Most days this is my preferred morning tea; I love this tea.  Darjeelings, a region in India is revered for producing what some call the Champagne of Tea.

Produced in the Himalayas, Darjeelings are grown in the shadow of Kangchenjunga, the snow capped mountain said to be home of the Hindu God “Shiva” -the Destroyer.  Darjeeling means land of the Thunderbolt and it is in fact the weather, combined with the attitude, soil and bright sunlight that result in an incomparable beverage.The 3 Main Times of Year for Producing Good Quality Darjeelings

1st flush - Springtime harvested teas from late Feb. to mid April. The young leaves yield a light tea with generally intense muscatel with ‘point’. A gentle afternoon tea.

2nd flush  – Harvested in June, these teas are more fully developed. The liquor is bright and the taste full and round excellent muscatel. A superb afternoon tea that is especially good with scones and raspberry preserves.

Autumnal - Not always available depending upon the weather, they are typified by a round taste and coppery liquor. Excellent as a breakfast tea with milk.

Castleton Estate Darjeeling is grown near the town of Kurseong in the Darjeeling district of northern India. Castleton is one of the top estates in Darjeeling and consistently produces top teas – and not surprisingly obtains the top prices. It was first planted by Dr. Charles Graham in 1855 and is named after a building in the area that looks like a castle. The building originally was built and owned by a money lender in the region; the building still stands today. The original name of the estate is Kumseri.  The major method of transportation to Darjeeling is road (very treacherous) and a narrow gauge railway. In world terms the railway is almost considered a toy railroad system. The narrow gauge does not support large engines or carriages; also the steep inclines necessitate a cog system to prevent to trains from rolling backwards. Despite all the difficulties that must  be contended with, the area produces some of the finest teas.

This Castleton Estate tea grade is FTGFOP (Finest Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe) and is grown at an altitude of  4200 – 6300 feet above sea level. It manufacture type is Orthodox and its cup characteristics are wonderful muscatel highlights with delicate strength – the hallmark of a premium 2nd flush Darjeeling. The infusion tends light liquoring with subtle astringency and classic muscatel character. A joke among tea aficionados is that “FTGFOP” stands for “Far Too Good For Ordinary People”.

2nd flush Darjeelings are typified as being more complex and fuller in the cup than the 1st Flush varieties, which tend to be a little greener and lighter.  Darjeelings are considered among the rarest and most prestigious of the black teas. The best grades are the whole leaf types with lots of ‘tip’. This tea is the grade F.T.G.F.O.P. (finest tippy golden flowery orange pekoe) and is in the upper 10 percentile of Castleton’s quality.

Margaret’s Hope Darjeeling 2nd Flush TGFOP (Tippy Golden Flavoury Orange Pekoe) is an estate tea. The estate is located in the “Kurseong North” valley, established around 1865 as Bara Ringtong. During the 1930’s the garden was owned by Mr. Bagdon who lived in London but visited the tea garden regularly. He had two daughters. The younger daughter named Margaret; who when she saw the tea garden fell in love with it, hoped one day she would have an opportunity to return. Sadly she fell ill on board ship during the return trip to England and died soon after. In her memory, her father changed the garden’s name to Margaret’s Hope. It is believed that she visits the estate bungalow from the western side, coming through the main guest room and leaving from the study through the verandah to the tennis courts. Many guests have claimed to have felt and even seen her apparition gently looking over them as they sleep.

The bushes at Margaret’s Hope are almost entirely the Chinese Jat (genus) accounting for the green leafed tippy appearance of the manufactured leaf and the superb fragrance. Because the tea is grown at such high altitudes and in relatively cool weather the bushes do not grow quickly, and as such the production is limited. The best time of the year for quality is during ‘secondflush’ (end May – end June). During this time Darjeelings are incomparable to any other tea in the world. The fragrance and taste is a complex bouquet that reaches right out of the cup. Some would describe the taste as nutty; others find it reminds them of black currants, but most often it is described as similar to the taste and fragrance of muscat grapes.

Ringtong Darjeeling Tea is a blend of teas from different estates. Top quality tea is used to create this blend.

Darjeeling Tea Available at Preserve Company:

Castleton

Margaret’s Hope

Ringtong

Brewing Methods

Hot tea: This tea is best enjoyed using 2-3 heaping teaspoons for a 6-cup teapot. Allow the tea to steep for 3-5 minutes, remove the leaves and pour. We do not recommend adding milk or sugar since this can mask some of the intrigue and subtle nuances of this vintage tea.

