Only the British - and maybe some Orientals such as the Chinese - would be prepared to pay so much for a pot of tea........
Pot of tea? That'll be £20
By David Derbyshire Consumer Affairs Editor
21/02/2007
The Tetley Tea Folk won't be happy to learn that the tea they advertise on TV commercials is now seen as too "common" by many Britons.
There was a time when a cup of Tetley's without sugar was regarded in many homes as the height of tea-drinking sophistication. Now fashion conscious foodies have discovered a far more exclusive, and far more expensive, way to soothe their parched throats.
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Potty prices: The Plaisir du Chocolat tea shop
in Edinburgh sells pots of tea at £20.10 ($40) each
Over the last few months, hotels and restaurants have reported rising demand for silver needle white tea — a fragrant, delicate brew that costs up to £20 a pot. Silver needle is described by connoisseurs as "China's finest white tea".
Originally grown in the Fujian province of South East China, it has a melon-like aroma and a sweet taste.
A cup of silver needle lacks the astringency of conventional tea, has low caffeine levels and is packed to the rim with healthy antioxidants.
Adding milk and sugar is frowned upon.
The Plasir du Chocolat tea shop on Edinburgh's Royal Mile sells the Yin Zhen variety of silver needle tea for £20.10 for a pot for one person.
"It is a high quality tea and probably the most expensive in the world," said the assistant manager Verena Strallegger.
"I wouldn't recommend it to someone who is not a tea lover. The Western taste is usually for stronger green or black teas."
White silver needle tea is made from the uppermost, downy buds of the tea plant, which are picked and sun dried in April. In August, the buds are then laid beneath a bed of jasmine flowers for a week, allowing the scent of jasmine to be transferred to the tea.
The Eight Over Eight restaurant in London, which has had white teas on its menu for four years, sells jasmine scented white silver needle tea by the pot for £10 for two. It also has a cheaper variety for around £3 a pot.
"It's like the difference between putting turmeric or saffron in food," said a spokesman.
Jing Tea in south London, Britain's main supplier of white tea, sells silver needle white tea at £5 for a 50g bag, and its customers include Harrods, the Lanesborough hotel and Coutts Bank (the Queen's bankers).
It is also available at many of London's leading tea rooms, hotels and restaurants.
Claridges, which sells silver needle for £10 for a two person pot, says demand for exotic teas is growing. "It is an absolutely fabulous and gorgeous tea," said the hotel's spokesman Gill Christophers.
"It is picked for just two days a year and it is just the top two leaves that come off. It's called needle tea because it's a long, thin rolled leaf.
"We have 30 teas here. For some people, choosing the right tea is as important as choosing a wine."
Claridges, the winner of the UK Tea Guild's 2006 Top London Afternoon Tea Award, said afternoon tea-goers were increasingly prepared to spend more on the perfect cup of tea.
However, Bettys Tea Rooms in Harrogate, Britain's most famous tea room, has nothing more adventurous than a cup of Yu Luo white tea for £3.50.
Meanwhile, the Wolseley restaurant in Piccadilly, London sells a pot of white peony tea (six cups) for £5.75, while Yauatcha in Soho sells a pot of white silver needle tea (six cups) for £7.40.
telegraph.co.uk
Pot of tea? That'll be £20
By David Derbyshire Consumer Affairs Editor
21/02/2007
The Tetley Tea Folk won't be happy to learn that the tea they advertise on TV commercials is now seen as too "common" by many Britons.
There was a time when a cup of Tetley's without sugar was regarded in many homes as the height of tea-drinking sophistication. Now fashion conscious foodies have discovered a far more exclusive, and far more expensive, way to soothe their parched throats.
Potty prices: The Plaisir du Chocolat tea shop
in Edinburgh sells pots of tea at £20.10 ($40) each
Over the last few months, hotels and restaurants have reported rising demand for silver needle white tea — a fragrant, delicate brew that costs up to £20 a pot. Silver needle is described by connoisseurs as "China's finest white tea".
Originally grown in the Fujian province of South East China, it has a melon-like aroma and a sweet taste.
A cup of silver needle lacks the astringency of conventional tea, has low caffeine levels and is packed to the rim with healthy antioxidants.
Adding milk and sugar is frowned upon.
The Plasir du Chocolat tea shop on Edinburgh's Royal Mile sells the Yin Zhen variety of silver needle tea for £20.10 for a pot for one person.
"It is a high quality tea and probably the most expensive in the world," said the assistant manager Verena Strallegger.
"I wouldn't recommend it to someone who is not a tea lover. The Western taste is usually for stronger green or black teas."
White silver needle tea is made from the uppermost, downy buds of the tea plant, which are picked and sun dried in April. In August, the buds are then laid beneath a bed of jasmine flowers for a week, allowing the scent of jasmine to be transferred to the tea.
The Eight Over Eight restaurant in London, which has had white teas on its menu for four years, sells jasmine scented white silver needle tea by the pot for £10 for two. It also has a cheaper variety for around £3 a pot.
"It's like the difference between putting turmeric or saffron in food," said a spokesman.
Jing Tea in south London, Britain's main supplier of white tea, sells silver needle white tea at £5 for a 50g bag, and its customers include Harrods, the Lanesborough hotel and Coutts Bank (the Queen's bankers).
It is also available at many of London's leading tea rooms, hotels and restaurants.
Claridges, which sells silver needle for £10 for a two person pot, says demand for exotic teas is growing. "It is an absolutely fabulous and gorgeous tea," said the hotel's spokesman Gill Christophers.
"It is picked for just two days a year and it is just the top two leaves that come off. It's called needle tea because it's a long, thin rolled leaf.
"We have 30 teas here. For some people, choosing the right tea is as important as choosing a wine."
Claridges, the winner of the UK Tea Guild's 2006 Top London Afternoon Tea Award, said afternoon tea-goers were increasingly prepared to spend more on the perfect cup of tea.
However, Bettys Tea Rooms in Harrogate, Britain's most famous tea room, has nothing more adventurous than a cup of Yu Luo white tea for £3.50.
Meanwhile, the Wolseley restaurant in Piccadilly, London sells a pot of white peony tea (six cups) for £5.75, while Yauatcha in Soho sells a pot of white silver needle tea (six cups) for £7.40.
telegraph.co.uk
