‘Sadia’s Commonwealth Jubilee Kenyan Tea Party’

Serving tea from another Commonwealth country, we hosted a Kenyan-style tea party on Sunday 27th May 2012 at the Queens’ House, National Maritime Museum. Linked to the ‘Royal River: Power, Pageantry and the Thames’  currently on at the museum.

Interestingly we found out that Kenya is the biggest tea producer in Africa, in Kenya, anytime is tea time. When it comes to drinks, Kenya tea in the form of Chai (tea with milk and sugar) is the beverage of choice. It is served for breakfast, at mealtimes and also during Kenya’s regular teatime. Clearly, Kenya culture embraces many different cultural influences: teatime is a custom borrowed from the British colonial past and the Chai style of cooking tea originated in India.

At this tea party we were really excited to be serving Grandpa’s Anytime Tea courtesy of the Royal Tea of Kenya. Arthur Njuguna Komo aged 112, is officially the world’s oldest tea farmer, Arthur still farms tea in the foothills of Mount Kenya and this tea is aptly named after him by his granddaughter Joy Njuguna. Joy sells teas from her family’s farms in Kenya and in honour of her grandfather; she has created this special blend of tea. As well as authentic tea, guests were treated to authentic Kenyan snacks, including Kenyan doughnuts ‘mandazi’. Yum!

During the tea party, parlour games played enabled guests to explore the Commonwealth; their experiences of, what it means to them and how useful an idea it is. These are just some of the questions we looked at. Guests also had the opportunity to reminisce about a momentous day that they have had in the last 60 years of the Queen’s reign, these memories were captured for the Jubilee Time Capsule, link here: http://www.jubileetimecapsule.org/. More to follow on this, so watch this space!

Here are a selection of photos from the day:

(c) Photo credits: Mikey Knott

Grandpa’s Anytime Tea at Sadia’s Commonwealth Kenyan Tea Party

This Sunday we will be hosting our Kenyan style tea party at the Queens’ House, National Maritime Museum in Greenwich. This tea party  is part of a series of 3 that are part of the events programme for the ‘Royal River: Power, Pageantry and the Thames’ exhibition, further information can be found here:

http://www.rmg.co.uk/visit/events/royal-river

Serving tea from the Commonwealth at these tea parties, did you know that tea is one of Kenya’s main exports? In fact, Kenya exports more tea than Sri Lanka, India, and China!

In Kenya, anytime is tea time. When it comes to drinks, Kenya tea in the form of Chai (tea with milk and sugar) is the beverage of choice. It is served for breakfast, at mealtimes and also during Kenya’s regular teatime. Clearly, Kenya culture embraces many different cultural influences: teatime is a custom borrowed from the British colonial past and the Chai style of cooking tea originated in India.

Kenya is also part of England’s royal history. It was in Kenya in February 1952 that Princess Elizabeth learned that she had become Queen. Staying at Treetops Hotel in the Aberdare National Park she received word from Buckingham Palace that her father, King George VI, had died. Her vacation cut short, she flew back to England where she was crowned Queen Elizabeth II.

At this tea party were really excited we’ll be serving Grandpa’s Anytime Tea courtesy of the Royal Tea of Kenya

http://www.royalteaofkenya.com/

Arthur Njuguna Komo aged 112, is officially the world’s oldest tea farmer, Arthur still farms tea in the foothills of Mount Kenya and this tea is aptly named after him by his granddaughter Joy Njuguna. Joy sells teas from her family’s farms in Kenya and in honor of her grandfather, she has created this special blend of tea.

You can read more about Arthur’s fascinating story here.

Looking forward to Sunday!