I loved this so much I couldn't resist posting a Birdy Pick of the Week Part 2, as it ticks both my tea and bird obsessions. Tea cup bracelet, featuring a pea-green glaze and tiny birdy illustration, £24, by Bethan Lloyd Worthington at The Shop Floor Project.
A week of Tea
January 23, 2009
Birdy pick of the week, part 2
I loved this so much I couldn't resist posting a Birdy Pick of the Week Part 2, as it ticks both my tea and bird obsessions. Tea cup bracelet, featuring a pea-green glaze and tiny birdy illustration, £24, by Bethan Lloyd Worthington at The Shop Floor Project.
November 16, 2008
A final word on tea...
How could I resist bidding farewell to A Week of Tea without revisiting the wonderful tea-themed brooches by Gloustershire-based Etsy seller, Lupin. These 'I Love Tea' pink pins are US$12.50 from Lupin’s Etsy shop.
I may also be revisiting A Week of Tea in future Wee Birdy posts - there are so many excellent tea destinations in London that it's been difficult to fit them into just one week of blogging. So please bear with me...
Wee finds: Teapot and teacup enamel jewellery
I first came across the wonderfully quirky work by London-based jewellery designer Buddug Humphreys at the market stall she shares with Jessie Chorley at Broadway Market. It’s difficult to resist the charms of her teapot and teacup enamel jewellery range, which were inspired by her grandmother’s tea set. They’re also available to purchase online from her website or from Lapin and Me.
Top London tea spots: Parlour at Sketch
With a reputation for displaying cakes “like jewels” (The Goddess Guide by Gisele Scanlon), it didn’t take long for me to sniff out The Parlour at Sketch when I first arrived in London.
Located across the road from Vivienne Westwood on Conduit Street, it offers an avant-garde setting for taking tea. Think traditional private men’s club complete with dark-wood panelling meets edgy gallery with odd-matching furniture and a chandelier fashioned out of Angelpoise lamps. It’s the sort of place where a live bird in a Victorian wire cage is replaced by a mini LCD screen playing looping clips of the real thing. And the toilets? Let’s just say that Kubrick wouldn’t be disappointed.
I was delighted to discover that said cakes were, in fact, exquisitely displayed in a carefully lighted glass showcase, and considering the location and setting, a reasonably-priced menu. Here, a delicious cream tea (fruit scones served with jam and clotted cream with a choice of tea) is £7.75 per person, compared to £10.75 at Liberty. Afternoon tea is also competitively-priced at £18.50 for the traditional line-up of assorted finger sandwiches, fruit scones served with jam and clotted cream, a selection of pastries and choice of teas.
The tea menu offers an excellent range catering for all tastes, with traditional blends and herbal infusions starting at £3. My pick is the deliciously-fragrant Jasmine Silver Fur for £4. There’s also a rather handy free Wi-Fi service, which I noticed quite a few people taking advantage of on both occasions I visited.
Just keep in mind that despite the fabulous cakes and edgy gallery setting, the service is notoriously snail-paced. But what does that matter if you’ve got all the time in the world (or a few emails to write). And did I mention the toilets?
Sketch
9 Conduit Street
London W1S 2XG
Tel. 020 765 94500
Nearest tube: Oxford Circus
Click here for a Wee Birdy map.
Top tea sets: Reiko Kaneko's Drips and Lips
Drip Teas teacup and saucer, £21.50, Hidden Art Shop.
Lip Tease teacup and saucer, £21.50, Hidden Art Shop.
In her stunning Drip Teas and Lip Tease ceramics collection, British designer Reiko Kaneko playfully renders the stains and marks we leave behind in 24 carat gold. They’re individually packaged in a black box, making them gorgeous Christmas gifts. Available from Hidden Art Shop.
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