VIRTUAL TEA PARTY WITH JANE PETTIGREW

A monthly online event - anyone can attend

Tickets £18 each

Join Jane for a virtual tea party - anyone can attend, no prior UKTA qualifications / course attendance necessary (but we highly recommend joining this session for those who have taken any of the four History & Etiquette of Afternoon Tea webinar modules.)

The Virtual Tea Party is intended to give anyone who has attended Jane’s live Webinars on The History and Etiquette of Afternoon Tea, or anyone else who is interested, an understanding of how a tea party happens in a real situation.

Jane will take tea in her living room at home using all her traditional tea wares. She will have ready a pot of tea, a selection of sandwiches, some scones, jam and clotted cream and a few small pastries.

She will position her computer so that those attending can see exactly how she has set the table and arranged the food; how she pours the tea; holds her cup; how she uses her small tea knife to eat the scones; and how she uses the small pastry fork to eat the pastries.

She will talk in detail about every stage of the experience and take questions from those attending after each section of the tea party.

This will be a fun but also instructional experience.

VIEW DATES AND BOOK

LIVE WEBINAR - THE STORY OF THE TEA DANCE

This 90-minute Academy Extra webinar is open to everyone interested in the social history of tea or dance history.

Presented by UK Tea Academy's Director of Studies and author of sixteen books on tea - world-renowned tea master Jane Pettigrew.

Tickets £18 each

The Story of The Tea Dance starts with the introduction of entertainment (including 'dancing on the carpet') to afternoon tea in the 1880s, then traces the gradual rise in popularity of dancing at tea-time. We will discuss the arrival of the Tango in London in 1913 and the subsequent craze for Tango Tea Dances; moving on to tea dances in the 20s, 30s and 40s. Finally, we will consider the resurgence of interest in tea dances since the 1980s.

The connection between afternoon tea and dancing dates back to the second half of the 19th century, and Jane Pettigrew will begin by explaining the earliest literary references to 'carpet dances'. She will then present how the arrival of the Tango in London caused a surge in popularity of tea-time dancing, bringing colour, music and fashion to the city's hotels.

This 90-minute Academy Extra webinar, held on the zoom platform, will include images from a variety of sources and Jane's own engaging presentation, ending with time for questions.

Our Academy Extra virtual event is open to everyone interested in the social history of tea or dance history and is presented by UK Tea Academy's Director of Studies and author of sixteen books on tea - world-renowned tea master Jane Pettigrew.

WHAT WILL I NEED?

Just your phone, tablet or computer to join the webinar.

Price: £18

VIEW DATES AND BOOK >>

UPDATE REGARDING COVID-19

Dear tea lovers. This is a challenging time for everyone, we hope that you are all staying safe and well.

We have taken the difficult decision to close our classroom, and not to run our classroom courses due to the spread of the COVID-19 virus, to help keep us all safe from the risk of infection. Bookings are of course fully transferable to any future course, once the situation settles down.

However - we have launched many new online learning options so that you can learn about tea remotely. CLICK HERE to explore them.

In addition, All Academy Extra evening events have been postponed:

Anyone who has bought a ticket for these events can either be refunded or keep their ticket for when the event is rescheduled.

STAY SAFE AND DRINK TEA

Tea is good for your mind, body and soul, so keep drinking it!

Here are some Tea Things you can do during this down time:

• Make your tea drinking at home into a daily ritual to keep you calm and happy, whether that is mindfully preparing Matcha or just taking time out of your day to prepare and drink your favourite tea
• Online Tea Time: arrange to call / video chat a friend whilst you both drink tea - this might be especially important for an elderly relative
• Have another cup of tea every day: our Tea, Science and Health tutor Dr Tim Bond says the best thing you can do for your long term health is drink 1 more cup of tea a day
• Buy tea online from small retailers who need your support in this challenging time for the hospitality industry
• Spend time developing your tasting palate and your tea brewing skills by tasting different teas and making notes on their taste, aroma, mouthfeel, brewing parameters etc.
• Catch up on your tea reading (perhaps join the @teabookclub which meets online to discuss tea books)

PERFECT WATER FOR TEA: A WHITE PAPER BY THE UK TEA ACADEMY

It is with great pleasure that we present The UK Tea Academy’s first white paper, on water for tea.

Water, which makes up to 99% or more of a cup of tea, is an often-overlooked ingredient that has a huge impact on the taste, aroma and appearance of every cup - and up until now it has not been considered in the same way as water for coffee.

Six months in the making, this report highlights the key ingredients of water which impact the brewing process of tea. It will also provide a standard water specification to create the optimal cup of tea.

