There was once a world dominated by the British Empire. Our Empirical might was felt in every continent on Earth. Britain was the heart beat of the global economy. Britain was a producer, a manufacturer and engineering powerhouse. The envy of every European and emerging nation on the planet. This Empire was built on Tea.
The tea trade was the main driver behind Britain’s Empire. Keeping the ever widening middle classes in tea.
Bring that picture forward 150 years and we had an every widening middle class again. This time instead of industry we had an ever growing service society. Providing more and more goods to these people. To purchase this they needed money and our financial services system duly obliged. We became prolific consumers. In a strange way this can be traced through coffee.
Coffee houses were the centre of thought and human advance 150 years ago. Now they are a status symbol. Starbucks, Costa and Nero adorn more or less every town or city in the UK. There is very little human advancement taking place but there is plenty of posing and posturing.
Tea was a much more elegant drink, savoured and taken as a leisurely activity. The beauty of the tea pot and the notion of afternoon tea has been lost for the consumer frenzy supported by a quick coffee break.
If Tea was manufactured coffee is almost certainly consumed. Consumed rather than savoured, yet I am sure we can all name someone who would call themselves a connoisseur. The fast paced world of on the move communication, convenience shopping and the on demand lifestyle has won over. With it the world has also shifted. We look to the tea nations of India and China as our mass producers, our centres of industry, technology and social advancement.
I long to see a re-engagement with afternoon tea. With Britain taking time to explore new ways of making things and thinking of how to move the world forward again. Although I drink coffee I will always prefer Tea. Anyone else for tea?
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