Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Tea

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I was reading Susan Branch's newsletter and she mentioned that she now drinks "PG Tips" tea and loves it!  I found it at my grocery store yesterday so I thought I would give it a try.  It's pretty good and 100% better than Lipton Tea which to me has a bitter taste.  This is really smooth. 
It claims to be England's #1 tea, so please, if you live in England and are reading this let me know if it's true.  Somehow I think that's just a marketing ploy to get us Americans to buy it! LOL!  We know you are the tea experts over there!  
I'm not a big tea drinker although you wouldn't know that if you looked in my pantry. It seems I like to buy it more than I like to drink it!  Now that I'm going to be starting Nutrisystem I need a beverage to replace my glass (or two) of wine every night.  Maybe a cup of tea will do it.

63 comments:

Brenda@CoffeeTeaBooks said...

I love the Susan Branch "newsletter"!

I'm not usually a black tea drinker but I like that tea, too. It was recommended by some British friends. I found it in the "foreign foods" aisle of one of the grocery stores near campus (in the England section, of course). :)

I used to think I hated tea and didn't see why people raved about it. I later realized I only disliked the regular Lipton tea.

LOVE the teapot and teacup.

Anonymous said...

My mother-in-law is English and yes, she prefers PG Tips. I get the idea that PG Tips is their Lipton.
--Vicki K

Anonymous said...

Maybe.... My cupboards are like yours. I don't drink a lot of tea but I love the smell and the graphics on the packaging. Diane

Myrna said...

Hey! I just joined NutriSystem too!! I'm on day three...so far so good--the food I mean! ;-)
Maybe we can be an encouragement to each other!? Email me if you're interested...
Blessings!
Myrna
myrna1958@yahoo.com

. said...

What a beautiful teapot!

I'll have to see if I can find that because I've never cared for Lipton either, unless it's sweet iced tea in the peach flavor. That I love. I guess that the thing with we southern girls. The tea needs to be sweetened before it cools then served over ice or it's just the pits.

Anonymous said...

Hi Cindy! I'm not a big tea drinker either; I don't think I really know how to make it but I'm going to see if I can find this one. Love the teapot/cup! You are a brave lady to tell us you are starting Nutrisystem (you just put yourself under pressure because you know we'll all be checking on your progress!lol (I really need to join it too) Good Luck and Have a great day - Jeannette

Theresa @ Take A Sentimental Journey said...

Thank you Cindy for the tip on the tea . I will hunt for it . I love your pretty tea pot , so pretty .

Come leave a comment , I am having my 100th post and a giveaway celebration ! Everybody welcome !

CONNIE said...

I am a big tea lover. I like any English breakfast tea with milk. It's a great anti-oxidant. I love your teapot, by the way...

Anonymous said...

This is a great tea. A friend had brought me some when she visited England. I loved it. I love a good cup of tea. I dislike Lipton also. Seems a little bitter. I mostly drink decaffeinated Bromley brand.
I recently visited a tea shop with my friend and picked up a cherry and almond blend. I like Bigalow teas also. Sweet Dreams is a nice flavor to have in the eve before bed.
Good luck with your new diet Cindy.
Perhaps you can put some seltzer in with your wine to make a spritzer so it isn't too many calories. I love a gin and tonic in the summer, but the calories......between the tonic and gin..... I gotta stop that.

Kay said...

Hi, I'm English and PG is our biggest brand here in the UK, I prefer Yorkshire tea myself as its stronger and is also a pretty big brand in the UK.
i've just found your blog and its very inspiring..good luck with whatever nutrisystem is..i don't think I could do without the wine though!!
xx K

Anonymous said...

Yes, PG Tips is very popular. I normally like Tetley tea and years ago PG too strong for me, but a friend gave me a box and I found I liked it. I only like it brewed for about a minute, and if it's in a pot, I then take the bags out or it gets stewed. I am getting PG tomorrow as it's on offer in Asda supermarkets for £2/160 bags, very good price. And I only like it with skimmed or, at a push, semi skimmed milk.

"Magnolia" said...

I'm a southern girl so tea is a part of life. I do so enjoy a nice cuppa after a long day. I will definitely be on the lookout for this brand to try. Thank you for your wonderful post!

