Here are some top etiquette tips for afternoon tea compiled by our friends at The English Cream Tea Company.
1. When sharing afternoon tea - scones, clotted cream and jam with cups of tea - always offer tea and food to others first.
2. Gently break your scone into halves, don't cut it with a knife.
3. Put your jam and cream on the side of your plate and from there add to your scone with a knife.
Many of us are mad about a great bottle of red wine; this flexible drink can help break the ice and works fabulously for entertaining. But how can we ensure the right food pairings for the rich and full-bodied flavour of a great red?
Pairing light red wines
Of course, not all red wine is as strong as others. A lighter, more delicate red wine pairs well with dark leafy greens and vegetable dishes, where these strong flavours could overpower a white wine. A light red is the ideal halfway-point, allowing the fruit to help combat the acidity of green vegetables. Another great pairing is to add a light red wine when enjoying salad dishes, which will help to bring out the earthy flavours. Pinot noir and Burgundy both work well here.
When it comes to whiskey, arguably the most important question is how to spell it. Will you, or will you not, be able to pass for a connoisseur if you put an e in it? Or would that invite eternal shame and ridicule?
As with any other field which attracts connoisseurs, you're treading dangerous ground, for whichever way a connoisseur's persuasion lies, it is clearly the only sensible one, and heretics who entertain blasphemous fancies will be damned to hell.
Whiskey became more accessible to the general public when King Henry VIII dissolved monasteries in the 16th century. Left to their own devices, monks had found distillation a nifty way of making a living.
Imagine a bad day, when nothing is going your way. Imagine your train is late, and it is of course raining. It is Monday, your boss is less than understanding and your payday is next century.
Then you come back from lunch to find a thoughtful friend has unexpectedly left a small box of chocolates on your desk. Your payday is still a century away, but in that moment of discovering the gift, you feel treasured and loved. There is something terribly endearing about receiving chocolates – in fact, many unlicensed medical practitioners believe it to be the best recipe for instant happiness, short of an orgasm.
Whether you love a Disney classic, adore James Bond, or enjoy binging a drama series, nothing really captures the imagination more than a night in at the movies. With the coronavirus playing havoc with movie releases you can have a more memorable night in by hosting a movie night at home.
So, here is our guide to hosting a movie night at home.
Coffee lovers, have you heard of the famous Blue Mountain Coffee from Jamaica? If not, you absolutely need to try it!
We are beyond obsessed with this delectable coffee bean with its perfectly mild and creamy taste. It makes a great choice if you’re searching for the perfect coffee gifts for any of the coffee connoisseurs in your life. We love it so much that we’ve added it to our much-loved coffee hampers.
Nobody is exactly sure when the first ‘true’ cocktail was created, but by the 1860s the drinks using this name usually included some form of liqueur. Bartenders were introduced to the concept officially in 1862, with the publication of How to Mix Drinks by ‘Professor’ Jerry Thomas, which included ten recipes for ‘cocktails’ Here at the Hamper Lounge you can choose our unique cocktail gift set and re-create your very own 1862 moment!
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