Iced tea:  (to make 1 liter/quart):  Place 6 teaspoons of tea into a teapot or heat resistant pitcher. Pour 1 1/4 cups of freshly boiled water over the tea. Steep for 5 minutes. Quarter fill a serving pitcher with cold water. Pour the tea into your serving pitcher straining the leaves. Add ice and top-up the pitcher with cold water. Garnish and sweeten to taste. [A rule of thumb when preparing fresh brewed iced tea is to double the strength of hot tea since it will be poured over ice and diluted with cold water].

If you enjoy tea and wish it to have a pronounced flavour with a pleasant smokey after taste this tea is for you. I imagine those who like a nice cigar and port would call this one of their favourites. I personally like this tea a lot. The souchong, smoked teas with a distinctive flavour are sometimes described as “tarry” and are a special product of the Fujian province in China. The Fukienese word “souchong” means “sub-variety” that is, a sub-variety of the black teas from the Wuyi mountains of Fujian.

Legend claims that the smoking process was discovered by accident. The leaves are first withered over fires of pine or cypress wood. After pan firing and rolling, they are pressed into wooden barrels and covered with cloth to oxidize until they give off a pleasant fragrance. The leaves are fired again and rolled into taut strips. Then they are placed in bamboo baskets and hung on wooden racks over smoking pine fires to dry and absorb the smoke flavour. When finished they are thick, glossy, black strips and produce a dark red beverage with a unique aroma. Lapsang Souchong is drunk with or without milk and sugar.

Lapsang Souchong is available in two sizes here.

Emma Bridgewater Spot On for Twenty Five Years….

Emma Bridgewater is a woman, mother, wife and business person who started The Emma Bridgewater Pottery Company in 1985 and within a few years it had gained a first-rate reputation for good design and practicality. The fresh modern patterns and shapes proved to be very popular with the British customer who wanted something a little different.

Emma Bridgewater 2 Cup Polka Dot Teapot

Emma Bridgewater has no formal training in design or business management but she had strong ideas. Her intention was to make pottery using traditional methods of production rather than using expensive machinery. Underpinning her approach to all aspects of design was her passion for the family and the English country life.  It wasn’t surprising that she chose to explore the possibilities of decorative treatments using the spongeware technique which was very popular from the late eighteenth century to early twentieth century. It was a simple and effective way of decorating plain ware whilst giving this traditional method a modern contemporary twist. In 1996 Emma commented that she “brought one of the jolliest techniques back to ife in Stoke-on-Trent. Using the cut root of a natural sponge and strong traditional colours, the paintresses have employed their under-utilized skills in relearning the making of spongeware”. Importantly for the new veture spongeware was a good way of decorating pottery to test the market – without have to buy expensive lithograph sheets which would require major investment. All that was required were the sponges themselves.

With her intentions realized, a visit to Stoke-on-Trent reinforced her idea of using traditional methods she found, to her delight, that many manufacturing methods had mostly remained unchanged in the Potteries, as did the skills of the workers in the pottery trade. She was able to secure the services of an experienced modeller, based in a small workshop in Longbrdige Hayes, and soon his entire factory was turned over to the production of her spongewares. In the same way designer Susan Williams-Ellis came to Stoke-on-Trent during the late 1950s to secure the services of a factory to produce a number of ceramic gift wares for the fist at the famous Portmerion village in North Wales. Susan’s first designs proved popular, which led eventually to her buying the W.E. Gray & Co. Ltd factory in 1960 and starting production in her own right.

Emma Bridgewater Designs are for Living

Emma Bridgewater understood that there was a gap in the market for a fresh look using simple patterning on recognizably English shapes. In 1985 the potteries were turning out an unappetising selection of wares in pastel shades, with designs oftern commbining superannuated tradition with an uneasy informality. Her simple motifs such as leaves, stars, and sprigs were repeated to create corders, centre motifs and concentric bnads in bold, but not garish, colours. From the start Enna was very clear hat she wanted ato design her own shapes and not to resort to eh debased Edwardian models then available on the open market. This has also been improtant to the pottery designer Susie Cooper in the 1930′s, as she beleived that to be a good designer one had to have complete control over both pattern and shape. this was far from standard practice. The existence of what were know as “open stock” patterns of unacknowledgeable authorship, and widely available resouce of effect, “undesigned”: one floral motif might well appear on the work of half-a-dozen factories while a cup or teapot shape might be freely available.