MimiG said...

I'll be looking for this - I usually drink Twining's. Love, love hot tea!
MimiG

Connie said...

We don't drink tea any more but when we did it was always Red Rose Tea, the best there is, sweet chickadee! Oh, if ya wanna see my update on remodel as of last night check it out, sweetpea! I'm thrilled it's coming along so fast!
Smoochies,
Connie

Anonymous said...

My sister-in-law, who is married to an Englishman and lives in England, buys PG tea. But I'd suggest that instead of drinking that in the evening, you instead drink an herbal tea such as Sleepytime by Celestial Seasonings (sweetened with honey, of course!) The regular teas, black, green, etc. are diuretics and I don't think you want that effect going into bedtime. My ARNP pointed this out to me. I absolutely love your blog and have followed it for a long time.

Anonymous said...

Mmmmm... PG is pretty good! I have a couple of favs - Blackberry Sage from Republic of Tea (www.republicoftea.com) and Spiced Tea from Tea and Tomes (http://www.virtualtea.com/vt/teasblack.html).

Nutrisystem, huh??? I think that sounds like a wonderful idea (for me). :)

Glenda said...

I have to comment on this before I go to mow the lawn.

I've been drinking PG tips for years now. I get mine at Cost Plus, you get more bags and it's cheaper. I love this tea, I drink it every day. I make ice tea out of it. I don't care if it's England #1, or not I like it.
I drink mine with raw sugar and french vanilla creamer.

Now off to the lawn and more weeding

Ciao

Mrs. Cherry Heart said...

Ouuu Cindy I love love love tea!
{lipton tea}
Its my comfort food!
{I drink at least 7 cups a day}
To me its like a warm hug!
Mmmmmm.....
My nightly ritual is I take a cup of tea to bed with a good book or my laptop and relax and enjoy.
Mmmmm....

I am going to see if I can find the PG tip at our grocer!

Thanks for the suggestion!
Good luck with your diet!

Hugz, Dolly

P.S. Love the tea pot and pretty tea cup!

Glenda said...

P.S. They have it in DeCaf as well their.

Unknown said...

Tea is always fine and I believe they say it is quite healthy. But a glass of red wine too!
So ether is fine, but with all your beautiful teapots you should definitely drink some English tea more often. Oh I bet if this one taste so good that it would also be very refreshing as an ice tea!?!

Enjoy your tea! Suzy

Unknown said...

Cindy, how funny that you used your pretty teapot. If you look at that teapot in my posting today, you'll see the same one. Fun huh?
I have never tried PG Tips, but my favorite tea is Harney and Son's, Paris.
Love the pretty tea cup.
~~Liz~~

Stephanie said...

Just seeing that cup of tea made me want to sit down and drink some right now...out of a lovely teacup. Thanks for sharing.

Rechelle ~Walnuthaven Cottage~ said...

PG tea is wonderful! Our market has it in their "international foods" section. I've been a tea drinker since I was about six years old...and an Englishwoman was the first to actually introduce me to tea time. She was our neighbor and every afternoon I'd venture next door for tea and shortbread. I still take my tea the same way...a bit of cream and & a teaspoon of sugar :0). I hope you enjoy becoming a tea drinker and perhaps it can't completely replace your glass of wine, it could become a new favorite (I'm a wine drinker too). Good luck on Nutrisystem. Will you let us know how you are progressing? You'll do great I'm sure.
Love your teapot and teacup.

Jean said...

That beautiful teapot and cup should make anything taste good. Good luck with nutra system.
Jean in Virginia

Anonymous said...

I am not a hot tea drinker, but love a glass of iced tea sweetened with Splenda.

Your teapot and cup are just gorgeous.

Lisa
www.palepinkandroses.com

Maryjane-The Beehive Cottage said...

Hello Sweet Cindy,

Your blog always gives me piece when I visit! I love all your pictures...

Have a wonderful day!

Hugs,
Maryjane

Sara said...

I say stick with the wine! That's what I do. ;-)

GARAGE SALE GAL said...

