Tea: A UK Tradition (By Alessia)

Written by ATPAmbassador - 09/03/2020

by Alessia Scappaticci

Prior to
arriving in the UK, I worked at a tea shop, where I learned to become a serious
tea aficionado. And after living here for a few months, I’ve managed to learn a
thing or two about the UK’s rules about tea, and the traditions that make
afternoon tea so special.

A British Cup
of Tea

Although the
UK was not the original birthplace of tea, the Brits are notorious for steeping
a pretty good cup. If you order tea at any café or restaurant, these are the
flavours that will most likely be on the menu:

Earl
Grey
English
Breakfast
Lemon
Ginger
Chamomile
Peppermint

Although tea
is slowly becoming trendier and there are tons of specialty tea shops opening
up, the simple flavours still prevail. Sure, if you go to an afternoon tea
event, they’ll most likely be serving English Breakfast. But as far as
popularity goes, Earl Grey is still at the top. Fun fact: Earl Grey tea is
named after the British Prime Minister, Charles Grey. He sat as Prime Minister
from 1830-1834 and was originally from the county of Northumberland.

Now, if we’re
talking about steeping tea, we need to discuss the issue that divides people
more than any political debate or family game night: the, “milk before tea or
tea before milk” debate.

I’ve had some
experience with differing opinions on this topic, and this seems to be the most
common answer:

If you’re
making tea in a mug, you steep it, remove the tea bag, and then add milk. If
you’re using a teapot, THAT’S where the debate begins. The argument for milk
first is that if you’re using fine china and for drinking tea, pouring the tea
first will crack the china. But, if you pour milk first, there will be no
thermal shock to the china and it won’t crack.

The
argument for tea before milk is that the amount of milk you add is based on how
much tea you have in your cup; the ratio will just be more balanced that way!

But no
matter how you take your tea, it always tastes better in the middle of the
afternoon with some treats.

Afternoon Tea

Afternoon tea
was once an event for the socially elite, but has transformed into a staple of
the British experience. The tradition was born in the 1800’s, and is not a
feature of many popular restaurants and hotels.

I’ve been
told that there’s no specific order to eat the food on the tray, but I’ve come
to the conclusion that it makes the most sense to go top to bottom- start with
the savoury treats, move to the scones to “cleanse the palette”, and then dive
into the sweet stuff.

And if one
debate isn’t enough, here’s another: the scone debacle. Is it jam before cream,
or cream before jam? Just for the record, mine is jam before cream.

If you’re interested in learning more about how you can get here too, then you can contact an advisor, and keep up with Across the Pond on social media. You can also follow along on my UK journey on Instagram at @alessiaacrossthepond!

Sources

https://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/Afternoon-Tea/

https://www.gov.uk/government/history/past-prime-ministers/charles-grey-2nd-earl-grey

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Quirky Spots to Visit in London

Written by ATPAmbassador - 05/03/2020

by Nicole Clendinning

Not only is London the biggest financial Hub in the UK, it has been termed the world’s most innovative and influential global city. While there is no shortage of sights to see and things to do upon your first visit here, I’ve outlined some must see spots within London that are more off the beaten path.

Markets

There are currently around 280 markets in London,
some outdoors, some indoors, and ranging from selling food to groceries to
vintage clothing. While some smaller markets are only open on the weekend the
following are open 7 day a week.

Brick Lane Market

Not only home to an international food
hall, this market is also home to one of the largest vintage clothing markets
in London. Underneath the main food hall you will see a neon lined stairway
leading to an underground vintage clothing paradise! On days with good weather
the market spills outside into the main courtyard with food trucks and other
creative vendors.

Borough Market

Located right under London bridge, Borough
Market is quite large and popular on weekends as they sell a variety of
produce, cheese and meats that are harder to find in the grocery shops.

The exterior of Bridget Jones’ flat from
the movie series can be seen here, as well as the exterior of the ‘Leaky
Cauldron’ bar from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkeban!

Camden Market

One of the larger and more permanent
markets in London, Camden market is comprised of shops rather than pop up stalls.
Stables Market within Camden market has vendors selling out of what used to be
horse stalls for the Pickford Horse Hospital and guests can find unique
clothes, food and décor in the area. Surrounded by a network of canals and home
to influential musicians such as Amy Winehouse and The WHO, Camden is a unique
area popular for its rock music influence and is a London must-see!

Pop Brixton and BoxPark

Pop Brixton is a
food and drink market located in Brixton. The entire market is self contained
and made out of stacked shipping containers. Popular on a night out, visitors
are ID’d at the door upon entry and are able to flow freely between
restaurants, beer gardens, a small dining hall and a dancehall.

Located in Shoreditch, BoxPark has the same
idea as POPBrixton but is a retail space as opposed to a food and drink spot.

Café’s and restaurants

God’s Own Junkyard

God’s Own Junkyard is a spot that screams Quirky.
The shop is home to the largest stock of vintage and neon signs in all of Europe.
Its free to enter and visitors can grab a bite to eat next door at the Rolling
Stones café.

The Breakfast Club

A chain of restaurants serving all day
breakfast around the city at a reasonable price. But before you go, be sure to
check out each location’s website prior to arrival, as many of them operate
secret bars within the restaurant, accessible by stating a secret phrase to the
host.

Churchill Arms

Very well landscaped flower covered pub
near Hyde park that boasts great pub style food and excellent photo
opportunities!

Dans Le Noir- Farringdon

Diners eat in the dark and served by blind
staff. The restaurant’s website describes it as a ‘Unique sensory experience
that allows you to re-evaluate your perception of taste as this sense is
heightened with the absence of sight’. Definitely a cool experience!

Scenic/
Tourist

Getting Around

The transportation system in London was
designed to be efficient, considering it transports around 2 million people
each day on busses and tubes. When out sightseeing an alternative to using
London transportation is to purchase a ticket for a private hop-on-hop-off bus
system whose routes are designed to showcase the city’s top attractions and
sights. While these tickets can be pricey, I would suggest taking a ride on the
DLR line or the London Overground. For the price of normal subway fares, you can
ride these Overground tube’s which provide a good view of the city from above
and have a couple lines each, allowing you to do the whole network for a max
rate of £13.

Vauxhall City Farm

A notable quality of London is the lack of
green spaces and nature outside of the designated parks as the city is so
populated. In addition to Regent’s Park and Hyde Parks in central London, be
sure to check out Vauxhall City farm just a 5-minute walk south of the river Thames.
For a donation, guests are invited into the farm run by volunteers and able to
participate in the petting zoo and learn about all the farm animals they have
there. There is also a small restaurant guests can grab a bite to eat at, or a
hot drink on a chilly day (as its open all year round)

Roman Temple of Mithras

The city of London is over 2000 years old
and is full of history and culture. Although it is not hard to forget whilst
walking around and admiring the architecture of the old buildings in central
London, the Roman Temple of Mithras is a sure reminder of the city’s age. Just south of central Bank station, a
Mithreum temple was discovered under one of the city’s busy streets in 1954
prior to a building’s construction that dates back to the 3^rd
century Romans!

Neals Yard

Hidden just off the main road, Neal’s Yard
is a colorfully decorated courtyard in Covent Garden. Tourists will find
multiple restaurants with patios in addition to the Neals Yard Remedy flagship
store. While you’re there, be sure to check out Homeslice pizza for a rotating
menu of craft 20” pizzas to share or sold by the slice!

Interested in studying in the UK? You can find out more by contacting one of our advisors!

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