Study in the UK - Across the Pond Canada

Tea: A UK Tradition

Written by Alessia S - 20/03/2020

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 Ambassador Nicole - 05/03/2020

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 Azkaban!

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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