Nothing says the holidays like gold. It’s everywhere — tinsel, garlands, ornaments on those highly-decorated trees, candles, and of course those serving platters. So why not serve up your Yorkshire Tea on one of these gold platters? No reason why not, so let’s do just that, starting with these two loose leaf teas!

Left: Yorkshire Red Loose Leaf Tea — A blend of the very best of teas from India, Africa and Sri Lanka to create an unmistakable character — strong aroma, rich color, and satisfying flavor.

Right: Taylors of Harrogate Pure Assam Leaf Tea — The first “Empire Tea” grown from Chinese seeds planted alongside indigenous tea bushes in the 1830s. Taylors of Harrogate’s Assam is grown in the lower Brahmaputra Valley in northeast India and has been specially selected for its superior quality. Powerful, full-bodied, malty tea with a brisk and invigorating nature that makes it ideal for breakfast especially when served with milk.

According the to company’s Web site: “At Yorkshire Tea, we know how to make a proper brew. Our tea buyers travel the world’s best tea gardens and estates. They taste hundreds of teas every day to select the quality of tea that’s perfect for our blends and your teapot.”

Harrogate is one of the towns in Britain that was known for its spas where people would flock to “take the waters” that were supposed to have great health benefits. Charles Edward Taylor, co-founder of the company along with his brother Llewellyn in 1886, saw an opportunity here to promote their products and so they set up kiosk-style tea and coffee shops with tasting rooms. They also blended teas to steep well using the local water and sold it to the Harrogate guesthouse owners. In 1962 the company became part of Betty’s Cafés. And the company gained a high honor when the Prince of Wales granted them the Royal Warrant of Appointment for supplying Clarence House (his London residence) for over five years with fabulous tea.

Sounds like this is a tea that really deserves that golden platter presentation!

Time to get steeping and have a great Holiday Tea Time.

See also:
Yorkshire Tea from Taylors of Harrogate
Review — Yorkshire Harrogate from The English Tea Store
Review — Yorkshire Harrogate by the English Tea Store
Yorkshire Gold and “The Island of Dr. Moreau”
Taylors of Harrogate Know Tea
Ntingwe Kwazulu Tea from Taylors of Harrogate
Yorkshire Harrogate by the English Tea Store
Remembering That Experience at Bettys Café Tea Room in York, UK

See more of A.C. Cargill’s articles here.

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