Cindy,
Your tea cup and tea pot are very beautiful. I'll give the tea a test as I do enjoy tea. My friend did Nutrisystem and she looks GREAT. She was very satisfied with the program. I'm just on the see-food plan...I see food and I eat it. LOL LOL I do NEED to lose 10-20 It's just a battle.
Warmly, Deb

Angela said...

Is there any way you could find the time to write a post on how to properly brew tea..make tea...put on a pot of tea--whatever the proper terminology is.

I'm from Texas, and we only drink iced tea down here! Ok, I sound like a hill-billy right now, but it's true. I've bought alot of different teas, but I never really know if I'm "doing it right".

Maybe if you are ever brainstorming for ideas...

Thanks Cindy!

artis1111 said...

We have a lovely Tea Room here and I buy Masala Chai. If you ever get a chance to try it you would love it. See if there is a Tea Room near you that sells loose tea. It is not that bad in price. Kathy

Anonymous said...

Hi Cindy! Oh, the tea looks and sounds good. My daughter and her husband just returned to the states from living in England two years! I'll ask her about this tea. She had tea at her house, but I don't think it was this one! There's my teapot! Oh, I'm so excited - I found a little pitcher, an beautiful dish and four mugs that all go with the blogland teapot!! Your cup and saucer are gorgeous. Is that chinz ware (I know I probably didn't spell it right!) Be a sweetie,
Shelia ;)

w00ts up said...

I was told by numerous people that this tea was "it." But I still have yet to try it. Tea and hot chocolate are like comfort drinks to me. I wish you good luck on Nutri-system; you can do it!

Anonymous said...

Have you tried sugar-free Snapple Peach tea? I'm not much for hot tea, though I enjoy coffee. But I love the cold Snapple!
Brenda

Anonymous said...

Your cup and teapot are so pretty. I like a cup of tea in the afternoon it feels like a time for something soothing and tea seems to do that. I'll have to check around and see if I can find that tea also.
Good luck with your Nutrisystem. I went to Nutrisystem many years ago and thought the foods were quite good and I did very well on it.

Judy said...

I've never heard of it until I read Susan's letter. I haven't had a chance to look for it yet but I'd love to try it. I'm wondering if Whole Foods would carry it. I'm going to look this weekend. I drink all kinds of tea but try to stay away from Lipton. I agree it has a bitter aftertaste

Anonymous said...

Hi Cindy! I'm back! I talked to my daughter and she said, yes, this was one of the main teas in England. But they live in the Yorkshire area and drank the Yorkshire Tea. Aww...be a sweetie this eveing.
Shelia ;)

Calamity Jane's Cottage, Bonnie said...

Hi Cindy, Your tea pot and tea cup are gorgeous. I love hot tea, but I like the orange spice. I'll have PG tips if I can locate it.
Have a great weekend.
Bonnie

Anonymous said...

Hi Cindy:
why stop your wine I heard its very good for cholesterol!!.
have a good day
Vilma

rachel said...

the tea pots are just beautiful!

SHaBBy ViNTaGe CHiC said...

Hi! I love your pics and your home is just beautiful!
I love PG tips tea. Have you every tried Harney & Sons teas also? They come in the most beautiful tins and are sooooo yummy.

BELLE BLANC said...

hello Cindy,
love your new pictures! I love to drink tea, but I live in Germany so I have to take a look if I can buy that PG-tea here. Lipton Tea never was my type of tea! As you mentioned it is to bitter (no matter how long you let it leave to draw). I prefere "english breakfast tea" from Taylors of Harrogate. This tea is rich in flavor but don´t leaves your toung numb :0), by the way this tea is not really for a quick drink, it is loose tea in a nice tin. I never looked for tea-bags, maybe they sell them too.... greetings, Mira!

Pink Slippers said...

I love your teapot. They did have it at Marshalls awhile ago now TJ maxx is carrying it. I wanted the tray with the handles so bad. But I just have not seemed to find that piece. Maybe one day..Have a great day..The weekend is almost here. Yeah.

bj said...

If I had this pretty teapot and cup and saucer, I would drink tea ALL the time !! Just beautiful...
bj

Anonymous said...

