The London Tea Room

Happy Independence day!

2010-07-03T08:21:00.001-07:00

Wishing you all a very happy Independence day weekend! Not that we really want you to celebrate your independence from us Brits.
To help you celebrate, we are offering 10 percent off loose leaf tea (1/8th pound or more) through the end of the day today - Saturday July 3rd.

We are so excited about the new teas that we have recently received and we have more on the way. We will be offering free tea tastings in the tea room every Tuesday and Thursday from noon until 2pm. Two teas will be featured each day. We thought that would be a great way for you to experience our new teas as well as some of the teas we have had for a while!

We will keep you updated with the new tea arrivals as well as an upcoming tea cupping that we will be offering this month on green teas.

Please not that we will be closed Sunday July 4th so that we can join in the festivities with our friends and family. In the meantime, have a wonderful, safe holiday and we'll look forward to seeing you in the tea room very soon!

Arrival of The new tea companion book

2010-06-18T08:39:00.000-07:00

We are very excited to let you know that we just received a small shipment of The New tea Companion - a guide to teas around the world. It is an amazing book full of everything you would like to know about tea. I am currently reading it, along with the tea room staff. It retails at $22.95 (hardback) and quite honestly makes a great gift to yourself or for any other tea enthusiast in your life! Click here for more information.

News from the tea room!

2010-06-16T09:03:00.000-07:00

I have fallen very behind in my updates on the tea room, so many apologies to any of you that still check in with our blog. This has been quite an exciting month so far. Pat, Shannon and myself flew to Las Vegas on June 10th for 3 nights to attend the World Tea show. It was amazing. Both Shannon and I took classes, teaching us all about the world of tea. We also met our existing and some new suppliers. Over the next couple of months we are looking forward to introducing several new teas. One tea that we are very excited about is a tea that is grown in England!!! I could hardly believe that tea was actually grown in my homeland, but not only is it grown, it is excellent. I just got off the phone with the estate and we are working out logistics of how to get it here. I have to tell you - their Earl grey was the best I have ever tasted. I'll keep you updated as to when we are able to get our hands on it. We will also be introducing several of our new teas in some upcoming tea cuppings. Future cuppings will be posted on the event section of our website as well as tea tastings that we will be offering during the weekdays. Tea tastings are more informal than a cupping and at set times during the week, we will have a couple of our teas available for you to taste and enjoy (free of charge of course.) Tea tastings are a wonderful way to introduce you to a tea that you may have been wanting to try but you've held back because you're not sure if you would like it or not.
I will keep the blog updated with details and don't forget that you can check us out on facebook/twitter as well!

March happenings

2010-03-02T11:14:00.000-08:00

As it has been quite a long time (apologies for this) since I last posted anything, there have been many events that have come and gone in the tea room. We all enjoyed a very busy valentines day. We offered some extra special treats that afternoon for about 25 people that booked an afternoon tea with us. I think a good time was had by all.
We would like to thank Midwest Living for featuring an article on us for their January/February issue. Because of that mention, we have most definitely increased our business! That being said, I received a telephone call from Midwest Living a couple of weeks ago, only to learn that we are going to receive a small mention in their next publication as they are feature an article on Saint Louis. We also had the TV camera's in the tea room last week as Great day St. Louis (channel 4 KMOV) came in to film me explaining how to make the perfect spot of tea! Look for that to air tomorrow, Wednesday March 3rd at 10am. I have to say that I am a little nervous about it!
We also have brought in all kinds of tea accessories as well as the miraculous tea steeper to sell. The tea steeper is what we use in the tea room to make our tea. It's amazing. Check it out next time you come in.
Hope to see you all soon!

An answer to the "what to do for Valentines day?" woes!

2010-01-29T13:36:00.000-08:00

For all the "what to do for Valentines day" challenged, The London Tea Room is giving you the perfect solution to your woes. You are invited to bring your loved one to The London Tea Room for a simply delightful, romantic afternoon. From 1pm - 4pm we will be serving our traditional afternoon tea where your sweet nothings will be enhanced by a live string duet playing romantic classics. Only $40 per couple. Reservations are required by calling 314-241-6556 or emailing info@thelondontearoom.com. Reservations are on a first come first served basis, so contact us soon to avoid disappointment!

VOTE, VOTE , VOTE for The London Tea Room!!

2010-01-25T10:32:00.000-08:00

The London Tea Room has been nominated as one of the top St. Louis coffee shops on Fox 2's hot list. (It doesn't seem that there is a category for tea shop!). It may surprise some of you though that we do actually serve a rather incredible cup of coffee, as well as an amazing latte, mocha, cappuccino, espresso, americano and so on and so on......
If you've not given our coffee a try, then come on in and try some. In the meantime though, make sure you access the Fox 2 hot list and vote for us. Here is the link you can copy and paste:
http://ktvi.cityvoter.com/contests/best-of-the-fox-2-hot-list/4759/specialty-food-and-drink/coffee-shop
If that doesn't work, pull up www.ktvi.cityvoter.com and you will find us under specialty food and drink and then the coffee category.

January

2010-01-16T14:56:00.000-08:00

As usual, it's been far too long since I last posted. We had a very busy Christmas and New year and it was wonderful to see all our faithful customers and meet many new customers. We hope that you all had a wonderful holiday with those you love.
Winter is upon us and many of you are enjoying our hot tea and scrumptious pastries. We are now offering more in the way of soups as well. Justin is now making our soups and is doing an amazing job. We now have the regular soups, creamy tomato, pumpkin, bacon lentil, broccoli cheddar, potato etc but we have now added a sweet potato corn chowder. It contains sausage and chicken and is absolutely delicious and most definitely quite spicy! We also have great news for all our vegetarian customers. We will be offering a vegetarian chili. Can't wait! Check with us to see what the soups are for the day you are coming in as we only offer 2 soups a day. Starting on Monday January 18th, we will be offering cheese scones to accompany your soup. I have a feeling that soup is going to be one hot item this winter!
Happy 2010 and hope to see you all soon!
Jackie

Our Christmas gift to you!

2009-12-10T10:08:00.000-08:00

As we are approaching Christmas at a very fast rate, we wondered what we could do to make your holidays as fun as possible. We came up with a great treat for you! On Saturday December 12th and on Saturday December 19th from 11am - 3pm we will have the wonderful soothing sounds of the guitar and violin from our friends Tim and Gina Leeker, playing traditional Christmas carols and more. We will also be offering free tea tastings at 11am, noon and 1pm as well as yummy little shortbread cookies! Come and enjoy lunch, a great cup of tea or coffee, pastries and a really good time in the warmth of the tea room.
Hope to see you then!

The holiday season and some BIG news!

