Tea is hot!
By: Beverly Allen - October 29th, 2007
There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea. Those words were written at least 100 years ago by American writer Henry James, a decided Anglophile and an avid tea drinker who loved the convention of an English High Tea.
While much has changed since James’ day, his take on teatime holds true, according to Martha McKee, vice-president of media for Waterford Wedgwood. McKee thinks that the hectic pace of modern life is fueling a return to relaxing social rituals, like that of enjoying a cup of tea from a fine bone china cup.
McKee says that over the last few years there’s been an upswing in tea drinking, and in the purchase of the pretty accessories that go with it. “As a company, we started tracking an increase in people buying fine china tea cups. We noticed it first a few years ago in Japan, but it’s now rolling out into Europe and across North America.”
The allure of the tea table relies largely on the fact that the experience it provides is the polar opposite of the drive-by or the take-out, says McKee. “The lives we live now are so busy that the ultimate luxury is time, and there’s nothing more relaxing and rejuvenating than pausing and having a cup of tea.”
Tea drinking is definitely on the increase in Canada. According to the Tea Association of Canada, the per capita tea consumption in 2005 was almost 70 litres — about 280 cups for each of us. That’s up about 43 per cent since 1995.
To capitalize on the growing taste for tea, Wedgwood recently launched new bone china and tea cups at the King Edward Hotel, many of which make a nod to historical patterns. Included were Jasper Conan’s reinterpretation of the company’s famous “Blue Butterfly” pattern and the on-trend “Sweet Plum” pattern, which offers a contemporary take on a traditional floral motif.
The King Edward was, incidentally, an appropriate setting for this event, given that the hotel serves an English-style tea from 2:30 to 5:00 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. It’s a great way to see how it 
should be done. For more information or to make reservations, call 416-863-3248.
But you can also easily produce a stylish and charming afternoon tea at home. All you need to start is a few beautiful tea cups. 
Teatro Verde (teatroverde.com) is currently showing lots of delicate tea cups on its shelves, including elegant mirrored cups that come in minty green and a luxurious gold. A set of two sells for $42.95.
Teatro Verde is also one of several Toronto retailers showing contemporary tableware and tea cups by Kate Spade, the handbag design maven who turned her attention to the tabletop. Spade has a colourful polka dot design called Larabee Road that’s available either in a mug or demi-tasse. Sets of four sell for about $100.
Spade’s sturdy mugs might have found favour with George Orwell. While he, like James, loved tea, and considered it an emblem of civilized life in Britain, Orwell eschewed the formal teacup, preferring the more proletarian mug, because it holds more tea and keeps it hot longer.
For followers of the Orwellian school of tea drinking, Wedgwood has issued seven designs for 8-centimetre bone china mugs, based on archival patterns from the Wedgwood Museum in Staffordshire, England.
If you’re thinking of offering tea cups as a gift, consider Wedgwood’s Harlequin Collection. These cup and saucer sets can be purchased individually for $90, and come in beautifully packed in jewel-toned hat boxes. They can be used in sets, but if that’s too that’s too matchy-matchy, various designs can brought together to create an eclectic look for the tea table. These new products will be hitting store shelves in the near future, but retail availability is not yet confirmed. For information about where to buy, go to http://www.wedgwood.com/.
For those who like a subtle, simple look for the tea table, 
there’s Royal Copenhagen’s new Black Fluted Half Lace, a darker version of its renowned Blue Fluted Half Lace, the very first design the china maker put into production in 1775. This line is very new, having just been launched this week at the New York Tabletop Market. Currently, it’s not yet available in Canada, but after retailers see it in New York, that may change quickly. In the meantime, you can get more information at http://www.royalcopenhagen.com/.
If you’re looking for one-of-a-kind tea cups and pots, either as a special treat for yourself as a gift, search out local artists, such as the Toronto-based Susan Card, who makes exquisite floral- strewn cups and pots that have just a touch of the Mad Hatter tea party. Prices for these start at $125 per cup and saucer set. Card’s work can also be seen at Dish Gallery at 55 Mill Street, 416-603-3474 dishgalleryandstudio.clayandglass.on.ca
And finally, if you want to learn to make the perfect cup of tea, there’s information available at the Tea Association of Canada at http://www.tea.ca/