Tea Party: The Perfect Theme for Any Celebration

Planning a party?

A tea party is the perfect theme for any occasion – whether celebrating a birthday, throwing a bridal or baby shower, or simply catching up with friends and family. With careful planning, hosting a tea party can be fun and easy.

Preparing for the perfect tea party was the center of discussion at the recently concluded Tea Party workshop held at Rustan’s Makati, sponsored by Twinings and Royal Doulton. Twinings brand manager Kay Gervacio shared tips on how to make the perfect pot of tea, while guest speaker Lia Bernardo shared her insights on how to plan a tea party.

Tea parties can be held during different times of the day, any day of the week and in almost any location. There are different kinds of tea parties that can be organized to fit any celebration:

Afternoon Tea
An Afternoon Tea party is the most popular and familiar type of tea party. It is perfect for casual family get-togethers or for bridal and baby showers. As the name connotes, this is done in the afternoon, usually between three to five o’ clock. Food consists of light finger-food snacks such as crust-less tea sandwiches, scones, clotted cream, preserves and a rich and delectable dessert. To complement these snacks, guests can be served Twinings’ extensive array of speciality teas, with over 21 tea blends to choose from.

One can even prepare a special welcome drink to get the guests into the tea party mood. If throwing a baby shower, consider offering an all time fave with a Twinings twist – Chocolate Mint Tea! Simply heat one cup of milk for every Twinings Pure Peppermint Herbal Infusion tea bag and add one tablespoon of chocolate mix. It’s that easy, but oh so delicious.

Sportsman Tea
If the guest of honour is a man, the Sportsman Tea party is a suitable choice. Usually held outdoors in picnic-style, sportsman tea parties include some games or physical activities. Various iced -teas are served after a game of golf, tennis, soccer or frisbee. In addition to the Classic Iced Tea that combines Twinings English Breakfast Tea with honey, sugar or artificial sweetener and the optional lemon, the hostess can explore her creativity and concoct other flavoured iced teas like Yuletide SpICED Tea, perfect for a December celebrant. Combining Twinings Earl Grey Tea with nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, orange and lemon juice and sugar will surely give guests an energy boost.

Apart from a spread of colourful and flavour-full iced teas, help the honouree and his guests re-charge after all the activities, by serving picnic-type fare such as grilled chicken satay, sausage rolls, cheese scones, bite-size sandwiches and desserts like cookies and strawberry cupcakes.

High Tea
Instead of serving cocktails, explore hosting a High Tea party to celebrate mom or lola’s birthday. Guests will surely be satisfied with a hearty meal of meat dishes, salad, bread, biscuits, cheeses, fruits andsweets. To complete the festive celebration, try serving Tea Punch, a cool mix of Twinings Green Tea & Orange, gin, orange and lemon juice, and sugar.

The annual family Noche Buena can also be served high tea style. For that added Yuletide touch, prepare Twinings’ Tea-Nog, a simple concoction of Twinings English Breakfast, eggs, condensed and fresh milk, vanilla and salt. Top with whipped cream and nutmeg and voila!

For the complete tea party ambiance, incorporate tea-related details in different aspects of the party. There are no rules. Tea parties are an extension of one’s style and personality, and paying attention to the details can ensure its success.

• Invitations – Send out personalized invitations and avoid texting or emailing invitees about the event. Handwritten invitations or specially designed ones will show how much effort you are putting into the affair.

• Décor – Incorporate tea and its various flavours in the décor and table centerpieces. For example, if fruit teas are the highlight of the Afternoon Tea party, fill vases and bowls with various fruits and scatter them around the venue.

• Drinks – Make sure that the tea you serve is properly brewed. Use freshly boiled water and only premium quality speciality teas like Twinings. Use one tea bag for every cup of water, and add one tea bag when using teapots. Brew for three to five minutes, depending on desired strength.

• Tokens – Every one loves a goody bag. Take time to prepare simple ones to show your guests how much you valued their presence.

Make the tea party extra special by paying attention to the details. With Twinings’ wide range of classic black, flavoured black, green tea and fruit & herbal infusion tea blends, a tea party would be the perfect theme for almost any celebration.
For more Twinings concoctions recipes, log on to www.twinings.com.ph.