2009-11-28T06:49:00.000-08:00

The holidays are here and the tea room has been bustling with activity. I finally got the Christmas tree up and was actually quite pleased with the result. Alyssa and I have been running around like crazy, trying to keep up with all the baking. The blueberry lemon cake doesn't seem to be lasting more than a couple of hours before it is all gone and we have been adding more scones to the pastry case as they are being enjoyed by you all, with a big slatherings of devonshire cream and jam. I love the holidays and the tea room is such a great place to share holiday memories with your friends and loved ones. Please be sure to check our holiday hours on the website. We will be closed Christmas day and boxing day (day after Christmas) but then back with a vengeance on the 27th. We are also open on Monday, Dec 28th and on New Years day (no lunch served that day - just tea and pastries).
Also - BIG NEWS! The London Tea Room is going to be featured in the January/February 2010 issue of Midwest Living. I'm sure that that issue will be up for sale soon, so look out for it!!
I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and we look forward to sharing the holiday season with you in the tea room!

2009-11-20T20:27:00.000-08:00

Apologies to those that love to follow the tea rooms blog! Time does seem to have a habit of running away from you and before you know it, it has been over a month since the last posting!
Life has been very busy at The London Tea Room. We had a wonderful evening last month at our tea cupping. We all enjoyed sampling 6 different teas and learning the difference about them. We are definitely going to host another cupping soon. I'm thinking probably the end of January, as that gives us all time to recuperate after the holidays!
Our tea tins have arrived and they look amazing. They hold 3 - 4 oz of loose tea and are perfect for a gift for a loved one or for yourself. We are expecting a shipment of loose tea in early next week, so there should be plenty available to fill up those tins! We also received an assortment of English Christmas candy. Several of them are assortment boxes of cadbury's chocolates, or there is a Christmas tree box filled with maltesers. These are lovely to give to the kids for a stocking stuffer and even to all those big kids you know!!
We are gearing ourselves up for a very busy season. We are already getting lots of calls with reservations for afternoon teas and it has been noticeably busier, especially on Saturdays and Sundays. For those that are curious of our holiday hours, they are as follow:
THANKSGIVING DAY - Closed
CHRISTMAS EVE - Open 8am - 2pm - Limited lunch menu (11am - 1pm)
CHRISTMAS DAY - CLOSED
BOXING DAY (Dec 26th) - CLOSED
We are normally closed on Mondays but we will be open on Monday December 28th from 7.30am - 5pm and we will also be open on New years day from 8.30am - 5pm.

Now that the weather has turned cooler and the days are shorter, what better thing is there to do than to come in to the cozy tea room and share a cup of tea and delicious pastries with your loved ones?
We'll look forward to seeing you soon and from all of us in the tea room - a very happy Thanksgiving!

The latest happenings in the tea room.

2009-10-08T11:00:00.000-07:00

Autumn is here! As I look out the window, I could almost believe that I am back in England. A steady downpour of rain and a slight chill in the air. What a great time for a cup of tea and a book! Speaking of tea, we have been running away with some fantastic new tea latte ideas. Shannon has been experimenting and we have some really lovely tea lattes to offer you. How about the naughty vicar latte? Naughty vicar tea with vanilla and lovely frothy warm milk. Or the chai tea with pumpkin spice, again mixed in warm milk. Delish! And there are so many more. Speaking of chai, we are also offering chai-der. A mix of hot chai tea and apple cider and a dash of cinnamon. There's no stopping us and hopefully no stopping you from rushing in to experience these amazing concoctions of pure yumminess!!
We also had the pleasure of the 8th grade class of Cornerstone Academy, St. Louis visit us today. They enjoyed tea and hot chocolate, accompanied by English scones with butter and jam. A good time was had by all and I have a feeling that none of them are going to eat their lunch today when they get back to school!! They also developed a huge crush on our barista, Shannon. So much so, that I had to take of photo of them with him in it (see photo). Lots of fun!
As for the latest with the tea room, we are gearing up for the holidays and hopefully it won't be long before we have our new tea tins all ready to go. They are going to make the best gifts, especially great for those hard to buy for family or friends. I'll keep you updated as much as possible with the latest goings on. Oh yes! I almost forgot. I finally figured out how to create a facebook page for the tea room. It took me forever, but I actually quite impressed myself at how it turned out. If you are on facebook, search for the London Tea Room page (not group) and become a fan. Then you will get all the latest info on the goings on in the tea room!

Extended lunch hours

2009-10-02T14:56:00.000-07:00

Great news for all you hungry lunch goers! Starting Saturday, October 3rd our lunch hour has been extended. Tuesday through Friday lunch will be from 11am - 2.30pm and on Saturdays and Sundays from 11am - 3pm!!! Also the roast beef sandwich is back and it is absolutely delicious!!!

Tea Cupping!

2009-10-02T14:40:00.000-07:00

Have you ever stood in front of our tea counter (or any other tea counter for that matter!) and had no idea which tea to order or in fact, what tea you would like the most? Affronted by such exotic teas as darjeeling, jasmine dragon tears or silver needle, you stand there in bewilderment not knowing what to order! Then we throw such teas as the naughty vicar, the 5th of November and Monks blend at you just to confound you some more!!! Well then you need to mark your calendars for our next tea cupping! Wednesday October 28th at 7pm. The theme will be "tea type or taste, How do you choose?" Guests will go home with a small "tea bag" (goodie bag). Call or come in for tickets. Tickets are $10 and space is limited to 25. The cupping should last for just over an hour and we will be tasting five of our amazing teas. See you on the 28th!

New happenings in the Tea Room.

2009-09-04T11:24:00.000-07:00

I'm sure you are all asking yourself the same question.. "Where did the summer go?!" I cannot get over how fast this summer has flown by and I have been so pleasantly surprised at our gorgeous weather. Now the kids are back at school and I'm getting back to my old routines. I can actually sit down for a few minutes in the morning before work with a cup of tea and actually have time to drink it! For those of you that remember my sister Anna, she had her baby boy on August 11th. He weighed a very healthy 9 1b 90z!!! He is absolutely gorgeous and we have all fallen in love with him.
We are working on a number of things in the tea room. First of all, we have set up a "mini store" inside of the tea room. At this moment in time, we have tea pots, PG tips and Yorkshire Gold tea bags, Rishi ice tea and various British groceries (mainly chocolate at this time). Also we have a wonderful line of mugs, tea pots, and tea cozies from the London Transport museum in Convent garden, London. Come in and see them! We are planning to build our store up to include more groceries and yummy chocolates and our loose leaf tea in wonderful tea tins. These tins will make great gifts or a wonderful gift for yourself that you can keep all the tea that you buy from us nice and fresh! We should also be receiving Christmas goodies, such as Christmas crackers, specialized chocolate gifts etc. by October. I'll put something on the website or on the blog when those items arrive. Next year you can place your orders with us for Christmas, so long as we have your order by mid July. We also have new gift cards that are very attractive (no more ugly cards!!) and come with a card and envelope.
ALSO - (deep breath) we are going to be hosting more tea cuppings again starting in October. Keep your eyes on the website for more information on this!! It's been a long time but the tea cuppings are really so much fun we decided that it had been far too long!
We are currently well stocked with our loose leaf tea, so come on in, or order on line if it's a long drive for you. I have been doing a lot of reading up on tea lately and I have been amazed at just how good tea is for your health and well being. There honestly seems to be a tea for every occasion in life!!
See you all soon!
Jackie

