Whenever someone asks how I take my tea, I drolly respond, “Seriously. I take my tea very seriously.”
Okay, I didn’t come up with that. I saw it on a Pinterest meme. But it could have been me. Because I do love tea. I have a passion for it. And not just the drink or the fragrance offered by a good black blend, but the preparation of it, completing each step like some sacred agenda that bonds me to England with each cupful.
Ahhh, if only all rites and privileges of a citizen of the United Kingdom could be bestowed on me because of the amount of tea I drink. If only such a litmus test could help me bypass Customs at Heathrow!
I drink a lot of tea. I have been drinking tea for donkey's years, as they say across The Pond. Because nothing makes this Anglophile feel British more than drinking a cuppa. For me, imbibing that golden brew and being British go together like – well – like tea and biscuits.
I also delight in the event of tea. I know I'm not alone when I say that having tea in a proper tea room makes me feel English as I sip tea and eat delectable finger sandwiches, exercising the same social custom the Brits have been doing for years. Were it not but to spare my friends embarrassment (you know who you are and you can thank me later), I'd wear a hat and speak in my best practiced accent! I have catered several Afternoon Teas to share my love of tea with others. When done right, hosting a formal English tea is a true labor of love, but worth the time, effort, and details one invests. I'm never sure which makes me happier: when I'm in the throes of hosting or the enjoyment and appreciation others offer me for including them in such an elegant occasion.
"If only all rites and privileges of a citizen of the United Kingdom could be bestowed on me because of the amount of tea I drink."
And there's little more I enjoy with my tea than a healthy dose of British television, whether it's a period drama, television series, historic documentary, or travel show. Sometimes I browse Pinterest to find new British dishes to introduce to my family. And at least once weekly, I check on the Royals to see what headlines they're generating (or at the very least what splendidly-tailored frock coat Princess Catherine is wearing - I love her style).
Seems I'm an addict for just about anything coming from the UK. Don't let my last name trick you. I'm a happily-married and proud Rodriguez now... nee Barker, and my roots can be traced back to Jolly Old England from both sides of my parental lines. But it's more than that. Britain encompasses many things I enjoy: its history, its rich bucolic landscapes, its royals, the way they celebrate their traditions with the very definition of pomp and circumstance. I've been "lost in Anglophilia" from the time I was a young teen, glued to the radio to hear all the New Age music and listening for my favorite groups from across the pond. [Okay, okay, I was obsessed with Duran Duran like most 14 year-olds at the time.] After college, I got hooked on a few British television sitcoms and costume dramas, thanks to PBS. Then after getting married and moving to northern Virginia, I became a "born-again historian", delving into notable facts and trivia, especially where American and British history intertwine.
So for all the years I've spent engulfed in my fascination of the UK, for all the teas and movies I've recommended to friends and even strangers, and especially for my love of tea, I created this site. Cup & Crown just seems to make sense of all those things I most enjoy and wraps them up in this neat little package. And who knows? Maybe one day I'll expand this from Cup & Crown: The Blog to Cup & Crown: Catering British Tea Parties for You... stay tuned!
Special thanks to Susan at Logolane on Etsy for so beautifully turning my vision for the Cup & Crown logo into a stunning reality!
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