King Charles I, Oliver Cromwell becoming Lord Protectorate of Britain… Chaos, chaos, chaos.
  • However, it was the return of the monarchy that made tea popular in court (and thus aspirational), in the person of Catherine Braganza (the wife of King Charles II). This was part of her dowry.
  • In the Regency period, the popular chinaware was Wedgwood. These were created in the company founded by Josiah Wedgwood, who revolutionised the art of pottery.
    While I was doing research on him, I realised that the antiques Chad and I bought from Bangkal were later forms of his work (not the real ones, these are remakes, I’m sure).
  • The term “high” in high tea was derived from a place. The most common street name in America is Main Street. In Britain, it’s High Street.
    In the beginning, to have “high” tea is to have “mainstream” tea… In fact, for a time, it was attributed to a farmer’s supper.
    So, initially, there was nothing fancy about having high tea.
  • In the Regency era, tea was drunk for breakfast and after dinner. Dinner was late… Around 8-9pm. Because of this, around 1840, the Duchess of Bedford kept feeling very hungry in the late afternoon. So, she came up with the practice of having her servants bring her tea with toast fingers and little cakes. Voila, the birth of having finger food with tea.
  • As this practice of the Duchess of Bedford became fashionable, tea drinking slowly became ceremonial. The lady of the house would serve each guest tea, and the footman would give the cups to each guest. Tea service began with tea sandwiches, sconces, fruit breads, and muffins. Fancy cream cakes and petit fours would follow.
  • Milk tea happened because teacups were so delicate at the time, and they would crack because of the hot liquid. To avoid breakage, milk was first poured into cups, followed by tea.
  • In true romantic Jane Austen style, there was an old British superstition that if a loose-leaf tea goes through the strainer and into a lady’s cup, she would meet her true love that day.
tsaa

Milk tea made from an Assam blend tea, cream, and stevia. Did tea leaves go through my strainer? 😉

What is your favourite tea trivia? Here’s to hoping that you get to find your own Mr. Darcy… Or Ms. Bennett. Cheers!

For the Love of Things Austen-tea-cious was last modified: August 18th, 2017 by Gail Sotelo

Comments

comments

2shotsandapintbennettblogbloggerbloggingchinadarcydownton abbeyhighjane austenloose leafmilkpride and prejudiceregencyroyal albertrustan'steawedgwood
2 comments
0
Facebook Twitter Google + Pinterest
Gail Sotelo

previous post
Satisfying (Epi)curiosities
next post
Regional Food and Wine Pairing

You may also like

Seeing Red Part 2: LOVE

February 12, 2016

Gin, Tonic, and Sandwiches

May 31, 2019

Finding Gin in the Land of Whisky

November 4, 2016

Questions Answered, and Things I’ve Learned

July 1, 2016

Sharing a Cointreau Gossip with Friends

October 24, 2016

Wine-ing from the East!

November 24, 2017

Guidare Ubriachi

March 26, 2018

Cyrano and the White Merlot

May 15, 2013

Sippin’ On Código 1530 Tequila

June 21, 2019

Writer’s Block, Hunger, and Beer

March 29, 2016

2 comments

Tea Time in London | 2 Shots and a Pint November 6, 2015 at 3:40 am

[…] of ways to serve tea (one lump or two, with milk or lemon?), and personally, pretty teacups (see here for high tea and girly […]

Reply
The End of a Journey | 2 Shots and a Pint January 15, 2016 at 10:17 am

[…] Alan Rickman really gutted me. Maybe it was the Potterhead in me, my newfound love of all things Austen (he had the most forlorn looking portrayal of Colonel Brandon that made me want to reach into the […]

Reply

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Follow Us

Facebook Instagram Pinterest Youtube

STAY UPDATED

Instagram

  • #thinking if I should do a #facebook #live uncapping #video for this one... #pisco #chile #chilean #spirit #cocktail #mixology #vlog
  • #happeningnow sneakily took a #photo in an #online #historical #bartending #competition #event with some of my #favorite #people! Today
  • Eternally #grateful that @starbucksph has #decaf #options. ❤️ Bonus points for matching our #festive table runner, too. #coffee #caffeine #coffeeporn
  • I #adore this #sake that I got from the nearby @ralphswines1975. #subtle but has enough #character... #easy #drinking but is
  • A quick and easy #gin and #tonic with @donpaparum @santaanagin and @fentimansltd. #nomnoms #gin #santaana #cocktail #shaker #mixology #speakeasy #jazz
  • May I just say I
  • I was wondering why the #cocktail #shaker was heavy... Thank goodness I didn
  • I mean... C
  • Apart from the #super #yummy #rum and #spirits #donpaparum serves up, I

Recent Posts

  • 2020 – A Discovery
  • 200 Years of Johnnie Walker: Origins, Music, and Cocktails
  • Back with A Glass of Arc G&T
  • Staying Cheesy with La Petite Fromagerie
  • Last Few Days of our Soju Promo!

Our Partners

Chile
Poco Deli

2018 Copyright © All Rights Reserved - 2 Shots and a Pint