Imperial Teas

Now and again I get a day all to myself. I can choose where I go, take my time to look at things, no little people getting bored and moving me on to something kiddie related.. This week I had one such opportunity and I decided to go to the older part of our town, a part I don't get to go to very often. Its really attractive and historical up there and there are some fab shops. You have to walk up "Steep Hill".

To make the most out of my day I get there at 9.30 am not realizing most of the shops don't open until 10 or 10.30. But I'm happy window shopping to begin with. First the chocolate shop... Probably best its not open yet :-)

Onto another shop where they sell CK, EB & F&B.. They were open so I bought some melamine tumblers (pink hearts) and a tractor one for my little man..

I continue my search for some new crockery...

hmm, what do you think?

And then stop in the Art gallery where I stop and admire this beautiful piece by Rosi Baxter.

Then I step into the magical Lincoln Imperial Tea Shop.

Here they sell every variety of leaf tea that you could imagine ... (four hundred types!). Chinese teas, ceylon teas, white teas, japanese teas and beautiful scented flower teas. They also sell coffee beans that they roast on the premises, again hundreds of different types, and stunningly beautiful tea pots and caddies from Japan and China, everything you could possibly imagine for tea or coffee.

Would you like to see inside?

I'm not sure if you can see this menu, click on it for a larger image, but have a look at some of the different varieties of tea that they serve in the cafe (across the road), particularly the Connoisseur's Teas..

I was told by another tea shopper that I HAD to try the "Golden Monkey tea" (I'd already ordered the Tea of Life, so maybe next time). Its called China Black Mao Hou "Monkey Fur" - Golden Amber in colour, its fragrance is complex, notes of coconut with a hint of sweet smoke and pepperiness. It has an equally intriguing flavour with notes of chocolate, honey and rose. The tea is full of yellow hair, which looks like the hairs of golden Monkeys. Grown at an organic farm in Zhejiang province. It an be taken with milk. Infuse for 6 minutes.

I buy some Lavender Earl Grey Tea, the Citrus Tea of Life, four different varieties of coffee beans, a delicate thin china teacup, and these Flower In the Sun scented tea flowers.

"Three pot marigolds floating up as if to the sun enfolded by tender green tea leaves that elegantly unfurl to reveal the blooming flower inside. These artist made teas require great skill and patience to create".

I open the packet and they look like this...

Add some boiling water and wait...

A beautiful fragrant cup of tea.. and the end to a relaxing day. Feet up, quiet, cup of tea, Country Living, aaahhhhh.