Vintage Tea Party Hardcover – 21 February 2012

This is a lovely little book which great pictures. I gave it as part of aChristmas gift and it was very well received. I copied some of the recipes for myself.

Delizioso libro per ricette semplici e sfiziose. Adatto per chi è anche alle prime armi in pasticceria.

Entzückendes kleines Büchlein mit feinen, guten Rezepten. Nicht allzu kompliziert nach zu machen. Ich habe es für mich gekauft, ist aber sicher auch ein gutes Geschenk, für gegebene Anlässe. Very british

Carolyn and Chris Caldecott, owners of the World Food Cafe in London's Covent Garden, present this enchanting little book, describing the British tradition of tea time, the crockery and utensils used for the occasion, the cakes served and the recipes for them, and also convenient ways for those on tighter budgets to enjoy them. Via Carolyn's text, we learn how Britain's love affair with tea began in the mid-17th century, when green tea first arrived on merchant ships from China, but was banned by Puritan Oliver Cromwell, who thought it too decadent, even in the face of arguments that it was good for people's health, and was later revived by Charles II whose new wife, Catherine of Braganza had a tea chest as part of her dowry. Eventually tea became affordable to the masses as the British established tea plantations in India and Ceylon (Sri Lanka), as they broke China's global monopoly on the tea trade, and tea was promoted by supporters of the Temperance movement as an alternative to beer, and served with boiling water as a safe way to drink water. Anna, Duchess of Bedford, and lady-In -waiting to her lifelong friend, Queen Victoria, inadvertently started the tradition of the 4:00 tea in 1840 when tea, bread, butter, and cakes were brought to firstly to her private rooms at her home, Woburn Abbey. The timing of the early breakfasts, late dinners, and the scant amount of attention paid to the light midday meals left her hungry by the aforementioned time. Deciding to share her fortifying repast with her lady friend, she soon sent invitations for "Tea and a walk in the fields", and continued the trend upon her return to London for the season, leading to the creation of special " tea dresses" of delicate silk and chiffon made to accompany the occasion. The noted china factories expanded their collections of tea service items to accompany the new trend, adding to a booming industry. Tea rooms replaced drawing rooms as the place for the ritual, making it more accessible to the public, and tea dances were created in grand hotels at the beginning of the 20th century in which ladies in diaphanous afternoon dresses waltzed with partners to orchestras playing light music, with tea and cakes served as refreshments, providing opportunities for members of the opposite sex to meet. Chris Caldecott's sharp, vibrant photos further enhance the objects related to this ritual, and of the delightful cakes, jams, scones, and sandwiches (including Welsh Rarebit, which I've seen British chef Graham Kerr prepare on TV), served with the teas, also treating readers to delightful views of the English countryside to further add to the ambiance of the land of the tea ritual. This lovely and informative book will give breadth of knowledge about a most beloved English ritual by two people who reside right at the heart of it. Any reader may be inspired simply to pile on a few cakes and enjoy a lovely cuppa!

This is an excellent little book, I have several books on afternoon tea, but this is my favorite. It is beautifully illustrated and has an array of tasty and simple recipes. The photos provide inspiration for your own vintage tea party, and there are a variety of tea menus to choose from, i.e winter tea, high tea, tea in the garden, tea in the drawing room etc. A lovely little book, would make a nice addition to a mini afternoon tea hamper for a gift for a tea lover. However I am keeping my copy.