Tea in London

2009-06-30T06:32:00.000-07:00

One week ago today........ I was taking a stroll down the London streets, enjoying the street performers and market at Convent garden, having tea at a wonderful tea room by St. Pauls cathedral (sigh!). Both my mum and I left St. Louis on June 18th to make a trip back home and visit family and friends. My Grandma (We call her Nan), celebrated her 90th birthday on June 21st. We had a lovely lunch by the ocean and enjoyed time with family. We left the south coast early on Tuesday morning (after narrowly missing the bus because we had so much luggage we could barely make it down the street!!) and made our way up to London. After dropping our bags off at the Victoria station baggage hold, we made our way over to convent garden. Convent garden is one of my favorite places in London to visit. There are amazing, entertaining street perfomers, anything from juggling, magicians and opera. Amazing! We made a quick visit to the transport museum (they have a great shop), and the market with anything from tea shirts to tacky souvenirs. Not forgetting all the wonderful little shops such as Lush, Monsoon, the tea palace and so, so much more. After our visit to convent garden, we began our walk to St. Pauls cathedral. We strolled down The Strand, following that to Fleet Street, walking past Somerset house, the courts of justice (right across from this was Twinings Tea) and finally to St. Pauls. Before we left St. Louis, I googled tea rooms in London, trying to find a tea room similar to ours. I found a place called "Tea" that was right next to St. Pauls, so we made our mind up to visit. Incidently, while googling a tea room in London, the tea room that kept popping up was our very own London Tea room. Had to smile at that. We found Tea tucked in to a little corner right across from St. Pauls. The two girls (Rose and Natalia) behind the counter were very friendly and very happy to meet some fellow tea shop workers from across the pond. They had a good selection of different teas. I ordered a vanilla tea and mum ordered a darjeeling. I noticed that they steep their tea exactly the same way as us. Both of us ordered a scone with cream and jam. They toasted the scone, which is something that I have never experienced before. I think I prefer my scone untoasted but it was still very good.
After feeling very full and happy, we made our way over to St. Pauls and quietly walked in to the beautiful, awesome cathedral. As we walked in we realized there was a service in progress. We sat quietly and listened to the crescending voices of the chior. It was as if we were listening to angels. It was amazing and a wonderful way to wrap up an amazing visit to London and our time spent in England. We made it home on Wednesday 24th with many fond memories of our visit but very happy to be home with our familes and of course with our friends at The London Tearoom.

Jackie's first blog!

2009-06-29T06:30:00.000-07:00

This is my first, ever, official blog entry! As Anna mentioned in the previous post, I am going to attempt to keep up with the London Tea room blog and keep you all updated with the tea room going on's. We have had a busy month and we are gearing up for the all star game the week of July 13th. I have an idea that we could be VERY busy. In light of that, we are going to be open on Monday, July 13th (usual time - 7.30am-5pm). So for those of you tea room fans that are at a total loss of where to get their great tea and coffee on Mondays, we will be there for you on the 13th!!
However, we will not be there for you on Saturday, July 4th as we will all be enjoying our brats and beer!! (Did that sound American enough?? )
Look out for my upcoming blog on my trip to England last week.
Jackie

Changes!

2009-06-25T10:37:00.001-07:00

Jackie will now be taking over the London Tea Room blog. I have enjoyed my time posting and may continue from time to time if certain teas or coffees pop up to write about. Jackie is the new manager and part owner of the Tea Room and will keep you all posted on events and things of interest.

Thanks! Anna

Steepster

2009-04-22T13:08:00.000-07:00

You can follow me on Steepster to see what I'm drinking!

http://annamyers.steepster.com/

Thank you! We are so chuffed!

2009-02-11T09:05:00.000-08:00

(Chuffed in England means flattered, pleased.)
This was a review that toasted ravioli did of us. We thought we would post it because we like posting nice things about ourselves.

http://www.toastedrav.com/post/6501_the_london_tea_room_homesick_brits_bring_the_best_tea_to_stl

Tea Cupping Dates Coming very very soon I promise...

2009-01-28T14:55:00.000-08:00

I am working on the logistics and dates for the next tea cupping and will have an announcement any day now. I've been inundated with questions as to when the next one will be which is entirely fantastic as we love hosting them. I'm curious if anyone has any particular leanings in what they would like our next cuppings to involve. Let me know!

Fully stocked and yes, the Earl Grey is back in!!

2009-01-28T14:49:00.000-08:00

Just thought I'd drop a note to tell all of you that we are now fully stocked again with tea. We were out of Earl Grey and several other popular teas for a while, but we are fully stocked again! The organic Earl Grey is becoming an increasingly hard one to keep in stock as it really is absolutely fabulous. If you haven't given it a try, definitely give a try next time you're in. I like it black with a lemon - I've heard it reported that that is the proper, traditional way to drink it. But I know many Brits who drink it with milk. Either way, we promise we won't laugh at you :)

and we're back....with 1/2 price espresso!

2009-01-25T11:06:00.000-08:00

I have neglected this blog for too long now. This has been a very busy month or so for us. December gets positively maniacal for us in a good way (we're extremely busy) and the first couple of weeks of January get even busier. Soooooo....... I am redevoting myself to you and blogging. There is much going on and much planned, so check back for updates.
Starting this week we are going to be offering 1/2 price espresso drinks before 9am Tues- Fri. Lattes, cappucinos, mochas, chais, you name it - start your day off right and affordably. We really do have the best coffee and espresso in town (roasted by Metropolis Coffee in Chicago). But we like to do everything we do the best we can. I'll see you Tuesday morning!! - Anna

Free shipping

2008-12-10T11:15:00.000-08:00

Free shipping on all loose leaf tea sales over $25. A great gift idea for family, from stocking stuffers, to special surprises for coworkers. Order online, or call us or email me for recommendations. info@thelondontearoom.com.

