We came across this the other day (never underestimate the amount of time we spend scouring Google Images for pictures of cupcakes!) and were… well, astounded! How do you do that? It takes a lot to impress us but our hats off to you, that is one groovy cake!

The practice of cocktails – that is to say blending spirits and other ingredients – does not seem to have gained much popularity until the mid 1800s and ironically it wasn’t until the days of prohibition in the 1930s that people actually started congregating to drink them. Some from the period we may still recognise, like the Old Fashioned, or the Sidecar but many others have subsequently fallen out of favour.

A selection of the kind of lurid, tecnhicolour cocktails popularised in the 1980s

As with many men, back in the 80s when my father had more hair and less of a paunch, he used to play barman and throw extravagant cocktail parties for his other yuppie friends. Growing up I remember leafing through all his glossy books filled with wonderfully lurid drinks in exotic glasses. The White Russian, the Pink Lady, the Gin Fizz, the Harvey Wallbanger, the Tequila Sunrise and the Singapore Sling. They were usually very colourful, very sweet and by today’s standards – like a lot of 80s popular culture – very tasteless.

Serving up a storm in a teacup: the growing trend for tea-based cocktails

Some cocktails called for small quantities of cold tea, such as Earl Gray, to be thrown into the mix – probably the most famous example being the Long Island Iced Tea. Rather like adding Angostura Bitters, the effect is to make the drink a little more savoury, a little more tannic, a little more interesting and a little more shall we say grown up. In contrast to the cloyingly sweet cocktails and ‘alcopops’ of the 90s and early naughties it is easy to see why these flavours are now reappearing on the cocktail menus.

Obviously at Noveltea we’re very partial to tea and not impartial to cocktails either so this fusion is right up our street. In addition to our usual research of finding decent tea rooms we have been on the look out for places serving good tea cocktails. The best so far is probably Papajis lively bar-cum-tearoom in Bristol who serve a selection of delicious aromatic cocktails including one particularly interesting one based around hot sake.

If you stumble upon any good tea-based cocktails then please do let us know. In the meantime here are some recipes for you to try at home:

1) The Oolong Moojito

We’ve also noticed how much you like our pieces on teatime etiquette and other important questions of state, such as ‘how far do you take hand hygiene?‘ or ‘how to do afternoon tea on a budget?‘.

So what’s in store for 2012?

- Well we have visited over 150 tearooms in the UK and will continue to drip out our reviews via the blog and website.

- We would like to make our interesting recipes like the all day breakfast scone and the  gin and tonic fairy cakes available for blog readers to see. We are also working on some all new recipes like strawberries and cream cornish pasties and egg and cress scones and will also be publishing some out-takes of recipes which went…. ehem… less well than we would have liked.

- We will come up with some new teatime debates in the spirit of cream first or jam or the biscuit you can’t live without both of which sparked some hot controversy.

- We’re going to start running an informal feature on other tea-time blogs out there, starting with the inspired ‘Afternoon Tea Total‘.

- And we will of course be keeping our fingers on the pulse of the latest tea-time trends and keep you abreast of all that is brewing in the news.

If you have any questions of comments on the blog or website or there is anything you would like us to research or discuss for you then, as usual, drop us a line.

It was a glorious morning. The silvery water of Loch Ard glistened in the early April sunshine. The birds were singing a chorus of merry tunes, accompanied by Amos, sweating and cursing at the oars of our little boat. Our destination: the highly recommended Wee Blether Tea Room, housed in an eggshell blue beach hut on the loch side in Kinlochard run by a group of cheery Scottish ladies.
Inside was packed to bursting with customers, cakes, treats and goodies that couldn’t fail to satisfy even the most discerning tea goer. We sat outside at cast iron tables on the wooden jetty and satisfied our sweet tooth on homemade Victoria sponge and freshly baked melt in the mouth scones served with small, hot pot of tea. It was all going so well until we went to settle the bill and discovered that we had been charged an extra £1.00 for asking for a pot of hot water to top up the tea. Bloody Scotts.

Verdict: a pot knocked off for being stingy 3 pots/5

For more Scottish tearooms check out Noveltea.co.uk

Wee Blether, Kinlochard: always open, in fact more than always open...

Finding the small glen of Balquhidder, nestled at the end of a long windy narrow road to nowhere was predictably tricky, especially as the local signposts pre-date the death of Rob Roy in 1734, who is buried in the local church. But the discovery of the Library tea rooms was well worth the inevitable petty tussles [and nearly £300 damage to the car - ehem sorry, Amos] that ensued on the way. The Library Tearooms are about as tiny as the glen itself, and even the crisp white wood panelled walls did little to create the illusion of space, but don’t let this put you off.
A log fire was burning in the corner, and the built-in bookshelves were piled high with quirky reading material and delicate floral-patterned gilt bone china cups and saucers. We sat at the only table large enough to accommodate our hungry appetites, and feasted on scones fresh from the oven, filled with bouncy, joyous currents and served with perfect homemade strawberry jam and frothy whipped cream.
A treasure.

