Scotland is undoubtedly a nation of tea jennies, and Brits have been some of the world’s biggest tea drinkers for 400 years. From the 11-o-clock cuppa to afternoon tea, our culture’s been shaped by tea drinking since the first cup was brewed.
Coffee’s been around for a long time too, but our coffee culture has really blossomed much more recently. Enjoying a cappuccino in the sun or clutching a hot coffee on the morning commute has almost become a necessity. In case you’re wondering, mine’s a flat white…
Be it The Willow Tea Rooms, Cameron House or Mar Hall (my fave), afternoon tea is a treat no matter who you are. Glasgow based Cup, with a choice of around 50 different flavours, is also worth a try.
Making tea and coffee our own
Most of our tea is imported, but brewing a cup of locally (Scottish) grown tea is now a very agreeable option. More than one type is available too!
The world’s first Scottish tea, Dalreoch Smoked Tea is fired over beech wood. It’s a white tea that is collected within four miles of the estate. I’m told it’s fruity, peachy and has slightly nutty tones.
I’m a massive coffee fan, and while our weather’s not up to coffee growing, connoisseurs have created a culture of importing, roasting and blending a whole lot of coffee beans.
Coffee learning too!
The Scottish Barista School has been around for over twenty years and offers hands on courses. They’re taught by Jim Watson, City and Guilds trainer and SCAE (Speciality Coffee Association of Europe.) He’s been growing the ranks of professional baristas across Scotland. He’s not the only one, Dear Green Coffee offer a coffee lovers class too, so coffee lovers can get the dose and grind size just right.
The very cool Drygate in Glasgow hosted the inaugural Scottish Coffee Festival in November 2015. It doesn’t stop there either, as the Glasgow Coffee Festival gathers speciality coffee professionals from across the world too. There’s way more to learn about coffee at these events than you ever imagined possible – they are definitely worth a look.
The Indy Coffee Guide
The Scottish version of the The Independent Coffee Guide provides excellent information about coffee for the length and breadth of Scotland, it’s perfect for coffee enthusiasts. It advises coffee lovers where to get perfect beans for roasting at home. It’s also the ideal guide to take on your travels as there’s somewhere in every city, and most towns, to get great quality coffee. A northern and South West guide is also available.
There’s definitely a time and a place for Tetley and Nescafe in our world, but there’s lots of great stuff out there too.
And for the perfect home brew…
Whether you’re into infusions or whole bean solutions, one thing’s certain, you’ll enjoy it all the more if you have your favourite cup or mug in hand – I might just be able to help you with that! You can see some of the options here.
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