Put it on your calendar

2008-11-10T09:46:00.000-08:00

Just a reminder to put on your calendar. Knitting and tea November 19th 4pm-7pm. Fun evening of getting together, drinking tea, knitting and gabbing. We always have so much fun! I've got a scarf that really needs some attention.

The tea cupping

2008-11-05T21:00:00.000-08:00

It was fun! We tasted some of the new teas on the menu and briefly discussed them. Thanks to all who came out!

free Bodum teapress

2008-10-31T12:26:00.000-07:00

It's coming soon, and we still have a few more spots open. To up the ante, we are going to throw in a Bodum teapress as a raffle prize which will be awarded to someone at the cupping. PLUS you will get 10% off all loose tea the night of the cupping. Get your tickets today $6 each. 7pm Nov 5th, the cuppings usually last an hour or so.

The Roast Beef Sandwich

2008-10-31T12:23:00.000-07:00

My photo didn't work out. But this sandwich is ridiculous how yummy it is. Hot roast beef soaked in beef gravy, with melted smoked gouda and caramelized onion with a dash of horseradish on a baguette. Delicious. And judging from the response so far, it's a winner.
I'll post a photo soon.

NEW MENU!!

2008-10-23T13:51:00.000-07:00

We have officially launched our new Tea menu and have most of the teas available right now, the rest will be arriving on Tuesday. We have also launched our new food menu with some new additions (English pancakes, breakfast sandwiches, roast beef sandwich) and brought back the famous grilled 3 cheese sandwich (yum). The pancakes will not be available until next week as we are still waiting for some equipment we need in our kitchen, but get on in and try some new tea and our new additions.

TEA 101- introduction to our new tea menu

2008-10-21T10:29:00.000-07:00

The tea cupping that was scheduled on Oct 30 has been rescheduled to Weds November 5th. It will be an introduction to tea and we will be sampling the new teas on our winter menu. Our aim when we opened was to educate people about loose leaf tea and enthuse people with the joy of tea. Cuppings are always a fun evening, tickets are $6. You will get to sample many of our new teas which I can tell you are simply FANTASTIC! ALSO you may be interested to know that for those who attend the cupping, we will be selling our loose leaf teas directly after the cupping at 10% off.

Turkish Tea anyone?

2008-10-20T08:17:00.001-07:00

A very nice man came into the tea room last week and conversation turned to tea as it so often does, and he mentioned he lived in Turkey for a while and got hooked on tea while there. He was convinced that Turkish tea tasted quite different (maybe even a little spiced) than anything else he has tried. So I'll put the question out into cyberspace, does anyone know about Turkish tea and would you please enlighten and educate me? What are the tea customs in Turkey? I'm all ears.

Marthasville Deutsch Days

2008-10-20T07:58:00.000-07:00

We drove out to Marthasville (about an hour and a half away just north of Washington MO) yesterday to their annual Deutsch Days. Frankie and I had a blast. A couple have been rescuing old log cabins and homesteads from demolition and having them rebuilt on their acreage in Marthasville to create this historic village of sorts. It's really interesting. Once a year, local craftsmen and artisans all come together to highlight their craft and skill and sell their wares. Blacksmiths, candlemakers, carpenters, basketmakers...you name a craft of yore and old and it was probably highlighted there. There were musicians and food (caramel apples, German sausages, funnel cake....) and interesting historical stops. They had a section reserved for 'before 1800' which included French trappers and recreations of old trapper lodges. One lady had an example of a tea brick that the trappers would have traded their furs for. The size of the brick she was holding would have supplied 20 men for a year. It is basically compressed tea that they would grate off into water. It reminded me a little of Puehr tea that is sold in bricks similar to this. I'm not sure if it was Puehr or not, but it was interesting nonetheless.
The other photo is Jackie as a socialite French trapper.

My latest obsession

2008-10-18T15:43:00.000-07:00

Keemun Mao Feng. Yummmm. Smells a little like pine and brown sugar and is a mild slightly sweet piney cup perfect for fall and cool days. Keemun is grown in China and was developed in the mid 1800's. It is a black tea and became hugely popular with the British being used in many high end blends. We have the Mao Feng in at the moment and it is also fair trade and organic. Yes, I'm definitely on a keemun kick, it also lends itself beautifully with a touch of milk. I saw Emma sneaking out with that and some Lapsang yesterday, I think she is readying for fall with some perfect fall tea. Look for it on our upcoming tea menu, or ask for it when you come in as we already have it in stock.

Crazy Saturdays

2008-10-18T11:23:00.000-07:00

There was alot going on today in downtown Saint Louis. Obama was downtown and apparently it was insanity trying to get anywhere near him. He drew a HUGE crowd, and apparently the police ended up just turning people away because they wouldn't have been able to get anywhere near close enough to even hear him. I went in to work to pick up a couple of things and ended up staying for a couple of hours because the tea room was overrun. Baby showers, book clubs and just a good influx of people as well as our dear regulars. I came home to the Blues City Deli anniversary party going on in my front yard (we live opposite them). They closed off a portion of the street and had barbeque and live bands playing. Good music, we had fun with the kids listening and eating and drinking some PBR. Vince (BCD owner) has a great thing going with what I think is the best deli in town, and definitely has the best bands playing there on weekends. People are devoted to the deli with good reason. On any given day, there are usually about 3 cop cars, ambulances and fire trucks sitting outside our house stopping for lunch - my dad says we live on the safest intersection in Saint Louis. BTW: Amanda did a great job in the tea room today keeping it together (structurally and emotionally!) and moving fast to try and make everyone happy, Emma, Justin, and Molly worked sooooo hard, and Jackie kept the scones and pastries going. Those kids work so hard and well. Way to go guys, you make me proud :)

A great cause

2008-10-16T14:06:00.000-07:00

We will be putting in a donation box in the tea room to help our friend Penny Dugan who is working with the HIV/AIDS affected in South Africa. The need is just overwhelming, but you can help by even the smallest donation. Penny is working with the abandoned, the orphaned, the sick, the young and the old, by taking them to hospitals, shelters and schools. The town in South Africa she is working in has a population of 500,000 and it is 47% HIV positive. Matt made up a poster with excerpts from a letter she wrote one of us, it turned out nicely. For more information and stories about Penny and her work go to www.pennydugan.blogspot.com.

look what I found

2008-10-16T12:38:00.000-07:00

I love love love old maps. LOVE them. I love perusing them, finding areas I would explore, I love the idea of them, and I love what they represent. So I search for old maps and collect them, and I found this old map of India and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and the tea estates on them. It sort of looks like something from a Wes Anderson movie. I'm going to try and frame it and hang it in the tea room. It was made in the 40's or 50's by Lyons tea.

new tea tins!

