English Rewind - London Life: Tea at The Ritz

Hello! This is a programme from the BBC Learning English archive.

It was first broadcast in August 2006 on the BBC Learning English website.

We hope you enjoy it.

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Hello, I'm Anna Jones and this is London Life

and, in today's programme, we're looking at a very English custom.

What do you think this woman is describing?

I think the whole art of tea-taking

is a very elegant and a very English thing to do.

This whole ambience of tea-taking makes you be elegant.

Well, that was Gerrie Pitt who's the Director of Press and Public Relations

at The Ritz hotel in central London

and she's describing the very English custom of having tea or 'tea-taking'.

The Ritz hotel is one of the most famous hotels in London

and this year is celebrating its centenary.

It opened 100 years ago in 1906 — its centenary.

The Ritz is especially well known for its wonderful teas,

but taking tea at The Ritz is not an everyday event —

it's a special occasion and usually reserved for a birthday or an anniversary.

Tea is served in the beautiful surroundings of the Palm Court,

displays of flowers and palms add to the experience of tea-taking.

Gerrie says that the 'whole ambience' of tea-taking —

the whole character or quality of The Ritz — makes you feel 'elegant' —

it makes you feel attractive and you behave in a very graceful way.

And it's not just a cup of tea either —

it's almost like having a three-course meal.

Listen to Gerrie as she describes the food served with a pot of tea.

What do you eat with tea at The Ritz?

The actual food items on the tea menu come on a three-tiered cake stand,

the bottom being the finger sandwiches — very traditional —

and the waiter will explain what the fillings are.

And then we do our scones in the middle and we do our cakes and pastries on the top.

And, you know, it's done almost like courses.

Well, we hear that the food arrives on a 'three-tiered' cake stand —

there are three levels, one on top of each other,

and on each level there's a plate for holding the food.

And what food is there?

Well, Gerrie tells us that there are 'finger sandwiches' —

these are small sandwiches filled with a variety of different things.

And she describes this kind of sandwich as 'very traditional' —

if something is described as 'traditional',

then it has been going on in the same way for a very long time.

So, finger sandwiches have been a part of the traditional English afternoon tea

for a long time.

In the middle of the tier,

there are 'scones', which are small, round cakes

which are often eaten with jam and cream, which is known as a 'cream tea'.

And finally, at the top of the tier, there are various cakes and sweet pastries.

Gerrie says that tea is almost done like 'courses' —

a part of a meal which is served separately from the other parts of it.

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Now, what about making the tea?

How do you make a proper cup of English tea?

What does Gerrie say is the most important thing about making a cup of tea?

Have a listen.

The crucial things about tea-making and tea-taking

is that the water should always be absolutely piping hot

and it has to be on the boil and boiling and then you let the leaves stew.

And we don't put milk in first,

simply because we feel that it's up to the guest

to decide how strong or weak they would like their tea.

According to Gerrie the most 'crucial' thing about tea making —

the most important thing — is to make sure that the water is 'piping' hot —

it's very hot and has just boiled.

Then, after pouring the water onto the tea leaves,

you let the leaves 'stew' or absorb the water to make the tea.

If you hear someone talking about 'stewed tea',

they are describing tea that has been left too long in the teapot

before being poured and it tastes strong and bitter.

What about the milk? What is the tea-making 'etiquette'?

What are the rules or socially-accepted way of adding the milk?

Does it go into the cup before the tea is poured or afterwards?

Well, at The Ritz, the 'etiquette' — or the accepted way —

is to add the milk afterwards,

so that the guest can decide how strong or weak they would like their tea.

Well, as we mentioned earlier, The Ritz is a very famous London hotel —

so famous, in fact, that its name now appears in the dictionary as an adjective.

What do you think it means? Here's Gerrie.

Even the name The Ritz has become now generic in the dictionary.

The Ritz, people talk about things being 'ritzy'

and, you know, even if something is not very ritzy or something is very ritzy

and that all comes from the name.

Well, if something is described as 'ritzy', it's expensive and fashionable —

it's a bit like The Ritz hotel.

So, you might describe somebody's dress or car as 'ritzy'.

Well, it's four o'clock now, so it must be time for a cup of tea.

That's all from London Life.

BBC Learning English dot com.