Verdct: a splendid 4 pots/5

For more tearooms in Scotland visit Noveltea.co.uk

The Library Tea Rooms, Balquhidder: we have tried very hard to avoid using the word "quaint"

A Scottish tea cosy: this'll keep the wind off

As fair art thou, my bonie lass,
So deep in luve am I,
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
Till a’ the seas gang dry.

- O, My Luve is Like a Red Red Rose by Robbie Burns

Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll be up in Scotland, enjoying (amongst other things): heather, haggis, tartan, sporens, cold feet, rosy cheeks and of course TEA! Something about Scotland always makes us think of Christmas so hopefully these next few tearooms will get you in the mood for the festive season…

Leicester Square,

London,

WC2H 7LH,

0207 839 9399

reshamp@radisson.com

The Hampshire Hotel: Looks nice on the outside

Going up to London for a bout of Christmas shopping recently, we were stuck for somewhere for tea at very short notice. Many of our usual haunts were all booked up, and – looking for somewhere central – we stumbled upon the Hampshire Hotel, which occupies the South Eastern corner of Leicester square.

The building itself, with its redbrick facade and Oriel windows is very inviting, and we were ushered in with delightful obsequiousness by a footman in full livery. Alas by contrast, the interior is rather drab and impersonal – perhaps more suited to a middle-management business reception than an impromptu tea with friends. As part of the Radisson hotel group, the Hampshire prides itself on “contemporary elegance”. Purposeful flowers in striking vases, generic modern artwork and uncomfortable high-energy furniture are all par for the course.

Considering how empty it was, the service was leisurely to the point of being tedious. The tea arrived (bags, of course, not leaf) in chunky white china and the cakes, scones and petit fours on an ostentatious three tier stand. The quality was overall acceptable but we were disappointed by the freshness (or otherwise) of the sandwiches and the dry, chalky meringues.

Only the bill managed to surprise us. At £17 for two this represents fairly good value against some of London’s more celebrated establishments but the fact remains, we’d rather have tea at the Savoy once than twice here.

Verdict: 2.5 pots/5

For more London tearooms visit www.noveltea.co.uk/2London.html

Being in the afternoon tea business (if you can call eating cake for a living “business”) we’re always interested to hear what people say about British traditions and customs, and we’ve spoken at length before about books like Jeremy Paxman’s “The English: a portrait of a people” and Kate Fox’s “Watching the English”.

Needless to say, the subject of food often crops up – whether it’s fish and chips, Gloucestershire cheese-rolling, the Full English Breakfast, or (of course) the English afternoon tea ritual. But Crystal and Russ elude to another aspect of Britishness which is altogether more sinister: the Jobsworth Employee.

The word ‘Jobsworth’ comes from an abbreviation of the phrase, “more than my job is worth” and refers to an official – usually a minor one – being unhelpful or downright obstructive at the expense of common sense, like the case of Mr Smith (his real name) who was fined £50 by policemen in Scotland for ‘littering’ after he accidentally dropped a £10 note (reported in the Daily Mail).

We got our own taste of jobsworthness on a ‘Southern’ train the other day. It transpired that one of our railcards had expired the day before. Although the mistake was a genuine one, the inspector took it upon himself to be judge, jury and executioner, and not only charged us the full price of the ticket (rather than a £3-4 upgrade) but also fined us £20. When we pointed out that this was slightly unreasonable he threatened to see the matter our in court. The crowning moment was his parting shot, when he put his nasty face very close to mine:

“Do you have a job?” he sneered.

I replied that I did.

“Well I take it you have RULES then?”

With hindsight a hundred and one clever replies spring to mind, but I was silent just long enough for him to conclude:
“Well so do I!” with which he turned his back on us and marched triumphantly off to terrorise some other poor traveller.

This is of course the very definition of jobsworthness. (Incidentally, it transpired that he had overcharged us but because he had taken the original ticket and we had not made a record of his name, the train company were unwilling to pursue the matter further.) Obviously it was extremely unpleasant and something which has rankled ever since, not because of the money at stake, but because it represented a victory for some unpleasant little bully against decency and common sense. 

When I was younger my mother told me that bullies are all cowards, and I must confess that at the time I didn’t understand. But of course, it is a truism based on sound psychological reasoning. Insecurity born out of a sense of inadequacy drives them to exploit other people with what little powers they have. It’s most often what I call the ‘petty uniform brigade’, although of course there’s some degree of chicken and egg : do bullies and rule-lovers become parking inspectors and health and safety officials, or do their jobs make them rule-lovers and bullies? 