2008-10-16T12:29:00.000-07:00

So for all of you who miss our old glass tea jars, we do too, but we think we love our new tea tins even more. PRO: It DEFINITELY keeps our tea fresher and tastier (the glass jars has light & air exposure, not always the best for tea), CON: you can't read our tea names from the counter any more - BUT you can peruse our new tea menu that has been enhanced with new fonts and jokes for your reading enjoyment.
Have I mentioned yet how excited I am about our winter tea menu? I think it is fantastic and has some of the best teas we have had in yet. We should have the new menus in the tea room by next week.

Thanks Allied & NBC!

2008-10-10T13:18:00.000-07:00

We were on the news this morning with Jennifer Blome and the movie Guru. They were discussing the weekends movies including the movie with Keira Knightly called The Duchess. We supplied a cream tea for their discussion and were mentioned a few times. It looked really pretty and was some nice free publicity! Jennifer Blome said she makes killer sugar cookies with Devonshire cream, she offered me the recipe and we are definitely going to try it out. The studio had the movie guru dress up like some Halloween version of a 17th century English gentleman, and he spoke with a very bad English accent (he himself admitted this), but altogether, it was a nice little segment. Thanks to Marla at Allied for thinking of us, and KSDK for putting up with it all.

Tea Cupping Dates Announced!!

2008-10-05T11:44:00.000-07:00

We have the dates of the last two tea cuppings this year. I will post more details as they come, but here are the plans so far:

Thursday, October 30th - Tea 101 and the introduction to the new teas on our menu, such as the teas from Africa, China and India. All loose tea will be discounted for attendees - so it is a great night to buy tea for gifts! We should be offering a special tea tin for the holidays also!

Thursday, December 4th - Afternoon Tea in England, a brief history and introduction to the teas that were enjoyed with this social tradition. Afternoon tea will be served.
(we may repeat this on December 30th)

It's been a while

2008-10-02T21:01:00.001-07:00

I haven't posted in a while, I know. Things have been hectic and busy. Almost a bit overwhelming. We have so much in the works right now for the tea room, it's actually exciting, but certainly a wee bit overwhelming. I sat down today with an incredible cup of black tea from Tansania (coming soon to the tea room) and just stared at my 6 pages of notes for about 20 minutes, completely frozen and unable to begin. Not knowing where to begin. Every thing seemed pivotal and important, everything was hammering at the door of my brain shouting "ME FIRST!". I sat down with our graphic designer and gave him a list of about 15 things I needed done, he asked what the order of importance was and I just stared at him blankly.

Life can get busy, and it often happens all at once. The tea room often seems to function that way. We have had 4 new girls (Emma, Molly, Autumn, and Kelsey) begin in the last couple of weeks and they are really incredible. I am so excited about each one of them. Training takes up a lot of time and planning and is really essential and really important. Amanda has also stepped up to the manager position and we have been working together as well to train and plan. We are about to begin an all new tea menu for winter and I have been busy compiling and refining that. We have two more cuppings planned and I am about to post the dates of those, as well as a Christmas open house (that's right, we're already planning for Christmas!). We have a new sign in the works, new menu boards, and a new food menu coming up. We have new tea tins coming in and a new marketing campaign that we are discussing. SO basically, there is much happening, and my mind is buzzing away. On my home front, I am busy being a mom and painting the outside of my house and getting it ready for appraisal this Saturday.

The tea room has been very very slow this past week. Every time I open up the paper the economy news only seems to get worse and worse. I understand why people are stepping out less for breakfast and lunch, these are alarming times. But on the flip, we have to keep spending to keep the economy going. It's difficult.

I will post more in the next couple of days. Sorry its been a while. We really do have some great things brewing at the tea room that I think will be appreciated :) As always, I greatly appreciate feedback, suggestions and comments whether positive or negative - constructive is always wonderful.

Cloud tea

2008-09-17T22:29:00.001-07:00

These are really bad photos (taken from a car) of tea being grown on the hillsides in eastern China. This was a really beautiful area with little villages dotted through the countryside. It was so lush and green, with hills sharply climbing and towering....really really beautiful. One of the girls I spoke with was telling me that she would pick tea leaves with her mother when she was young and take them home to drink. She said that her favorite was the tea that grew on the mountains in the clouds. I am going to seek this out and see if I can get some for the tea room. I'll let you know.

about 5 spots left

2008-09-16T12:18:00.001-07:00

Remember we begin our knitting and tea club next week. We have about 5 spots left open for it, so hurry up and make your reservation, get your yarn at Knitty Couture and come and socialize with other knitters with some tea and scones. Call us or email info@thelondontearoom.com.

for all the tea in China

2008-09-16T11:34:00.000-07:00

I went searching for tea in China. You would think this would be an easy task, but it certainly wasn't overflowing with tea like I thought. At least in Shanghai. There were some very nice tea houses in China, but I had to utilize google to find them. It seemed that the young people working in our hotel were all coffee drinkers and were puzzled by our requests to go to a tea room and instead urged us to go to bars and clubs. When I asked our young Chinese concierge for a traditional Chinese tea room, he referred me to Starbucks. It's official, Starbucks has conquered the known world. In our hotel, we were given Liptons tea bags. I did share a fantastic dragonwell with a kind Chinese man who was fanatical about tea. It is interesting drinking unstrained green tea and trying to figure out what to do with the green tea leaves. Swallow them. It's good for you right?
The photo above is a tea house in Shanghai that is very traditional and famous, entertaining heads of state and the Queen of England among others. It's beautiful.

Ni hao from Shanghai

2008-09-14T06:45:00.000-07:00

I didn't post this week as I was in Shanghai. It was immense with twice the population of London, and a couple thousand people just shy of New York City. The Yangtze dissects the city and is just immense. Like the Mississippi in width and scale (it may have been wider), there are a constant stream of ships heading into China. It felt like a city very aware of its image, with so many different time periods and architecture everywhere. So much construction and growth occurring, with old buildings being torn down to build up new. I wish I had more time to really explore. I'll post more from my trip this week.

Tea time

2008-09-05T19:01:00.000-07:00

There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea. ~Henry James, The Portrait of a Lady

Strange how a teapot can represent at the same time the comforts of solitude and the pleasures of company. ~Author Unknown

Tea is drunk to forget the din of the world. ~T'ien Yiheng

Each cup of tea represents an imaginary voyage. ~Catherine Douzel

If man has no tea in him, he is incapable of understanding truth and beauty. ~Japanese Proverb

Best coffee in Saint Louis? We thought so.

2008-09-03T10:28:00.000-07:00

Urban Spoon just bumped us up to #4 on best coffee in Saint Louis. It won't be long before we're number one! We're all excited and hopped up on caffeine. Thanks to you urban spoon voters. Come in and try the best joe in Saint Louis. All fair trade and organic.

