Step back in time for tea
22nd June 2009
Vintage clothes shook off their fusty image years ago and now it's the turn of vintage tea ware to swipe the top style spot. Alexandra Fullerton reports...
The classic image of afternoon tea supped from a china cup is back in vogue. A genteel revolution means that tea aficionados are doing away with clunky earthenware mugs and bringing back tea served from elegant porcelain vessels instead. Whereas second-hand tea wares were either sourced at Sotheby's (for significant sums) or found languishing in the 'everything 10p' box at a jumble sale, sales of vintage tea sets are now riding high. Numerous shops, websites and tea-rooms are facilitating the purchase of pre-loved porcelain.
But why is the trend in the spotlight now? Economic reasons have a part to play. Katy Potts, founder of Tea for Two (who could be credited with jump-starting the trend) says, "The credit crunch has certainly provoked a turn towards all things ‘home-y’" while Lynne Robinson, of design blog Tea for Joy agrees. "The resurgence in old tea sets isn't due to the recession but the economic situation means that people are considering buying second-hand, when they may not have done before". Lynne also points out the ethical reasons to go vintage, "There is a growing environmental consciousness, so recycling and reusing has become very important."
Carol Oldham, of online emporium Dormouse and The Teapot think the popularity of vintage is down to sentimental reasons. "People like to buy vintage because it allows them to reminisce. It might remind them of their childhood and allow them to recreate their grandmother's Sunday tea but people are also recognizing that we have lived in a throwaway culture for far too long and that we should reuse and preserve what we already have."
Of course people could simply be tuning into vintage tea wares because of their antique aesthetic appeal. Vicky Osborne started collecting Art Deco sets for her Roaring Twenties-themed wedding and now runs Vintage Tea Sets a website that lets you hire tea sets for weddings, parties and picnics. "Vintage tea sets look gorgeous on the table, but on closer examination there’s more to them than meets the eye. The fact they’ve lasted so many years says it all" she opines. "There’s also a finite number of sets so the rarity is also a contributing factor. Sipping a cup of freshly brewed tea out of a 120 year old Royal Doulton fine china tea cup makes the ritual more exciting and special." Vicky also points out that, "many sets can be traced to the very kiln they were created in, and some dated within months of their production." Who wouldn't want pottery with provenance in their home?
Irene Gorman, Head of The Tea Guild, reminds us that ornate tea sets were popular wedding gifts in the past: "One set would be given for everyday use and one was for 'entertaining'. But, as time went on, fashion trends dictated that china became sharper and less intricate in design. Consequently many china manufacturers stopped producing the traditional designs and this has now created a huge interest in sourcing and collecting vintage pieces on which to serve afternoon tea. Many young women today are keenly seeking out their grandmothers’ china tea sets!"
The majority of vintage pieces are simply gorgeous to look at, with intricate floral patterns and fine see-through china. They're a million miles away from the generic, minimalist design the high street churns out. Chloe Bennett of The Oxford Tea Party sees lots of customers who are vintage clothing fans and who want to "expand their look into their homes" but she continues, "there is a growing trend for drinking tea 'properly' in fine china cups and this lends itself naturally to a desire for the original vintage look. Everyone wants to feel unique and it's fabulous to know there won't be thousands of people all over the country drinking from the same cup as you!" Lynne Robinson echoes this sentiment, "It's cool to celebrate our Britishness at the moment so drinking tea from an old teapot and eating buns is a fun thing to do. Also, there are so many new varieties of tea out there - some in such beautiful packaging - that it's just a very enjoyable drink."
Every trend, though, is cyclical so could the current craze for old-school cups and saucers crash and burn? Thankfully, it looks like it's a trend that can't be stopped. Just as vintage clothing has become ubiquitous with High Street stores stocking pre-loved pieces and second hand gowns appearing on the red carpet, vintage tea wares are here to stay. Vicky Osborne sums it up, "I'm getting such a large variety of queries I just see it getting more popular!"
If you want some vintage teawares for your home, here's where to buy it...
