The Tea Service

Croque Monsieur || Smoked Salmon Puffs || Cucumber Tartine

With devonshire créme

Matcha Tart || Chesecake Bites

Tong Mu Phoenix Lapsang Souchong - The Chinese Emperor Shennong preferred his drinking water boiled in an effort to further his personal hygiene. As legend has it, one day, during a meditation session, the wind blew some dead leaves into the boiling water. The Emperor found the resulting beverage pleasantly refreshing, thereby marking the origins of tea.

Kyushu Japanese Sencha - In the 12" century, the Japanese Emperor Saga was the first to request the import of tea seeds from China. Some of these tea seeds were given to a priest, who wrote the book Ayssa Yojokr (How to Stay Healthy by Drinking Tea). The priest described tea as “...the ultimate mental and medicinal remedy (that) has the ability to make one’s life fuller and complete.”

Madame Butterfly Jasmine - The benevolent ruler of the Arabian kingdom is said to have had an allure to the fragrance and blossom of the jasmine flower. Each morning he would wake to the aroma of flower tea being served in his gardens. This sweet perfume would fill the palace and the garden flowers would turn into magical butterflies.

Assam Safari Masala Chai - The Indian Emperor of the Maurya Dynasty requested a spiced beverage to be created for use in Ayurveda, a traditional medicinal practice in which herbs and spices are used for healing. The heat from ginger was believed to stimulate digestion; the antiseptic properties of cloves were thought to help relieve pain; cardamom was used as a mood elevator; and cinnamon supported circulation.

Darjeeling First Flush - This mythological Indian princess was exiled from her hometown of Darjeeling, located in the northeastern part of the subcontinent, for falling in love with an Italian from Florence. She would no longer be heir to the Mughal Empire, but a life without love, was not worth living at all.

Cream Earl Grey Organic - In the 17" century, tea leaves reached the coast of Britain. Tea became the symbol of the English upper class. It is said thar afternoon tea was a tradition established by Duchess Anna Maria, to satisfy her appetite each day around four o'clock in the afternoon. The Duchess began to send invitations to her friends to dress up and join her for this daily afternoon ritual.

Imperial Breakfast - Empress Victoria learnt of the Duchess’ daily afternoon tea rituals and was intrigued. She started hosting elite gatherings, tea parties if you will, which also served cakes and scones. By the Victorian age, afternoon tea had become a guintessential British tradition.