Why does it matter that our coffee and most of our tea is organic? Because tea and coffee retain a large amount of pesticides, and tea and coffee crops tend to be heavily treated with pesticides and chemicals. And no matter how harmless they say the chemicals are, you are still ingesting what is essentially poison. So go organic as much as you possibly can. It's an added bonus that our coffee is organic, because it is really fantastic coffee.

Have you been here?

2008-08-30T10:50:00.000-07:00

This house is right behind the tea room on Locust (less than a 3 minute walk). It is the last remaining house from the once elite neighborhood, Lucas Place, that was filled with mid nineteenth century millionaires and influential Saint Louisans. Mr Campbell was an interesting man, and his children refused to sell the land that this house stood on and lived in it until the 1940's I believe. Anyway, they have completely restored (beautifully) it back to pre Victorian era (I think it was about a $3 million restoration) and it has its original wallpaper, furniture, and rugs and is just remarkable to walk around. I think its about $5 to go in, but it's well worth the tour. I get asked a lot what there is to do in downtown, and this is one stop I always recommend. For the history buff it is a must see, and for Saint Louisans, a great glimpse into what our city once was. They are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. So stop in for lunch and tea and pay the Campbell House a visit. http://stlouis.missouri.org/501c/chm/

I miss England & cream teas

2008-08-28T09:46:00.000-07:00

Some days I wake up and miss things about England more than usual. The Peak District and the Lake District in England are some of the most beautiful places I have been to. Green, lush, very English with sheep dotted around the fields, interspersed with little villages each one with a tea room and a bakery outfitted with horrendously wonderful things like battenburgs, Victorian sandwiches, eclairs and yum. Every tea room in England will serve a cream tea which is a scone (or two) with jam, cream, and a pot of tea. And it is almost always an informal affair. And of course, we also serve a cream tea at The London Tea Room, the way they do in England. No reservations needed, just come in and have a taste of England complete with a freshly made English scone. A real English treat. When we opened the tea room, we wanted to make it much like the tea rooms we grew up with in England. Tea Rooms over her in the states tend to be quite fussy and formal, that was not like anything we had ever known being English. In England, you just walk into a tea room much like you do a coffee shop over here and they usually serve light lunches, always scones and always a hot brew. And the ENglish cannot get by without a good brew at least every couple of hours or so.

I attached some old photos I found on a trip to the Peak District. I can't remember the name of the manor in the top photo, the second photo is an example of the signs you see all over UK, and the third is the Peak District.

Green tea is uh mazing

2008-08-25T18:10:00.000-07:00

"A new study, published online in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, reveals how substances found in tea may help prime the body's immune system to fight off infection.

I swear that I am not becoming a medical journal. But I do sell and promote tea, and one of the bigger reasons for me (besides it being delicious), is that it is remarkably good for you and promotes a healthy lifestyle. We in the 'west' are just beginning to realize and recognize the immense benefits of tea, where in China it has been renowned for a few thousand years for its medicinal properties and is part of a preventative lifestyle known as "life where you consume things that benefit your body and don't work against it"
Here are some excerpts from an article I was reading:

"This latest study shows how chemicals—known as alkylamines—which are commonly present in tea (as well as wine, apples, mushrooms, and other sources), are also present in some bacteria, cancerous cells, parasites, fungi, and other disease-causing agents.

Drinking tea may be able to prime the body's immune system against these agents, by teaching disease-fighter immune cells to recognize and remember alkylamines.

"We found that…alkylamines made by bacteria were recognized by the immune system, and wondered where else in nature they occurred," said study co-author Jack F. Bukowski, immunologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts. A quick scan of the literature confirmed that the chemicals were commonly present in tea.

And if you can't get peoples attention from this remarkable information, just tell them it also helps them lose weight (it really does). That always works.

Also, another great fair trade organic green tea- Green Tea Mint. Also great iced. Very refreshing. We sell it by the 1/4 pound. We'll also sell you 20 pounds. Whatever you like.

Tea healthier than water

2008-08-23T12:36:00.000-07:00

I was reading a study done by the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition which stated "Tea now healthier than water". It debunked the common thought that tea dehydrates (due to caffeine content). In fact they stated that where water hydrates, tea does the same but has added benefits such as vitamins and minerals and antioxidents- which help prevent cell damage. The clear evidence result was that drinking 3 to 4 cups of tea a day can cut the chances of having a heart attack. Some studies presented suggested that tea also fought cancer, but in their studies the results were not all clear cut.

My present tea infatuation? Fair Trade and Organic Jasmine Dragon Tears. Little balls of green tea hand rolled with jasmine. The scent is enough to relax anyone, and with a dollop of honey, the taste is subtle, smooth and refreshing. A little bit of caffeine to give you a boost. Yes, it is decidedly a bit more pricey than some other teas at $25 a 1/4 pound (makes about 50 cups of tea, so its really only about .50 a cup), but it is a ceremony in itself. It's easy to forget that tea is decidedly less costly than coffee, and that while $25 a 1/4 pound may sound like a lot, when you break it down per cup, it's actually brilliantly priced. I go to town in my afternoon slump and prepare my tea and savour it, I look forward to it as a treat.

"Drinking tea all day helps you think" anonymous proverb

"Better three days without food than one without tea." Chinese proverb

Making incredible espresso happen

2008-08-21T06:27:00.000-07:00

Tony from Metropolis coffee in Chicago came to see us yesterday. I picked him up at the orange cone which is our downtown train station (seriously, it looks like freaking armageddon down there. Welcome to Saint Louis. I mean you disembark under an overpass for goodness sake. I guess it's because we don't have an absolutely amazing Union Station. Oh wait. But I digress...). We caught up (so much fun, that Tony) and then turned to work. We pinpointed some really important points about pulling shots and steaming milk. Amanda, Justin, Jen and I were all really grateful for it. It was eye opening and built up our confidence quite a bit. Here are some badly taken photos alongside (I was pretty hopped up on caffeine). Our Marzocco seems to like to allow the water to channel through our espresso, so all I can say is that if you see us using a butter knife when making your shot, don't be alarmed.

Our espresso tastes so ridiculously amazing when made perfectly. Never in all my life did I think I would say, "wow, the citrus notes are really evident in the tip of my tongue" and really mean it. A customer asked me the other day why Starbucks don't use grinders and machines like us anymore, I told him my guess would be so they could get out your 42oz half caf skinny vanilla wet cappucino in less than a minute. But the supposed upswing of those fully automatic machines is they provide a consistent cup of joe. And consistent it is, and those machines can put out decent shots sometimes, but never stellar. On the twist, with our awesome semi automatic, we can put out incredible shots, but also awful shots if not done right.

