Recently, an article was posted on this blog claiming that the Brits hate our tea. But I think the British would love tea at our house. As a Yank born and raised, somehow I got hooked on tea served British style. And of course that means serving those fave British tea brands. And those fave British tea time treats! Yes, a visitor from Britain would certainly feel welcome at our house and would be able to enjoy a great British-style tea time.

The Teas on Hand

A top brand in Britain is PG Tips; we have several of the 40-count boxes on hand (don’t worry, we cut open the bags and pour the loose tea dust into the teapot since we can’t find the loose version). The same goes for other top brands, including Typhoo, Taylors of Harrogate, and the Irish brand Barry’s.

The Tea Time Treats

We usually have plenty of scone mix, jams, clotted cream, McVitie’s, and other British faves on hand. If our British guests want buttered toast, we can provide that, too. We’d need a bit of advance notice to stock up on things like pasties (we love ’em, so they don’t last long around here).

The Teawares

Let’s not forget that steeping tea up for a proper British-style tea time requires proper British-style teawares. To be totally proper, I should have a Brown Betty, but my blue ceramic teapot (also named “Betty” but not related to the brown version) is a good substitute. Plus she hold six cups of tasty tea, so we only have to steep twice to have a proper tea time when serving guests.

The Atmosphere

No, we don’t have a portrait of Her Majesty hanging on the wall, nor a British flag flying out front. But we do treat our guests with that focus on extreme courtesy, responding to even the most egregious behavior with “That’s alright – think nothing of it.”

Would the British feel welcome at a tea time at your house?

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

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