A team from The UK Tea Academy has worked closely with BRITA to find the perfect water for tea.  BRITA has been our partner since we launched the Academy in 2016 and have provided the filters for all our training courses as freshly drawn, cold, Brita-filtered water is an essential part of getting the best from the tea leaves.

Jane Pettigrew, Tim Sturk and Carri Hecks from the UKTA visited BRITA HQ in Germany for the research trip. Working with Birgit Kohler, Brita’s Resident Water Sommelier, in the controlled environment of the BRITA lab, the team explored a number of different waters with varying pH and mineral content and compared them for aroma, taste, clarity, colour, etc for the different teas.

"You did a brilliant job. It took coffee 20 years to arrive at a standard that included specific details about water. You advanced the same for tea by a decade at least." Dan Bolton, Editor/Publisher

CLICK HERE TO READ THE WHITE PAPER AND DISCOVER THE PERFECT WATER SPECIFICATIONS FOR MAKING TEA

TAKING A BREAK CAN BOOST YOUR MENTAL WELLBEING

• Almost two-thirds of tea drinkers agree that taking time to have a cup of tea helps them feel more relaxed
• Nearly half agree that a tea break helps them calm down and reduces stress levels

There is no question that as a nation, Britain is full of tea lovers. In fact, it’s estimated that Brits consume over 100 million cups of tea daily.

At a current time of uncertainty, new independent research by BRITA Professional* has revealed the potential wellbeing benefits a tea ‘break’ can bring, now especially relevant with so many of us working from home.

The research, which was conducted amongst 1,000 tea drinkers, found that two-thirds (64%) believe taking time to have a cup of tea has a positive effect on their mental health, admitting it helps them to feel relaxed. Almost half (41%) agree that it helps them calm down and reduce stress levels.

As well as being beneficial to consumers’ mental health, research also found that a tea break can increase our productivity with nearly half (41%) agreeing that they are able to concentrate more on their work after a cup of tea and over a third (38%) are able to perform better or to a higher level.

Commenting on the research, UK Tea Academy Director of Studies Jane Pettigrew said:

“As we all continue to settle into the ‘new normal’ and spend more time at home, it’s more important than ever to look after our mental wellbeing. The research by BRITA Professional really shows that there’s nothing quite like a reassuring cup of tea. I would encourage all of those who are busy in their households to take regular breaks throughout the day and where possible, connect with others over a relaxing hot drink.”

Although tea is clearly a popular drink choice, 46% of consumers do not believe the quality of tea is better in cafés than at home. In fact, tea comprises just 4.4% of the average coffee shop sales mix. So, what can businesses do to encourage consumers to drink tea out of home?

Whilst the hospitality industry is currently facing a challenging time due to the current climate and repercussions of COVID 19, BRITA Professional’s new research has also provided a number of insights on how, once back up and running, businesses can encourage tea drinkers to take their tea break in their establishments and improve their revenue.

• Choice: While English Breakfast Tea is often seen as the most popular choice of tea at many cafés, coffee shops and hotels, over half of consumers (51%) would be more likely to choose another type of tea out of home
• Quality: Almost half (46%) of tea drinkers don’t believe the quality of tea is better in cafés than it is at home. In fact, tea operators believe the reasons for missed opportunities in the sector are the quality of tea used (64%) and the lack of training on how to make a good cuppa (40%)
• Ambience: Of those that do enjoy a cup of tea out of home, almost half (41%) said the ambience of the location was one of the biggest drivers. Tea drinkers provide other opportunities too as 60% of consumers typically make additional food purchases alongside their tea.

Speaking about the research results, which are available in a new toolkit from BRITA Professional – Life is Better Filtered: Business Vitali-Tea, Sarah Taylor, Managing Director of BRITA UK, said: 


“From conducting research into the benefits of a tea break, it’s clear that the majority of tea drinkers not only enjoy the taste but also the opportunity it provides to take a break from the stresses of work and everyday life.

“Whilst the hospitality industry as a whole is going through a very difficult time, this toolkit also provides invaluable insights that could help businesses take this time to strengthen their offering and come out of this situation stronger on the other side.

“By educating Brits in why having tea in a café, coffee shop or other business environment could be beneficial to their wellbeing, or why the quality of tea may be better out of home, the hot beverage industry has the potential to flourish in a whole new sector”

In addition to the research findings, the new toolkit Life is Better Filtered: Business Vitali-Tea also features expert insights into the health benefits of a tea break, the added benefits of enjoying a tea break outside of the house and also top tips for hot beverage businesses looking to expand their offering and entice more custom when they are able to reopen.

BRITA Professional will also be posting top tips across their social channels over the next few weeks on how to make the most of your tea break whilst working from home.

To download a copy of the Life is Better Filtered: Business Vitali-Tea toolkit, please CLICK HERE