And all you Starbuckians out there lost without a home as your neighborhood Starbucks closes, we welcome you into our abode. We have awesome espresso, awesome coffee, much better tea than Tazo, and we even serve it in a pot, good music, great staff, free wifi, and we serve light lunches. Get in here. Seriously. We'll make your drink the way you always liked it best, we're not snobs. If you don't like it, tell us and we'll work until we get it the way you want it. We're here to make you the customer happy.

Want some free food & coffee?

2008-08-19T07:51:00.000-07:00

Do you work at a business nearby? Can we come and bring you a complimentary basketful of pastries, bagels, food and coffee some morning soon? We're working on promoting our mornings and new offerings, so if you can leave your name and business info and the number of people at your office in the comment section or email me, that would be great for everyone involved, wouldn't it? Let us brighten your morning.

BAGELS? CROISSANTS?? TANZANIAN COFFEE???

2008-08-17T17:00:00.000-07:00

Could it be true?? But yes, this Tuesday (ahem, at 7:30 AM) we will begin serving croissants and bagels in the morning. Also, we just got in a new roast-Tanzanian coffee. This might be the best coffee I've ever had. I am not a drip coffee drinker. I drink Americanos. But all that has changed. I look forward to my cup of Tanzanian coffee when I go to work. It's even better if you have us make it in a French Press.
So this week, stop by on your way to work, grab a bagel, cream cheese and coffee (or tea, I recommend Kenya Kambaa in the morning. Nice and strong) and be on your way.

I am soooooo excited about this!

2008-08-15T14:27:00.000-07:00

This is going to be so much fun. Make your reservations as soon as you can as we do have limited space available. We will be doing this monthly, so if it fills you'll have another chance in October. Thi from Knitty Couture will be here to help guide anyone who needs help through. She has such a beautiful knitting shop on Delmar right opposite the Pageant.
Knitting was just a part of life for me growing up in England. So was tea. They were both just ever present things that were as much a part of life as anything. My mum knitted a lot, my gran always knitted. My mum would make us sweaters and cardigans, and made a GORGEOUS cardigan for my daughter when she was born. (She is now knitting a lovely vest for me for winter as my Christmas present :) ) I have always wanted to learn to knit properly, but have never found the time or right teacher to help me when I get stuck. I am going to take a class at Knitty Couture and then bring my mad skills to our knitting social in September.

DON'T MISS THIS

2008-08-14T10:43:00.000-07:00

Don't miss this: Scott from Rishi is coming down from Minneapolis tomorrow to do an informal cupping. He'll be brewing up all sorts of different teas, Pu-Ehrs, Darjeelings, and some of their 2008 crop. He'll be at the tea room between 11 and 2 tomorrow (Friday August 15). No cover, just drop in and taste some amazing teas. Rishi is a pretty incredible tea company. They strive to keep everything as Fair Trade and Organic as possible and just have some of the most knock out teas I've tasted. I'll see you all tomorrow!

Join our happy staff!

2008-08-09T13:58:00.000-07:00

That's right, we're HIRING! It's that time of the year where people go back to school, so we have immediate opportunities. If you have experience in barista-dom or tea or working in a cafe, even better. If you look like Brad Pitt, even better. But don't worry if you have neither of these things, you may still get a job at the most wonderful place in all the world where all your dreams will come true. Even better, you'll see me all the time!!

You can email me a resume or come in and fill out an application. My email again; info@thelondontearoom.com.

Something pretty

2008-08-06T17:11:00.000-07:00

This might the prettiest thing I've seen all week. I mean, who does this stuff anymore? One of our dear regulars was sitting with her associates in the tea room and had pinned her hair so beautifully, I had to share it with the world.
You see, it's those small little attentions to detail that can make things so wonderful. To see something unexpected...like I did today while working out certification sheets in the tea room, huddled behind my computer sipping my coffee like a rabid junkie. Totally engrossed in my world of spreadsheets and emails, I look up and find something pretty and reminding me of finer things. That's what I loved about Venice (Italy that is..), just blew me away that every little corner, no matter how insignificant was inebriated with life. That's why we worked so hard to put so much into every little detail at the tea room. Too often I walk into a coffee house only to find the radio playing, with bad art, and white walls and generic looking tables. Atmospheric surroundings are important to me.

Atmosphere is something Europeans do very well, and its what I find so enchanting when I visit. Prague, Venice, Paris, and yes, even London, just ooze with stories of anything-inviting you in to dream, read, and imagine all the countless possibilities of life.

So thanks for letting me take photos of the back of your head Alison.

Get your coffee & tea-NOW EARLIER!

2008-08-03T21:15:00.000-07:00

Don't forget, we will be opening this week at 7:30am Tues-Fri. So get in here and get your espresso and tea, scones and quiche and yummy wonderful foods and drinks before work or on your way. We will be getting bagels and cream cheese in soon as well, I'll post on the momentous arrival of said delicious additions. What would you like to see in The London Tea Room? Food, hours or otherwise, let this be your opportunity to comment on what else you would like to see or not see....I'm listening.

PIctured is our INCREDIBLE gooey butter cake that Jackie makes. Um, seriously, I cannot say no to this when proffered. It is sooooooooooo ridiculously good. She also makes a chocolate gooey butter cake. I love my gooey butter cake, and I have sampled the finest STL has to offer, but so far no one has my sisters beat.

British Tea Cupping-SMUGGLERS & GREEDY KINGS, YAR!

2008-07-28T11:52:00.000-07:00

The second tea cupping of the summer has been confirmed. Thursday August 21st 7pm. We will be tasting teas from around the world that are popular currently and historically in Britain. We'll also be touching on Britains controversial and significant impact on the world of tea, from war,colonization, smugglers, tea clippers, and greedy kings. For better or worse, tea has emerged as Britains drink of choice. Tickets go on sale this week and are limited. The price includes scones and jam. $11 each. Buy your ticket and you will be entered to win an amazing prize!

Yay but at the same time ughhh

2008-07-25T09:44:00.000-07:00

That's right. We listen to our customers and make detailed spreadsheets and pie charts, take them to our underground lair and discuss in our "war room" while sipping espresso and saying things like "oh my god you guys have to taste this gooey butter cake". But regardless of our methods, the result is this: We will begin opening Tuesdays-Fridays at 7:30am (starting August 5th). We are excited and already beginning to go to bed earlier to train and get ready for this auspicious event. Now we need you to show up. We may be sleepy, but we will deliver the best coffee and tea, scones and quiche in town.

This photo is Chelsea. She's a mad scientist, rollerderby girl and barista. She'll be waiting for you.