Katy Potts Tea for Two
Visit www.katypottsteafortwo.co.uk to see Katy's collections. You can also buy the sets at Liberty and at the Victoria & Albert Museum Shop. Katy will also be bringing out her own range of new tea sets "by the end of the year". Everything will be made in the traditional home of British pottery, Stoke-on-Trent . "I’ve been blown away by the talent and skill of the manufacturers I’ve found. We’re very lucky to have such a heritage," she revealed to Tea.co.uk
Liberty
The venerable London store has been stocking vintage tea wares for the past three years and, along with Katy Potts' pieces, currently sells work by Esther Coombs. Michelle Alger, Buyer for Furniture and Home, admits they're her favourite: "Esther uses a ceramic pen to draw skycapes and landscapes onto the existing china". Beautiful. But Michelle does sound a warning bell over the future of vintage china, "The trend will continue as long as we can still get hold of the pieces - but the really good sets are becoming more and more scarce!" While you're in store, why not pop into the Award of Excellence-winning Tea at Liberty for a reviving pot of tea?
Dormouse and The Teapot
Carol Oldham, the site's Director, is offering Tea.co.uk readers a 10% discount on orders until July 31st. Just state the code 'TEACOUNCIL10' on ordering.
The Oxford Tea Party
Selling everything from picnic hampers, aprons and lampshades along with all the requirements for a perfect tea party, this is a site vintage magpies could get lost in.
Vintage Tea Sets
If you haven't got the space to store the accoutrements for afternoon tea or need extra items for a one off event, www.vintageteasets.co.uk is the answer: The have over 200 vintage tea sets available to hire, alongside a few sets to buy and freshly baked made-to-order cakes
Ebay
If you need the adrenalin rush of an online auction, check out the tea sets for sale on www.ebay.co.uk
The Pottery / China and Kitchenalia categories are good places to start a search.
Car boot sales and flea markets
In keeping with the recyclable ethos of buying vintage tea wares, it makes sense to shop for them locally too. Scan your local listing for dates and be prepared for an early start - and a lot of rubbish to sift through! If you're not an expert just go for pieces that catch your eye and you know you'll love as long as they're not chipped or cracked.
Orange Pekoe
Marianna Hadjigeorgiou, Managing Director of Orange Pekoe - a Tea Guild Award of Excellence-winning tea room in Barnes, reveals why the time was right to start selling vintage tea sets at her shop. "Customers love the tradition a vintage set offers - they're unique pieces steeped in history and are collector’s items". The quirkily elegant interior of Orange Pekoe is certainly the perfect place to find great style - along with an excellent cup of tea. "We've always been into design and wanted the shop to feel like a set for an interior design magazine. I knew our customers would appreciate the style and beauty of vintage tea sets. They bring a sense of tradition back to afternoon tea, with a vintage set you feel that you're really participating in a tea ceremony".
The styles for sale include teapots and Mix 'n' Match tea sets with 2 cups, 2 saucers and 2 side plates. These sets aren't matching but are "quirky and cute" and echo the high design trend for mismatching your china. Presented in beautiful hat boxes Marianna adds that her customers are prepared to pay for a vintage tea sets because,"they know they are getting something steeped in history, which will increase in value". They're the perfect vessel in which to sip a cup of Assam Nahorhabi tea, Marianna's favourite blend. "I always drink my tea from a china tea cup; the experience is so much more enjoyable".
Orange Pekoe, 3 White Hart Lane , Barnes, London SW13 0PX / www.orangepekoeteas.com / 020 8876 6070
Apart from Marianna's enjoyment of Assam, how do our other design doyennes take their tea?
Chloe Bennett:
"I start every day with a cup of strong breakfast tea with milk. Through the day I enjoy a pot of Earl Grey with a squeeze of lemon and I drink green tea in the evenings".
Katy Potts:
"It’s different during the day. Something nice and light with lemon first thing... Later on, a full-strength English works wonders to restore equilibrium if I’ve eaten too much cake, then by late afternoon I’ve moved on to a calming green tea".
Vicky Osborne:
"I take my tea spiced. I love Masala Chai so mix a few cloves, a small cinnamon stick, a few cardamon pods and a good pinch of ground cinnamon with some good quality black tea with sugar and milk to taste. It's a bit of a faff but well worth the effort!"
Lynne Robinson:
"I drink any kind of black tea with milk. I just went to a tea masterclass where I learned how to make a 'proper' cup of green tea - adding a splash of cold water first so that I don't 'burn' the tea".
Carol Oldham:
"I'm quite traditional. Milk and two sugars - in a vintage china cup of course!"
Irene Gorman also notes that "Most Tea Guild establishments serve tea in specially designed china or in wonderful antique or vintage tea sets – sometimes with matching china and sometimes mixing different patterns with great effect.”