Intrepid tea reporter Bill Lengeman mentioned in a recent article the campaign to save the teapot, that is, to show tea drinkers everywhere that nothing surpasses the teapot when it comes to producing a superb cuppa! Now, I’m joining that campaign by promoting the superior steeping power and civilizing effect of using a teapot. My buddy, Little Yellow Teapot, agrees!
Sales of teapots are about half of what they were five years ago while sales of mugs (and not just the souvenir kind) have tripled during that same period. Hm, something is truly up here. Could it be that “the lazies” has kicked in and folks can’t be bothered to steep in a teapot? Are teabags to blame (fill the mug with hot water and plop in a teabag)? A company in the UK called Debenhams, which has a chain of cafés and restaurants, has launched the Campaign for Civilised Tea Drinking where they only serve tea to their customers in a teapot, with a cup and saucer on the side for the actual tea drinking. This, they say, is “the traditional British way to take [tea].” Debenhams’ Head of Home Design, Alison Hill is quoted as saying, “‘Tea served in a pot has always been a feature of British life — it’s as famous as theTower ofLondon or Big Ben.’”
To honor that tradition, buy a simple teapot or even a fancy one. Hundreds of teapots in all shapes, sizes, styles, colors, and price ranges abound. The hardest part will be to choose just one. Of course, if you can’t decide, buy several. A nice Brown Betty Teapot is always a good starting point, or an Amsterdam or San Remo teapot — they are both pretty economical and come in a full array of colors. A basic white or basic black teapot will coordinate with whatever you have in the way of teacups and dishwares. You can also choose from ceramic, bone china, cast iron, glass, stainless steel, silver, stoneware, and Yixing clay. Designs range from classy to silly to simple.
My buddy Little Yellow Teapot, with his trusty custom-made tea cozy ever at his side, is going to be the symbol of my personal efforts in this campaign. As such, he wanted to wear a little “super teapot” cape but finally decided to stick with his very manly necktie.
Join Debenhams and Little Yellow Teapot in the campaign on Facebook or on Twitter using the hashtag #savetheteapot.
See also:
Hemisphere Teapots — Out of This World
Teapots, Teapots and More Teapots
Bevy of Teapots
Trying New Teawares — Glass Teapots
Collectible Sadler Teapots
Metal vs. Porcelain and Bone China Teapots
Those Wonderful Amsterdam Teapots
Replacing Your Irreplaceable Teawares
Royal Doulton by Wedgwood
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