The first Bridgewater shape was an earthenware mug, based on a traditional nineteenth century creamware example, which was soon followed by a jug and bowl. Her earliest wares were cast in Stoke, decorated in Emma’s kitchen in London, and then driven back up the M6 for their final firing. Late in 1985 Emma took a stall at Covent Garden’s Jubilee Market. The led to a number of sales and, importantly, the very first contacts with wholesale customers who were always on the lookout for something new. Equally important, she took her first trade stand at the Top Drawer Fair in London in 1986. Her striking display of ware gained much press coverage and gained Emma new London stockists such as Harrods, Liberty, and The General Trading Company.

This was the period in which increasing numbers of women were going out to work, leading to a gradual change in family eating habits. Casual dining was becoming the norm and Emma was the forefront of this, her designs being the antithesis of the formal dinner service.  As demand increased, new shapes and combinations were introduced to cater for practically all needs including tea sets, dinnerware, breakfast sets, mugs, and nursery china.  Mugs were an important part of the business from the beginning again a reflection of the moe away from formal teatime with cups and saucers, to a less ceremonious mug or coffee in the kitchen, garden or office. Significantly for Bridgewater, the mug became a standard present.

Matthew Rice and his Contribution

Another significant factor in the continuing development of the Bridgwater business was the important contribution made by Matthew Rice whom Emma married in 1987. He had previoulsy establised a furniture design company, David Linley Furniture, with David Linely, son of Lord Snowdon and Princess Margaret, and old friend from Bedales School. They produced a range of beautiful desk accessories as well as illustrations for marquetry designs. Following his marriage he left David Linely Furniture to join forces with Emma, collaborating on designs in partnership with her.

Among the first commercially successful patterns from Bridgwater were Figs produced along Vine, Olives, Farmyard, Chintz and Lilies. These patterns flowed in an undisciplined wal all over the many shapes of the Kitchen Dresser range. In stark contrast. 1992 saw the launch of one of the most enduring patterns, Black Toast and Marmalade. This was a simple border design of letters inspired by a reproduction plante bearing a suffragette slogan, “Votes for Women”. This resonated with Emma and gave her the ideas to use letters and words, both as a patters, and as a tempting evocative description of desirable teatime treats. It was also a significant technical departure for Bridgewater, being a printed transfer design rather than hand applied spongeware. Despite being treated in a very different style from her previous designs, the range proved very popular, subsequently leading to the addition of colour variations such as Blue Toast, Christmas Toast, and in 2009, White Toast. The range has been widely copied by many pottery manufacturers and retailers.

Prince Edward Island Preserve Company is working with Emma Bridgewater and company to bring her product line to more people; particularly in North America.  From time to time there will be more information shared on the history, process, and what is new with this wonderful line of pottery via this blog. Stay tuned.

Organic and Fair Trade Tea is used in the blending of our Prince Edward Island Breakfast Tea. Our tea is blended at our facility in New Glasgow. Our PEI Breakfast Tea is a blend of black tea comprised of Organic TGFBOP Sewpur; Organic Greenfield; Organic CTC Sewpur & Organic Mao Feng Keemun. If you enjoy a good cup of full bodied and flavourable black tea, you will enjoy a cup of our Prince Edward Island Breakfast!

Sewpur Tea Estate

Sewpur Tea Estate

Teaworkers at the Sewpur Tea Estate cultivate their gardens on the plains of the Dibrugarh district in the northeastern state of Assam. Their reputation for making great quality organic teas separates the Sewpur Estate from all others. As a Fair Trade Estate, they have built a school and recreation buildings, new roads, and housing for the workers. Certified organic full bodied cup. Has a classic Assam profile: strong but smooth with a malty flavor.

Greenfield Tea Estate

Greenfield Tea Estate

The Greenfield Tea Estate nestles among the hills on the southern edge of the Uva Highlands of Sri Lanka. At an altitude of 5000-6000ft the climate is cool and the air beautifully clear. Roses and jasmine grow around the tea factory, and their fragrance is backed by the heady smell of newly processed tea. Looking down from the estate over emerald carpets of tea, the hot and dusty southern plains of Sri Lanka stretch out before you and on clear days the coast shimmers in the far distance. The estate is certified organic and is on the Fair Trade Tea Register.

The tea estate is inspected annually by the Control Union(The Netherlands), NASAA (Australia) and IMO.

Keemun Mao Feng

Keemun Mao Feng is a special variety of Keemun black tea that is carefully processed so that the shape of the tea leaves resemble that of a Mao Feng (green) tea. This means that Keemun Mao Feng is made up of full tea leaves, rather than broken leaves which is the usual for most other Keemun teas.

