Anyone For Tea?

Tea time is the new cocktail hour, dahling, didn’t you know? It’s the perfect excuse to gather some friends together to indulge in some sweet treats and quality chat time about life, love and the universe. Or simply start your own comforting winter ritual with a beautiful teapot, some quality tea and a cosy snuggle up on the sofa.

Teatime at Home
Pick up one of stylish Aussie cook Donna Hay’s chocolate cupcake kits (including vanilla cupcake mix, cases, sprinkles and spatula), £15, from selected Sainsbury’s stores, 0800 636 262)
Order a tin of sweetly decorated biscuits, with a fashion or festive twist, to share with friends from biscuiteers.com
Pick up a copy of the Susannah Blake’s Cupcakes (Ryland Peters Small) to create something spectacular for your guests
Organic, rare and specialist teas are all the rage. Check out the new following hip brands of tea: jacksonsofpicadilly.co.uk, rareteacompany.com, pukkaherbs.com, dragonfly-teas.com, teapigs.co.uk and clipper-teas.com.
Making a perfect brew (according to the Tea Council, tea.co.uk):

• Use a good quality loose leaf or bagged tea, stored in an air-tight container at room temperature
• Always use freshly drawn boiling water (to draw the best flavour out of the tea the water must contain oxygen which is reduced if the water is boiled more than once)
• Use 1 tea bag or 1 rounded teaspoon of loose tea for each cup to be served
• Warm cups or mugs with a swirl of hot water (and discard) before pouring the tea
• Allow the tea to brew for the recommended time and/or according to taste before pouring
• Brewing tea from a bag in a mug? milk in last is best

Top Spots for a Teatime Treat
Claridges, London (claridges.co.uk): luxuriate in the hotel’s fine Deco surroundings with celebs aplenty to keep the people watching (and cake tasting) a highly entertaining experience
Prét-à-Portea at The Berkeley Hotel, London (the-berkeley.co.uk): the ultimate afternoon tea for anyone with a passion for fashion (each season’s collection is inspired by the latest hits of the catwalk, from Anya Hindmarch bags and Zac Posen dresses to Jimmy Choo boots)
Tea Palace, London (teapalace.com): with hundreds of fine, rare and exclusive teas to try and the best finger sandwiches and home-made crumpets in town, this is the spot for resting weary feet after trawling the chic boutiques of Notting Hill’s Westbourne Grove
Betty’s, Harrogate (bettys.co.uk): famous for its fat rascal cakes and strong Yorkshire tea, this is one tea-time institution not to be missed
Royal Crescent Hotel, Bath (royalcrescent.co.uk): luxuriate in true ‘Jane Austen’ Regency style at this elegant hotel
The Midland, Manchester (qhotels.co.uk): WAGs central, the perfect spot for catching up on the latest gossip
Peacocks, Cambridgeshire (peacockstearoom.co.uk): we love the idea of wiling away the afternoon with the 2007 Tea Guild award-winning Peacock’s New Pink Perfection (including pink rosé champagne, rose tea and delicate finger sandwiches)