My husband is English and he has his family ship over the tea from England b/c Lipton is so bad. I love all the flavored teas (no caffine) but found that I couldn't drink them as fast as I was buying them so I decided to brew them in a glass pitcher and make iced tea that I drink everyday now. It's a great refreshing drink especially in a hot climate and if you don't add sugar, it is safe for dieting.

Kathleen said...

I Cindy. My husband is from England and we drink PG Tips everyday. Before we could buy it here we would have relatives mail it to us or anytime someone visited Britian they would bring tons of the tea back. I think it has a sweet taste compared to Lipton's. Kathleen @ abeautifullifeforme.blogspot.com

Debbs said...

Hi there - I live in the UK so here's my little bit of help about tea.....
PG tips is a popular brand over here, it has a long history with very well known adverts that used real monkeys - see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yq6KYdQnPHk for a sample if you look to the right of the clip you will see more vintage clips and the new adverts which use a knitted monkey instead. The other popular brand is Tetleys and then you have Yorkshire Tea but if you want the real posh English experience then you have to go for Twinings Tea which has been making tea for 300 years see http://www.twinings.com/home.php
My favourite is their English Breakfast Tea but for afternoon tea then there is the fragrant Earl Grey or you could try Darjeeling they also make lots of other varieties including ones which are better for bed time.
One of your ladies comments asked about making tea. Some call it brewing the tea and there are many arguments as to the best method. Some use tea bags in a pot some use leaf tea. Some pour the water straight on the tea but the best way is to warm the pot first. To do this you pour a small amount of boiling water into the pot and swirl it about then you throw the water out and put in your tea leaves or bags and then the boiling water. (The rule is one teaspoon of tea for each person and one for the pot). Cover your teapot with a cozy if you don't want it to get cold. The first cup poured will be weak so if you want a weak one go first, otherwise pour equal amounts in cups and top up to make sure of 'even' flavour amongst your guests. If using leaves then use a tea strainer if using bags then make sure you take the bags out before the tea becomes too 'stewed' or instead top up with fresh boiling water. Some like to pour the tea in first and then add milk or lemon but others insist on adding the milk first then the tea (big arguments!LOL). Some people like really strong tea with lots of sugar that you can imagine you can stand a teaspoon up in and this is known as a 'cup of builders tea' as they usually have a pot on the go that they add bags to all day and it's really strong. Of course a real 'afternoon tea' is a whole different experience including cucumber sandwiches (with no crusts) and lovely cakes on tiered stands. Many of the hotels in London offer this and can set you back about £30-40 per person! Of course you may be lucky and get invited to the Queens Tea party on the lawns of Buckingham Palace - I'm still waiting for my invite LOL! Hope this helps and thank you for your lovely photos in your blog. (ask if you want any more info)PS - a tip for those used tea leaves is to put them on the base of your rose bushes!

Lorrie said...

I love tea - Twinings is my favourite. I'll be interested to hear what people say about the PG Tips.

Your china teacup is beautiful.

Lorrie

Heather said...

I'll have to check that out. I think I'm the only southern bell that doesn't drink iced sweet tea. I prefer hot tea.

fitty's pinky rose cottage said...

Susan Branch.. she is fantastic! I love her too.. and I love to see your teacup & pot again.. very nice combination.. very English!.. Oh I love tea! We normally have three types of tea but we love earl grey the most!.. we normally have Ahmad's tea ~ English Breakfast Tea and also Twinings.. sometimes regular Boh Tea or Liptons.. but We like Ahmad's tea & Twinings better..

have a nice day!

Sunny Bower Art Studio said...

I will try it! (PG Tips) Thanks

Tonya said...

Dont forget us Brits put milk in our tea. When I lived in North Carolina people served it to me without milk. I dont think they sell Lipton brand in the UK but I know it was a brand name here years ago.

Blueberry Heart said...

Hello there,
I am new to blogging, I only discovered them by chance and I love yours so much! I just had to register and leave a comment about tea! I live in a little village in the north of England and 'up north' we especially pride ourselves on our 'cuppas'. I have to say, that PG tips is a popular brand, and a very nice cup, but I'd say that Tetley is probably the No1 tea sold in the UK. My favourite is Typhoo, stronger than these two! Thanks for letting me read your great blog!

