What does tea mean to you?

There’s nothing quite so British as a cup of tea.

Is yours the giant mug of builder’s tea, dark, with the strong scent of tannins, drunk with both hands wrapped around the mug and released only to grab a biscuit to ‘dunk’ inside it?

Or do you enjoy the ritual of making a pot of tea to share with friends? Get the kettle on and sit around the table, pouring tea from the communal pot into mugs and cups, eating cake, putting the world to rights?

We even built a whole meal around tea, ‘afternoon tea’, with small sandwiches, slices of cake accompanied by tea served in delicate cups and saucers.

Whatever your preference, and there are many variations available, tea evokes emotions and memories in many people, and we asked visitors to the Explorathon the question posed at the start – “What does tea mean to you?”

“I can’t eat a biscuit dry!”

“Brings a sense of calm during a busy day”.

“It’s the best drink ever”.

“A social drink – you must share a pot of tea with family and friends!”

“Makes me able to work better”.

“Tea means home and a warm hug as it goes through your neck”.

“Delicious, soothing, strong, yummy, minty, favourite drink = tea”.

Minty … not a word you would perhaps normally associate with tea. However, this is what we explored during our day at the Explorathon held at the Riverside Museum on Friday 27th September 2024. With a supply of various fresh herbs growing in their pots, plus roots of ginger and turmeric, we encouraged visitors to experiment and create their own unique blends of tea*.

Tea, in the normal sense of ‘black’ tea and other blends, often travels a long way to end up in our shops, although there are now Scottish teas being grown and sold. Our aim on this day was to show how we could have our tea and be sustainable, how by using herbs grown locally we could still have the rituals, the “hug in a mug”, and help our planet at the same time.

People were intrigued by the idea of plucking a few fresh leaves from plants grown in pots outside or on sunny window-ledges, adding them to hot water, squeezing a dash of honey for sweetness, and enjoying a refreshing, if different, cup of tea. We heard of those more experienced and adventurous who had made nettle tea, those who used elderflowers, apples, and other ingredients – all gathered locally and sustainably.

We made many, many cups of diverse blends using mint, sage, chamomile, rosemary, fennel, ginger, and turmeric – everyone had fun picking the leaves and concocting their own blend then waiting (im)patiently for it to steep a while before sipping and tasting.

Tea is not just a drink, it’s a ritual; it’s a space for family and friends, it’s a peaceful moment in a busy day, it’s a pick-me-up on a grey day. And at the Explorathon we shared how it can be fun, and different, and sustainable.

What does tea mean to you? Have you ever tried making your own using herbs and other plants?

You can learn more about our Community Growing project, which is part of Design HOPES, by messaging me :-)

*We, of course, also supplied a variety of biscuits and you cannot really have tea without a good biscuit accompaniment.