This past weekend, I visited a friend and met her adorable new baby girl. We enjoyed a delicious lunch at The Dutch Shop in Grimsby.
My Hawaiian grilled cheese sandwich--a yummy combination of mozzarella cheese, Black Forest Ham, and pineapple. My grilled cheese was accompanied by a cup of Pickwick Black Currant herbal tea.
After we finished our lunch, we browsed the Dutch merchandise.
Dutch cosy
The Dutch Shop's impressive tea selections.
This is just 1 of the 3 tea displays! I wanted to try them all but I restrained myself to just a couple of fruity teas which I'll share in a future post.
Last month, a friend brought to my attention the Goldfish tea bags created by a Taiwanese company called Charm Villa. As luck would have it, another friend was in Taipei at the time so I asked her please try to bring back some Goldfish tea bags for me if she came across them during her travels. I knew this was a loooooooong shot so I didn't want to get my hopes up...
...but look what my friend brought all the way back to Canada!
One of her hubby's friends happened to live just minutes away from the Charm Villa shop so he picked up the box of Goldfish tea bags for her. THANK YOU, CY!!!
The Goldfish tea bag has won numerous awards for its creative, handcrafted design and is currently patented in 34 countries.
The tea bag acquired its Goldfish form as it steeped in the water.
It really does look like a Goldfish! Very cool!
My Goldfish swimming around my tea cup. Look at the movement of the fish tail!
The Goldfish tea bag was filled with White Tipped Oolong, aka Champagne Oolong or "Oriental Beauty".
Taiwan is famous for its oolongs and this high-quality tea is cultivated organically in a pesticide-free and pollution-free environment so that the Jacobiasca formosana insects will feed on the tea leaves--the White Tipped Oolong's unique flavour is the product of these "insect bites".
After 5 minutes of brewing, the White Tipped Oolong had an amber hue and tropical aroma. The tea had a smooth and sweet flavour with a hint of peach.
As delicious works of art, the Goldfish tea bags will make your wallet weep.
You can purchase a single White Tipped Oolong Goldfish tea bag for $25 USD here (too rich for my blood!).
In Taiwan, a box of 12 Goldfish tea bags costs 1620 TWD ($50 USD or $65 CDN) which translates to about $4 USD per tea bag. I got 7 cups (300 mL/cup) from 1 Goldfish tea bag so I definitely got my money's worth!
"Pure, authentic Taiwanese tea in a goldfish brings wonder to your table."
I first spotted teapigs. at my local grocery store last year. This UK-based tea company was started in 2006 so it took nearly a decade for teapigs to fly across the pond to my little corner of the world!
The unusual name and whimsical graphic designs with e.e. cummings-like decapitalization intrigued me. So I was delighted when a woman at work gifted me the Rooibos Creme Caramel!
The rooibos tea leaves and caramel pieces are combined in a biodegradable "tea temple".
This dessert tea will definitely satisfy your sweet tooth!
I always drank it plain, but I'm sure it'll also go well with milk to make a rich, creamy drink.
This was the first time that I've ever been to a tea room located inside an old country barn!
I didn't photograph the charming rustic decor but you can view other visitors' pictures here.
I was smitten with this Sadler basket weave floral pattern teapot!
The brightly coloured flowers screamed SPRING!
I can't remember the official name of the hot croissant sandwich that I ordered for lunch but it sure was good!
For dessert, we enjoyed heavenly buttermilk scones with strawberry preserves and whipped cream. YUM!
A few months after our visit, I scored a set of 6 Sadler mugs in the same basket weave floral pattern at a thrift store. The matching teapot was found the following year at a different thrift store.
Earlier this month, I spotted the cream and sugar set at a local antique shop but left them behind. Of course, now I'm kicking myself! I'll try to go back to the shop this week and see if they're still there...
I've been enjoying the cheery Easter displays at the stores this month
How cute are these white teapot infusers and yellow/green/pink teacup teabag holders?
If you reside in a region that observes Daylight Savings Time, I hope that you've adjusted to the time change that occurred this past weekend.
You may have coped with the lost hour of sleep time by drinking a strong tea such as the Irish Breakfast Tea.
My green teacups are limited so I was delighted when a friend gifted me this lovely green teacup from her late mother's collection. Love the pretty white rose gracing the cup's interior!
The Sutherland China backstamp, circa 1947+
Sutherland China was one of the trade names of Hudson & Middleton Ltd which manufactured bone china and earthenware at Longton, Stroke-on-Tent, Staffordshire from the 1940s to the mid 1970s.
This "Green and White Toile" teapot was a post-Easter sale find at HomeSense last year.
When I heard that Stephen Twining--a 10th generation Twining who has worked in the family business for over 30 years--was coming to town to introduce their new line of premium teas, I HAD TO BE THERE!
The pretty Easter-themed tea display.
Twinings' classic and new tea products appeal to both the British royalty and modern tea drinkers across the globe. You can read about the London-based tea company's 300-year-old history here.
According to Stephen, their new Discovery Collection gives tea drinkers the "best of both worlds"--large tea leaves in silky pyramid-shaped bags.
This was a very nice light tea with a "full, plump flavour of mango" and a subtle hint of ginger.
Sample #2: Berry Blush Infusion
This fruit infusion was a mix of "jammy berry flavours": blueberry, raspberry, and blackberry. It would also make a great iced tea in warmer weather.
Sample #3: Golden Tipped English Breakfast
This strong black tea from the Assam region in northeast India will definitely get you moving in the morning!
As the Director of Public Relations for Twinings Tea, Stephen still gets "a great buzz" introducing new teas that bring pleasure to people's lives. Even though the Twining family is regarded as royalty in the tea world, Stephen was humble and affable, chatting with attendees and and graciously granting requests for photos and autographs.
In addition to meeting Stephen, I also had the fun opportunity to watch his interview with local cable TV personality, Steve Ruddick. Click on the above video to view the 7-minute interview which covered topics such as: quality control of Twinings tea in over 100 countries; differences in countries' tea preferences; how to brew the perfect cup of tea; when to add milk and/or sugar; loose leaf vs. bagged teas.
I have a penchant for unique tea flavours so a box of Exotic Mango and Ginger Green Tea signed by Stephen came home with me. I love the new packaging's pretty design and drawer-style box!
I also couldn't resist getting a signed tin of the classic Earl Grey Tea.
I'm beyond grateful that I was able to participate in this memorable Twinings Tea experience!
