10th April 2013

Hi there & welcome to Harlequin's first ever blog post!

We’re excited to join the blogosphere, another great way to connect with YOU – our loyal customers and make some new friends along the way. Just a little bit about me now, my name is Jess and I'm a proud member of team Harley, a mum, a wife, a writer, a self confessed word nerd, lover of tea and blogs, homeware mags and cooking - but only if it's dessert!

There’s so much we want to share with you!

Kids, food, health, the environment, community events, relaxation, lifestyle – you’ll find it all here. This month we’ll be talking about rainy day activities to keep you sane during the holidays, yummy (and easy!) lunches to pack for the kids, books to read with your littlies and how you can win a sumptuous spa pamper package. So grab a cup of tea, sit down and relax with us. Speaking of tea, here’s some interesting facts about that lovely little beverage…

Liquid hug

Tea drinkers, you know who you are. Nothing against coffee of course – sometimes that morning coffee is what gets us out the door, right? But tea… tea is for sipping, savouring. It warms you from the inside just like, well, a liquid hug! Whether you take the time with tea leaves, a pot and a favourite delicate tea cup or simply plonk a tea bag into a hearty mug you need two hands to hold, there’s nothing instant about tea – waiting for it to steep, as well as cool, it’s about the ritual, about slowing down, taking time out.

Where it all began

It’s easy to associate all things tea with the Brits, but it actually started life in China in 2737 BC, when “the Chinese Emperor was sitting beneath a tree while his servant boiled his drinking water. Some leaves from that tree blew into the water and the Emperor, a renowned herbalist, decided to try the infusion that had been accidentally created. That tree was a Camellia sinensis, and the resulting drink was what we now call tea.” Check out the UK Tea Council website for more fascinating tea facts.

Pour us another cup will you?

How many cups a day do you drink? According to the UK Cups of Tea Counter at the top left hand side of the UK Tea Council website 161, 663, 172 cups of tea had been drunk in ONE DAY in the UK. Staggering!

Here’s to your health

While the absolute health benefits of tea are as yet inconclusive (pop over to the Victorian Governments, Better Health page for more info on this), whether you prefer white, green, oolong, black or one of the many fruity infusions (ahem… not real tea according to die-hard enthusiasts), taking time out from a busy day to pour yourself (or a friend!) a hot cup of tea and indulge in a few moments of ‘me’ time just has to be good for the soul.