Your attention please

2008-07-23T11:20:00.000-07:00

ARTISTS & PHOTOGRAPHERS! Email me a pic of your work for a chance to be featured in the London Tea Room! I'll get back to you if interested. Email: info@thelondontearoom.com. Work needs to be ready to go up on the wall (ie framed). You will be able to sell it, and we will likely be looking to display one artist at a time maybe changing it out monthly. But don't hesitate if you feel that you don't have enough material as we can combine showings.

Welcome home Justin!

2008-07-23T11:07:00.000-07:00

Justin has returned from his world tour with Theodore (good band, check it out theodoremusic.net) and we are all so happy to see him. Welcome back Justin! You have been sorely missed. All you tea room regulars, get on in and welcome back your friend Justin.

Back home

2008-07-23T11:00:00.000-07:00

Back home from Chicago. Visited the great Metropolis Coffee Company and saw my friend Tony Dreyfuss (owns Metropolis). Always great to see him. So enthused and passionate about what he does. Just a sincerely sincere great guy who I always love to see. I think his passion for what he does is very reflected in his business and his coffee. His employees seem happy and really seem to love where they work and who they work for. And their coffee is just mind blowing. If you live in Chicago go and visit his cafe (I think it's in Lakeside). Those be some pics of it above. It's a lively bustling place.
Remember to come in and get your pound of fair trade and organic Metropolis coffee from The London Tea Room (free drink with purchase). If you live in the city we'll also give you 10% off.
The tea cupping has pretty much sold out tomorrow, I think we have two tickets left. We will be doing another cupping next month with Rishi tea, I'll post when I have it confirmed.

MARK YOUR CALENDERS! First tea cupping of the summer confirmed!

2008-06-09T19:30:00.000-07:00

Thursday, July 24th we will be doing our first tea cupping on the Teas of India. This includes some of my absolute favorite teas such as Darjeelings, Assams & Chai. We will be featuring our friends from Chicago, GSchwender Tea, an outstanding tea company. A tea sommelier will be speaking and the tasting will commence from 7:30-9pm. Tickets will be $10 in advance with limited availability-so get your tickets as soon as you can! This is an absolutely fantastic way for you to start or continue your tea knowledge and palette & to explore what teas you like. Any questions? Email me thelondontearoom@gmail.com. Tickets will go on sale this week. It will be a fun, educational experience.

Choo choo

2008-06-03T21:35:00.000-07:00

Today, me and my 3 year old daughter took the train to visit my parents in Washington Missouri. Besides the fact that we nearly missed the train because we were late (couldn't figure out where to park until I realized that the unpaved, muddy ground was also a parking lot), it was a really nice experience. The ticket people were actually very nice and accomodating at the ol' Amtrak station and got me, said 3 yr old and kitty cat toy all on board in time. It reminded me so much of England when I used to take the train as a child with my mum, and when my husband and I travelled around Europe. The train was as nice as any train I've taken in Europe. They even had a snack car with terrible coffee, but at least they tried. It reminded me of the Darjeeling Ltd (movie with Owen Wilson & Jason Schwartzman) except that it really was nothing like the awesome train they were on. But that got me thinking about Darjeeling and the railway that emerged in that region of India solely because of tea plantations (Darjeeling Himalayan Railway). We were talking the other day about how so much history and forgings of culture, wars, oppression, colonization, wealth etc.. emerged from something that we in the west see as so small. It was a symbol of wealth, a medicine, a gift for kings, and a symbol of cultures & empires. It's pretty fascinating that so much resulted from a beverage, be it revered & medicinal.

I'm in awe of rooibos

2008-05-31T19:27:00.000-07:00

It's official. I am in a rooibos phase right now. But the more I find out about this red tea, the more I am amazed and I keep drinking more. Rooibos (literally 'red tea', rooibos is how the Dutch say red tea) is grown in South Africa and is actually not related to the tea bush which grows the tea you are all familiar with. Rooibos does have a distinct taste which I think lends itself very well to being iced, and it blends fantastically with all kinds of different teas. It is also caffeine free and apparently promotes restful sleep & relaxation (maybe we should try it before we reach for the sleeping pills). It is packed with antioxidants to boost your immune system and help prevent those pesky free radicals from speeding up your aging. Iron, zinc, potassium, Vitamin C & E, quercetin (boost immunity), and cardiovascular helpers....In South Africa I've heard they give it to their children for stomach cramps. I've read studies indicating it to help allergies & asthma. I'll let you know if there is truth to that as I have both.
So having said all that, let me share with you my favorite rooibos teas while encouraging any of you to chip in with any of your favorites or your comments. I am actually not the biggest fan of plain rooibos, I prefer it blended with another tea or fruit. My favorite rooibos with fruit is the Fair Trade Organic Blueberry Rooibos. Really delicious. My other two are our London Tea Room blends of FTO Blue & Red (Blueberry Rooibos & green teas & mint)-which is really amazing iced, so so refreshing, I drink it like water as it is low in caffeine & has the added benefit of green tea- and the FTO Passion Dragon (Jasmine dragon tears & passionfruit & rooibos). The Rooibos Chai is always popular as well as the plain rooibos.

The Naughty Vicar

2008-05-24T15:45:00.000-07:00

Naughty it may be, but it is delicious. Organic black teas blended with hints of black currants (rumored to be an aphrodisiac) & vanilla. Really yummy. My dad is a black tea drinker but only with milk, but this tea he likes plain and black. It is really delicious.
On the subject of milk in tea, it can taste great with black teas, but it in essence nullifies the great health qualities of tea. So I encourage you black tea with milk drinkers to try this tea and try to keep your milk to your cereal. It is much better for you and you will hopefully learn to enjoy the real taste of tea which changes slightly with the addition of milk.

Summer Tea Cuppings

2008-05-24T15:32:00.000-07:00

Tea cuppings are so great. It is how I buy our tea, and the absolute best way for you as a consumer to sample and compare different teas. It's a great introduction to tea and a further education for tea experts. We are planning on doing 3 or 4 this summer and I am working on firming up the dates. The first one is confirmed for July 24th: TEAS OF INDIA with special guest speaker GSchwender from Chicago. GSchwender has some really great teas and I think they are sending their tea sommelier to us. India is the biggest tea producer in the world (think Darjeelings, Assams, Nilgiris) and I am really excited about this one (I am a huge Assam fan). I'll post more as I confirm the dates. I think Rishi teas will be coming down as well this summer to do a tasting on cold brewed teas. I'll post when tickets are available.

New loose tea bags came in

2008-05-22T12:06:00.000-07:00

The bags look great. They are the perfect storage for your tea and are free with any purchase of our outstanding loose teas. Airtight, reusable, and not bad looking. Thanks to Matt for a great design. Now, why buy your tea anywhere else?