Imperial Keemun Mao Feng

Not many people know this but the best Keemun originates from a small village within Qi Men County called Da Wu Village. This small village has a population of around a hundred people and produces some of the finest Keemun in the world due to its high elevation and its pollution-free environment. The locals nicknamed this village “Qi Men Cha Di Yi Cun”, which translates to “Number One Keemun Tea Village”. We carry the “Te Ji”, or special grade of Keemun Mao Feng is from this village.

Other names:
Qi Men Mao Feng, Keemun Fur Peak

Taste: The taste is naturally sweet and strong with a matching aroma. After a few sips, the sweet aftertaste will linger on in your mouth.

Appearance: Black, tightly twisted tea leaves. When infused, they unfurl into full tea leaves consisting of a single bud with two to three leaves.

Origin: Qi Men, An Hui Province

Hot tea brewing method: Bring freshly drawn cold water to a rolling boil. Place 1 teaspoon of tea for each cup into the teapot. Pour the boiling water into the teapot. Cover and let steep for 3-7 minutes according to taste (the longer the steeping time the stronger the tea). Milk and a dash of sugar help capture the complex nature of this tea, but it is also perfectly acceptable to consume this tea ‘straight-up’.
Iced tea-brewing method: (to make 1 liter/quart): Place 6 teaspoons of tea into a teapot or heat resistant pitcher. Pour 1 1/4 cups of freshly boiled water over the tea. Steep for 5 minutes. Quarter fill a serving pitcher with cold water. Pour the tea into your serving pitcher straining the leaves. Add ice and top-up the pitcher with cold water. Garnish and sweeten to taste. [A rule of thumb when preparing fresh brewed iced tea is to double the strength of hot tea since it will be poured over ice and diluted with cold water]. Please note that this tea may tend to go cloudy or ‘milky’ when poured over ice; a perfectly normal characteristic of some high quality black teas and nothing to worry about!

Dunoon Ceramics Limited has been manufacturing the highest quality Stoneware mugs in the picturesque Scottish town of Dunoon since 1973, and Fine Bone China from the canal-side town of Stone in the heart of Staffordshire since 1981, where the traditional local skills and expertise have proved invaluable in Dunoon’s commitment to excellence.

The demand for Dunoon products has lead to the successful addition of Kitchenware to the Dunoon portfolio and with Dunoon’s emphasis on good design and product development it is easy to see why they have become the leading brand in their field.

Dunoon maintain high standards of design with an in-house team of skilled designers and by sourcing artwork from leading freelance designers and artists creating the largest and best range of designs available from the subtle to the exotic, traditional and modern.  A programme of continual product development ensures Dunoon is leading the way with modern mug shapes.

Dunoon uses a very high quality Fine Bone China clay containing 50% crushed animal bone giving the mugs their translucency, whiteness and strength. Their mugs are slip-cast, making them fine and light yet resilient and strong. Dunoon use only high quality glaszes and prints to ensure excellent detail and colour reproduction of the design as originally intended by the designer.

100% of the Dunoon mugs are inspected 4 times during the manufacturing process and there are 27 separate processes to manufacture the mugs.

We find that Dunoon are for folks who appreciate fine quality, lovely designs and like to drink their hot beverages from fine bone china. We love Dunoon.

Drinking tea is one of life’s great pleasures symbolizing a lifestyle of leisure and enjoyment. Typically, enjoying good tea includes brewing the tea carefully, smelling it’s aroma, admiring the color of the tea in a cup and savoring its flavor. Appreciating good tea can be an elegant and refined experience, but it also helps us to relax. Regardless of whether you are at home, enjoying time with a friend or having tea at work, tea drinkers today have many convenient choices to accommodate their lifestyle key is available in all types of packaging, including teabags, and bottles no matter how tea is consumed, it is the best choice for natural and refreshing beverage that satisfies both the body and mind. Below we have listed some generally accepted practices for making a good up of tea.

Brewing White Tea

Hot tea brewing method: When preparing by the cup, this tea can be used repeatedly – about 3 times. The secret is to use water that is about 180’F or 80’C. Place about 1-1 1/2 teaspoons in your cup, let the tea steep for about 3 minutes and then begin enjoying a cup of enchantment – do not remove the leaves from the cup. Once the water level is low – add more water, and so on and so on – until the flavor of the tea is exhausted.

Iced tea brewing method: (to make 1 liter/quart) : Place 6 teaspoons of tea into a teapot or heat resistant pitcher. Pour 1 1/4 cups of freshly boiled water over the tea. Steep for 5 minutes. Quarter fill a serving pitcher with cold water. Pour the tea into your serving pitcher straining the leaves. Add ice and top up the pitcher with cold water. Garnish and sweeten to taste. [A rule
of thumb when preparing fresh brewed iced tea is to double the strength of hot tea since it will be poured over ice and diluted with cold water.

