Tea tasting at The Milestone…

I must confess that I have never been a tea drinker !  Brought up in a place where coffee was the next best beverage after wine, I never really paid too much attention to tea and invariably used to leave it when invited for tea time.  And yet… When I heard about a tea tasting being organised at The Milestone Hotel, I signed up immediately… obviously more attracted by the prospect of spending some time in the exquisite, Grade-II listed, quintessentially English boutique hotel. 

Often described as an English country mansion, set in the heart of London, The Milestone hotel is a very discrete place where privacy and elegance are the key words.  Amazingly,  the original dwelling on this site, Kensington House, was built in about 1689.  Beautifully restored to five star standards and now part of the Red Carnation Hotel Collection, The Milestone is a unique place with a typically English feel, home away from home.   With its selection of suites and apartments, all a perfect illustration of English taste, The Milestone was indeed the best choice and perfect place for this other English tradition :  tea tasting!

Upon arrival, the guests were taken to a classic wood panelled boardroom, the Windsor Suite, where we were introduced to Lalani & Co’s precious leaves.  Lalani & Co is a family run company dedicated to the trade of exceptional teas.  Tea is like wine: its flavour is created by the terroir, the skill of the producer, the care of handling and ageing.

A welcome cocktail made with Japanese cooking matcha,  a finely milled green tea - one of Lalani & Co’s most famous organic teas, often used in recipes of green smoothies, macarons or ice-creams - refreshed and awakened our palate in order to prepare it for the three varieties of tea we were going to taste.

The first one was a rich and silky Japanese tea; its notes of umami and spring greens perfectly matched its name,  ‘Wazuka Garden’, produced in the Kyoto prefecture.

A deep amber, Sauternes-like nectar  with a powerful scent of honey, was then served in a stemmed glass.  This tea, produced in Taiwan’s Jade Mountain at 4,000-5,000 feet high, was a true celebration of the senses with its shades of amber, sweet scents and smooth, almost creamy,  texture ;  its name :   Jade Mountain Honey Special Spring… almost an anthem to poetry.  Needless to say that it was perfectly assorted to the canapes served during the tasting.

Then came the last : an enchanting and complex Nepal tea.  With its woody and tobacco notes, the Jun

Chiyabari brought a perfect conclusion  to a tasty evening in one of the most delightful hotels in London…  The evening ended with a prize draw for a dinner for two at The Milestone’s intimate and relaxing Cheneston’s restaurant… A genuine English experience !

And guess what ?   I believe that I have  been converted to tea drinking…






The Milestone Hotel, 1 Kensington Ct, London W8 5DL
www.milestonehotel.com

Lalani & Co, Dephna Building, 14 Cumberland Avenue, London NW10 7QL
www.lalaniandco.com

Written by Florence Tilkens.  Florence is Social Media and Marketing Manager at FOCUS.

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