Unfortunately, these people are a product of an ever more litigious society and its a problem I anticipate will only get worse. So what should we do? How to deal with these situations can be very tricky indeed and I would welcome any suggestions. In the meantime I will do some research of my own and report back with my findings. 

What sums up Britain to you? Afternoon tea, The Queen, or over-zealous parking inspectors?

***

“Hi, I have recently moved to the UK from Canada. Many things baffle me about this country, but nothing more so than the word, ‘tea’. What on earth does it mean, please?”  Jake, London.

***

Dear Jake,

Thank you for your question. It is one which troubles not only visitors to these shores, but many locals too. The word “tea” is used in different contexts. Confusingly it can refer to two things:

1) A drink (usually served with milk and a healthy dose of gossip, as in “let’s stop for a cup of tea”)

The word ‘tea’ on its own usually means a meal. Lower and lower-middle classes, and many people in the North of England traditionally refer to the meal eaten between 6-8 as “tea”, which originates from the practice of only eating 3 meals a day (breakfast, dinner – meaning lunch – and tea). If they wish to distinguish between “tea” (the meal) and “tea” (served between 4-6 with tea, bread, cakes etc.) they say “high tea”.

English upper and upper-middle classes tend to eat somewhat later, and refer to the meal served between 7-9 as “dinner” (formal) or “supper” (informal). The meal served between 3-5 is referred to as “afternoon tea” or sometimes just “tea”, as there is no risk of confusing it with any other meal.

Or 2) or a meal (as in, “I’m starving, what’s for tea?”).

People of all classes and backgrounds also enjoy tea as a standalone entity, but tend to distinguish it from a meal by quantifying it i.e.  “a cup of tea”, or just “a tea”.

The bottom line:

People get very worked up about this distinction. Indeed, even amongst the British, etiquette is a great source of stress (even fear). Allow me to impart the following advice:

1) Don’t worry! Take solace in Dr Seuss’ mantra that “those who matter don’t mind and those who mind don’t matter”. Any self-respecting English host will make clear their intentions on the invitation and will be graceful, kind and humorous should any mistakes arise.
2) If in doubt ask. There is such an acceptable variation in what is meant by “tea” that there is no shame in asking for clarification.
3) Enjoy! The English tea custom has fascinated me for many years. Wherever you go for tea, whatever you eat, and whoever you share it with, you will not only experience one of our most interesting social rituals, but one of our tastiest!

Teatime etiquette in modern Britain: Minefield.

For more information have a look at my website www.noveltea.co.uk

I feel sorry for anywhere that isn’t Danesfield House. Set in Buckinghamshire, amid the beautiful Chiltern Hills, and overlooking the river Thames – this once prehistoric hill fort, now luxury hotel and spa has it all. We had spent a chilly Autumnal day perusing the quaint riverside towns of Henley and Marlow. Lily flitted from shop to show, amassing an impressive collection of bags until by five o’clock she could no longer fit through doorways sidewards. With one last wistful look back at the shoes that might have been, even she was forced to admit defeat and together we set off to find tea.

During this time Amos had not been idle, and – in between paying for things – had solicited the advice of some friendly locals. Our options were twofold: retrace our steps to Henley or stop off outside Marlow at “the posh hotel on the hill”. Pulling up on the gravel drive of this stately home-cum-hotel, our excitement was twinged with a note of foreboding. We’ve had mixed experiences of country house conversions; the price is unanimously high, but the quality of the tea very variable, and many is the time Amos has got into furious rows with the management concerning the mark-up on a Twinings teabag. This white-faced mock Tudor castle doesn’t look beautiful, and it doesn’t look cheap either…

…And it wasn’t. But we’re pleased to report that the service and quality are up there with the very best. The orangery (funky old-fashioned flagstones meet modern metal and glass) houses a dozen or so tables, resplendent in white linen and silverware, creating a fresh, minimal setting whilst maintaining a convivial atmosphere. There is not a harpist in sight – instead faultless oven-fresh scones are accompanied by fine loose-leaf tea, the chinks of glasses and the crackle of an open fire.

The service is oily-slick and whisper quiet and the bill when it came was like receiving a massage. We lingered slightly longer than we deemed polite, and made a point of strolling leisurely though the formal gardens before retracing our way back to the car (which was easy to spot amongst the fleet of German executive saloon outside).

Reflecting back perhaps four and a half pots is mean, as it’s hard to know what could be improved upon. Maybe we’ll have to go back for a second opinion…

Read more tearoom reviews in and around London