Fellow tea addicts Giles Oakley & Mark Lawson tell us about their epic round-the-world journey that led them back to Bucks, and to creating Two Spoons Tea
Chances are, you’re slurping on a cup of tea as you read this… After all, we Brits drink 100 million cups of the stuff every day. Well, next time you’re making a brew, slinging that used teabag away, spare a thought for the thousands of expert tastebuds that helped perfect your brew…
“I wish people knew how much effort went in to producing tea!” says married dad of two Giles (AKA “Big Spoon” at Two Spoons Tea towers) who lives in Penn. “Some 14 million people are involved in the trade worldwide – in the field, factory, warehouse, trucking, shipping, buying, selling, marketing. Did you know your tea gets tasted as many as seven times on its journey before it gets to you?”
Giles and his fellow tea addict Mark (“Little Spoon”, who is married with three sons and lives in Pednor) are on a mission to spill the tea about, well… tea! As well as their award-winning teas, which are sold at twospoons.co.uk and served at Peterley Manor Farm and Little Wren in Missenden, A Lovely Bit of Crumpet in Long Crendon, Norsk in Haddenham, P.E. Mead and Son’s in Tring and Kitchen Larder in Chalfont St Peter, the pair often give talks at local WI groups, and collaborated on a gin, with Amersham’s Griffiths Brothers (featured here in January).
“We’re ardent fans of tea and never get tired of talking about it!” says Giles. “Tea is refreshing, good for you, comes from some beautiful places, has a fascinating history and traditions, but – perhaps most importantly – it brings people together. If everyone drank one more cup of tea a day, the world would definitely be a better place… And don’t get hung up on green tea – black tea is just as beneficial!”
Both spoons’ journey began in 1998, thanks to a job advert that read: “TRAINEE TEA TASTER WANTED – MUST BE PREPARED TO TRAVEL THE WORLD”. Both applied… “We got through (somehow!) and one million cups later, here we are. We each spent a year living overseas in tea-producing countries. We visited plantations, tea factories, warehouses and ports. We bought in tea auctions, met the tea trade and made some great friends. We learnt that, wherever you go in the world, people are incredibly passionate about this amazing product. At Two Spoons, we want to showcase great tea, the passion and the stories we’ve accumulated along the way.”
“I’ve always loved tea: it must be the Irish roots,” adds Giles. “My favourite cuppa? I’ve got three: an Assam, second flush, malty and jammy (with a bacon sarnie). Masala Chai, drunk on the streets of Kolkata from a clay cup. And anything made by my kids: yes, it might not taste great and it comes round once in a blue moon – sorry boys! – but it’s made with love! I’ve travelled all over the world during my 25 years in tea, from Pakistan and Papua New Guinea to India and Indonesia. This has offered a series of brilliant experiences, meeting passionate people involved in the production of an amazing crop.”
Mark & Giles are delighted that tea is now being appreciated in the same way as coffee. “Coffee has evolved from the instant offering we saw 25+ years ago. There is now more access to diverse, better quality coffee. Whilst both have caffeine (tea has half that of coffee), tea also has a great compound called theanine, which has a relaxing effect. We describe the impact tea has as giving ‘calm alertness’.”
“The five years of training were fantastic,” adds Giles. “We spent a year at origin. I lived in India, Kenya and Malawi where I visited estates, auctions and learnt from some of the best tasters in the world. Tasting alongside them meant trying thousands of cups every day. I then came back and did a year or so on blending. This is a real skill because you have to take all these different teas, mix them together and come out with a consistent blend. People don’t realise how much tea can vary because of growing, weather and factory conditions. At the end of the training, we were given our cherished spoons… silver-plated and engraved.
“Darjeeling in the foothills of the Himalayas was epic. I have a bit of family history in the region; my great, great uncle Freddie was a tea planter here. The views are idyllic, the tea is incredible, the people so hospitable. I visited the factory in the middle of the night whilst processing was happening. I drank the same tea at 6am as the sun was coming up over the mountains: an experience I’ll never forget.”
Did you know that China produces more tea than anywhere else in the world? Tapping two fingers on the table after being poured tea is a sign of gratitude in the country. The people of Turkey drink more tea per head than anyone else. The first advert for tea in England appeared in 1658 and handles were first put on teacups at the end of the 17th century. And – a fun local fact for you! – Anna Russell, the seventh Duchess of Bedford and inventor of afternoon tea, is buried at Chenies.
“We set up Two Spoons Tea four years ago and it probably took a while to adjust to being our own bosses,” they add. “We do everything from creating blends to emptying the bins! There are great spots for afternoon tea all over Bucks and The Chilterns. If they are serving Two Spoons Tea, they are almost certainly worth visiting!
“It seems crazy to think that there are ¾ of a million cups of our Two Spoons tea being drunk every year now. On our horizon – other than world domination – we’ll be launching a couple of loose leaf products this year and hopefully visiting the tea estates again soon.”
