The Chefs Tea Break
The essential daytime beverage..
Notice I wrote ‘daytime’! Professional kitchens are a hard place to spend your working life, bollockings are the norm. You’re either taking one or giving one but either way you’re getting a dose of stress you could do without.
When you’re a commis you take turns with the kitchen porter to make the tea, the head chef usually has his own mug which nobody dare touch whilst the other mere mortals make do with old chipped cups, plastic beakers and any other grotty vessel no other self respecting human being would drink from.
Tea is the ultimate healer, I have used it on many an occasion. A pot of strong steaming tea has awakened the living dead from the hangover from hell, stopped tears of the homesick trainee, calmed the nerves of a stressed chef and celebrated a birthday, Christmas or particularly crappy day.
I’ve drunk tea in all sorts of places but nothing beats tea in your home town, nothing. Working in Switzerland and Germany made me realise what I was missing to make the ultimate mug of tea; dodgy water boiled in a kettle full of limescale, tannin stained ten year old mug, fresh milk (no not UHT or those horrible creamers) and PG Tips tea bags. Drinking ‘foreign’ tea has an adverse affect on the young English chef, it’s bad enough with the beer but a double whammy with weak tea is too much to take.
What I learnt before going to work in Spain was that when in Rome or Marbella do as the locals do, which in the case of Marbella is mostly fat, drunk English people. Tea, as any self respecting English blue collar worker will tell you cannot be copied in the thirty degree heat of a Spanish hotel. No Sir! Instead I would reach for a glass of Moroccan mint tea infused with fresh mint to stir my wilting soul into a modicum of energy and drive.
There are some wonderful teas out there but in the English kitchen there can be only one. PG Tips. As strong as you can take it. Job done.
Cracking post - great read!
I’m an advocate of extra strong PG Tips myself - splash of fully skimmed milk for me.
Fat free so you don’t taste the milk as it were just the tea !
If I could only ever drink one thing again it would be the above
Rod
August 21, 2010 @ 10:56 am
Rod,
Just having one now
Miles
August 21, 2010 @ 4:47 pm
I think you’ve probably earned it !
August 21, 2010 @ 5:08 pm
Miles,
I feel a certain thrill if I know I’m going to visit my favourite tea emporium. The glossy interior reveals urns full of exotic smells… some enticing, some an acquired taste. I nearly always buy some, a treasured little package reserved for moments of quiet reflection. Look around the kitchen and you’ll find plenty of tea bags too and a smattering of herbal and green …. my relatives and friends all have their preferences. Whereas coffee, there’s normally only one and it’s generally organic and smooth but generally accepted by all non tea drinkers (how can anyone dislike tea?).
Why is it that our continental neighbours struggle to understand the concept of boiling water, tea bag and a splash of milk? Years have passed in between my jaunts abroad but one element remains the same….. should I pack some teabags and if I do, will they have any milk other than uht and do the customs officials recognise a quality article and confiscate it? You cannot separate the British from their pot of tea, it’s cruel!
Cid
August 22, 2010 @ 10:59 am
Coming from the North of England and now living in soft water area of South West Scotland I have to say there is only ONE tea - Tetley. I totally agree with you on it’s magical powers though!! Lol Lynn ♥
August 22, 2010 @ 6:36 pm
Cid,
I do believe I know the place you talk of
You’re wuite right about those heathen customs officials
Yours in tea
Miles
August 22, 2010 @ 9:09 pm
Lynn,
So you’re a Tetley girl? Prefer the beer to the tea but I’m a typical man! Just raised my mug of tea in your general Scottish direction
Miels
August 22, 2010 @ 9:10 pm
Or we could just mix it up all together and have a wonderful cup of Earl Grey and Vanilla (also Tetley I hasten to add!!). I am a heathen though and add milk. Goes really well with the plum jam I made today on lovely home made scones. Lol Lynn ♥
August 23, 2010 @ 10:07 pm
Lynn,
Home made scones and plum jam,,,fantastic, Pass the tea!!
Sounds nice
Miles
August 24, 2010 @ 6:51 am