When I was twenty-two,I had the privilege of taking a semester abroad in London to study International Communications. I attended Southern Methodist University at the time in Dallas and quickly learned that the British do not appreciate LOUD Texans!  I was the only non-Texan (I am from Tennessee) and found that if you are quiet and mannerly, you will fit right in and get wonderful service wherever your travels take you in England!
I also was asked quite often if I had ever been on "Hee Haw," Did I know Dolly and had I been to Graceland. Dolly and Elvis are all the rage, and so was George Michael at the time if that gives you an idea of how long ago it was!
One of my most memorable experiences in London took place at the tea salon in Harrod's Department Store. I made a point each day of taking Afternoon Tea wherever I was, an open Farmer's Market,  a country side tea room in Oxford or Bath and today I happened to be shopping at Harrod's marveling at the wedding dress display of Diana and Fergie.
Since I was alone, I accepted a small table for one and had a wonderful server who promptly brought me a plate of thinly sliced lemons and a small pitcher of milk to accompany my pot of Darjeeling. I always used lemon when having a pot of hot tea with my mother. Milk was something I had not added before.
I quickly added a splash of milk and a squeeze of lemon and looked into my cup and to my dismay, the milk was curdled! I quietly motioned to my server to come over and told him, "Something is wrong with my milk. Would you please bring me a fresh pitcher?" He politely smiled at me and brought a fresh pitcher of milk over right away along with a new teacup and saucer.
And so I began again, pouring my tea, adding milk, adding lemon and the unthinkable happened- it curdled again! I motioned to the very patient server and asked once again for another pitcher of milk. Without a word, he quickly brought it to my table.
This time, I watched him as he eyed my teacup. I poured the Darjeeling, added a splash of milk and stopped! He silently nodded his head in approval and I knew I had been schooled in the English way of how to properly have a cup of tea!
That's the one thing that I appreciate most about the British- they would never correct your outright or make you feel uncomfortable! It's something I have strive to do as a tea room owner myself!
And as I flew home after traveling all over Europe that summer, I knew that I wanted to open my own tea business and share my passion with tea with everyone!
And so it began with the opening of my own tea room and gourmet tea emporium, online tea business, and years later, The Tea Academy!
One of the great things about being in the tea industry is meeting all the wonderful tea business owners and learning their stories of how they got into the tea business.
Join me as I travel across the U.S. in my VW bug- affectionately referred to as "Lady Bug" because of her red body and black convertible top, as we journey across the back roads and country side in search of TEA ROOMS OF EXCELLENCE! This week we are off to North Carolina!
And so it begins...........

Until Our Next Pot of Tea,
Melanie