Brewing Green Teas

Hot tea brewing method: When preparing by the cup, this tea can be used repeatedly - about 3 times. The secret is to use water that is about 180˚F or 90˚C. Place 1 teaspoon of leaves in you cup and let the tea steep for about 3 minutes and then begin enjoying a cup of natures gift - do not remove the leaves from the cup. Once the water level is low - add more water, and so on and so on - until the flavor of the tea is exhausted.
Iced tea-brewing method: (to make 1 liter/quart): Place 6 teaspoons of tea into a teapot or heat resistant pitcher. Pour 1
1/4 cups of freshly boiled water over the tea. Steep for 5 minutes. Quarter fill a serving pitcher with cold water. Pour the
tea into your serving pitcher straining the leaves. Add ice and top up the pitcher with cold water. Garnish and sweeten to taste. [A rule of thumb when preparing fresh brewed iced tea is to double the strength of hot tea since it will be poured over ice and diluted with cold water.]

Brewing Oolong Tea

Hot tea brewing method: Oolongs teas are best enjoyed when the leaves are briefly infused with hot water, which is then poured off. The tea is then reinfused and tea is poured to the lucky guests after about 1 minute. The leaves may be re-infused several times, with each resulting infusion yielding different liquor from the proceeding cup.
Iced tea-brewing method: (to make 1 liter/quart): Place 6 teaspoons of tea into a heat resistant pitcher. Pour 1 1/4 cups
freshly boiled water over the tea. Steep for 5 minutes. Quarter fill a serving pitcher with cold water. Pour the tea into the
pitcher straining the leaves. Add ice and top-up with cold water. Garnish and sweeten to taste.

Brewing Black Tea

Hot tea brewing method: Bring freshly drawn cold water to a rolling boil. Place 1 teaspoon of tea for each cup into the teapot. Pour the boiling water into the teapot. Cover and let steep for 3-7 minutes according to taste (the longer the steeping time the stronger the tea). Milk and a dash of sugar help capture the complex nature of this tea, but it is also perfectly acceptable to consume this tea ‘straight-up’.
Iced tea-brewing method: (to make 1 liter/quart): Place 6 teaspoons of tea into a teapot or heat resistant pitcher. Pour 1 1/4 cups of freshly boiled water over the tea. Steep for 5 minutes. Quarter fill a serving pitcher with cold water. Pour the tea into your serving pitcher straining the leaves. Add ice and top-up the pitcher with cold water. Garnish and sweeten to taste. [A rule of thumb when preparing fresh brewed iced tea is to double the strength of hot tea since it will be poured over ice and diluted with cold water]. Please note that this tea may tend to go cloudy or ‘milky’ when poured over ice; a perfectly normal characteristic of some high quality black teas and nothing to worry about!

Brewing Herbal Teas (Tisanes)

Hot tea brewing method: Bring filtered  or freshly drawn cold water to a rolling boil. Place 1 tsp of tea for each cup into the teapot. Pour the boiling water into the teapot. Cover and let steep for 3-7 minutes according to taste. Milk or sugar is not generally added to the cup.
Iced tea-brewing method: (to make 1 liter/quart): Place 6 tsp of tea into a 5-6 cup teapot or heat resistant pitcher. Pour 1 1/4
cups of freshly boiled water over the tea. Steep for 5 minutes. Quarter fill a serving pitcher with cold water. Pour the tea into
your serving pitcher straining the leaves. Add ice and top-up the pitcher with cold water. Garnish and sweeten to taste.

Brewing Artisan Teas

Hot tea brewing method: Place one ball in your teapot (ideally clear glass for maximum visual effect), and add water that is roughly 180’F/80’C. (180’F allows the ball to open more slowly; also the tea does not infuse as much giving you a lighter brew, which allows you to see the art of tea better). Infuse until the ball is fully open, usually about 5 minutes. Watch the long leaves unfurl to reveal the hidden flower treasure. Note: Do not remove the leaves after infusing – contemplate life and enjoy a rare Chinese floral Tea. If you wish to have another cup of tea, simply pour more water on the leaves and infuse for another 1-3 minutes.

Iced tea-brewing method: Not generally consumed iced but if you do, (1 qt/lt) Place 3 pods in a heat resistant pitcher. Add 1¼ cups freshly boiled water. Steep 5 min. Quarter fill a serving pitcher with ice water. Add steeped tea and fill with ice water. Garnish with 1 opened pod and sweeten to taste.