News

21st September 2018

5 Things you probably didn't know about Tea!

 Another week is almost complete and all orders for this week have been despatched. It’s not quite a 'feet up, cuppa tea moment' but it's definitely time for a tea! Tea reminds us to slow down, to focus and can help stimulate creativity. My 'panad' as we call it in welsh is certainly helping me to unwind after a hectic week!

How clued up are you about Tea? Do you have a favourite mug and a favourite type of tea? Become a Tea guru with these Tea facts;

1. All tea comes from the same plant.

Whether black tea, white tea, oolong tea, green tea, or pu-erh tea, it all comes from the camellia sinensis plant. Oxidation, processing, and other factors give these types their distinctive colours and flavours. Other so-called teas, such as herbal (chamomile, peppermint, etc.), mate, and rooibos (also known as “red tea”) are more correctly called tisanes.

2. Afternoon Tea.
The tradition of having afternoon tea, or “high tea,” is thought to have been popularised by Anna, 7th Duchess of Bedford, a friend of Queen Victoria. It was meant to be a substantial snack between the morning meal and the evening meal—with a side of gossip. (Check out our lush, lavish Afternoon Tea menu here; https://portmeirion.wales/images/eat-page/amser_te_gwesty_2016_updated.pdf)

3. Tea is the second most popular drink worldwide, after water.
Whilst some may favour coffee, tea is still the most common drink worldwide, second only to water.

4. Tea has more caffeine than coffee.
Pound per pound, tea leaves contain more caffeine than coffee. However, we use much less tea to make a cup of tea than to make a cup of coffee, so the overall caffeine content in a cup of tea is usually less than in a cup of coffee.

5. Tea Bags. 

The United States invented tea bags in 1904 - by accident! An American tea merchant used silk bags to send samples to his customers. The customers mistakenly thought the bags were meant to replace traditional metal infusers, and placed them whole inside their pots.

You may not quite me a tea master yet, but if you've got this far reading, you're as intrigued as we are about Tea!

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13th September 2018

Ssshhh... Christmas!

So we've neglected this section of the website as we've been rather busy here preparing for Festival Number 6 which happened over the weekend, and what a weekend to remember. It was truly magical and really was a 'Festival Like No Other'. We are rather sad that we won't be hosting the Festival here next year. 

As the Village continues its clean-up operation, we here at PortmeirionONLINE are getting festive and talking Christmas! Our Christmas orders are coming into the warehouse now and will be available next month online.

Some of you may think it's hard thinking about Christmas right now, but it's time to start working on your Christmas budget. As children start writing their Christmas lists, so too, should we.  Start Christmas planning now, and you'll reap the benefits come December. Have you started thinking about your Christmas budget yet? Is anyone else terrible at coming up with gift ideas? Hopefully we'll be able to give you affordable gift idea's for the family, friends and co-workers. We'll help with every step of the way with your prep, you can thank us later! Happy Christmas!

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