Lynn said...

hello Cindy - I would guess that PG Tips is the favourite here in England. I am only brand loyal to a small number of products & PG Tips is one of them - wouldn't buy anything else and I am a HUGE tea drinker!
Enjoy.
(Other reasonable English brands are Typhoo and Yorkshire but PG is the best!)

Decor To Adore said...

My husband lived for 4 years in England, still has family there that we often visit and we are both exclusively tea drinkers (no coffee) in our own home. PG Tips is good, and is a staple in most UK kitchens. I am not sure if it is the #1 tea though. You could probably google the information. Or just sit back and enjoy your tea. :)

sharie said...

Hi, I'm from the UK and drink lots of tea (with milk in not the vile black stuff). PG tips is ok but I find they are always trying to give free gifts away to make people buy it. Tetley is best and they have recently brought out 'builders tea' strong stuff that is good as you can leave it brewing for a while and you don't get the stewed taste.
If I don't get Tetley I buy Yorkshire tea or Lancashire tea.
Haven't heard of Liptons we do have Twinnings but I think it tastes of washing up liquid.
Great blog btw I'm always lurking on here ;-)

Debra from Bungalow said...

I never heard of this tea but will be on the look out for it. I love a good cup of tea! Friends have given me so much my cupboards are full of tea.

Goog luck with nutrisystems,
Hugs, DebraK

Nikki via The Scarlett Rose Garden said...

OH! That teapot, I covet thee!!!!!!!!
Nikki

Anonymous said...

What a beautiful teapot and teacup! My husband is English and I lived over there with him for a few years. PG is indeed the #1 best-selling tea in the UK, although there are parts of the UK that have other best-sellers such as Yorkshire tea in Yorkshire; etc. We drink PG Tips every day, all day. We find the best deals on Amazon (since we buy the large box). If you get a chance, visit my blog for a really neat tea video about sustainability put out by PG Tips. I LOVE YOUR BLOG - have it bookmarked and visit every day. You are very talented and have exquisite taste!

Heather said...

Pg tips is the best tea, unless of course you like it stronger and then it's got be the 'Yorkshire tea' brand. Heather in Cheshire,Uk :) Love your blog xx

Anonymous said...

Hi ,
my name is Linda and I used to have a British and American food store in Belgium. I am married to an Englishman so tea is part of our home!
We sold all of the above mentioned brands and these were our bestsellers :
1. PG Tips
2. Tetley
3. Twinnings Earl Grey (only UK brand not the export one)
4. Twinnings Lady Grey ( UK brand only , again not the export quality)
5. Typhoo
6. Typhoo Green label ( a mix of green and black)
7. Yorkshire Gold
8. Yorkshire hard water ( special for area's outside Yorkshire)
9. Yorkshire regular
10. Twinnings Breakfast
11. Twinnings Assam
12. Twinnings Darjeeling
13. Taylors of Harrogate ( don't store, looses flavour quickly)

We refused to sell Lipton :)

For teas it is important to buy brands that are not big on export ...Twinnings tea has a much lesser quality tea in their export packaging !!(more ashes, less leaves) Only buy the English boxes .

At our house we drink PG Tips.

Tetley is nice as well but there are two brands that are called Tetley , if you buy the wrong one you'll regret it !! They don't sell the second brand in the UK but they do abroad.

Enjoy your cuppa!!

Linda

Unknown said...

PG TIPS !!!!!!

eliza daniell said...

Hello,
I;m English and yes I would say PG tips is one of the best selling brands of tea in the UK. I hadnt actually heard of Liptons until I went to Turkey a couple of months ago.
PGtips is usually drunk with milk and sugar (I don't actually drink the stuff much prefer coffee)but hubby drinks it by the gallon.
Everytime you pop to someone's house one of the first things they will say to you is ' can i get you a cup of tea'.
vv

Mrsqueenvee/mrs-flopsybunny said...

Hello, Yes Pg Tips are one of the top brands of tea. I personally find them a little strong but then I like my tea bag waved over the cp.LOL!
Lovely blog!