Infusion Society: Class of 2015

Another academic year is almost over. I'm sure the school holidays didn't come around quite so quickly when I was at school!

With the end of the year imminent, it is the end of another round of Eton College Infusion Society Meetings. Once again a great group of enthusiastic final year pupils signed up for the society and met to discuss and enjoy infusions. Here are some of our best bits...

Drew from Drury Tea and Coffee Company showing the boys how to taste tea like a professional.

John from Norfolk Cordial once again wowing the audience with his fruit infusions and stories of how it all began (and how the business is thriving post Dragon's Den).

Tea consultant Malcolm Ferris-Lay keeping the students enthralled with his tales of the tea industry while they compared darjeelings from different estates, including leaves picked from the original bushes transplanted from China to Darjeeling centuries ago.

Always one to spoil the audience, Malcolm left the boys with samples of Hampstead Tea, and the lucky master in charge of the society some of the most expensive tea in the world.






To round up the year our final guest was William Cartwright-Hignett who, as a pupil at Eton College, founded the Infusion Society back in 2000! Will got in touch with me after reading about the infusions society on this very blog! His "homecoming" included a fascinating talk about his career in tea and the technical aspects of taking a tea to the marketplace, as well as the factors which determine taste.  Of course the boys got to try his own brand of tea; Iford Manor.

We sadly didn't have enough time this year for all the speakers who wanted to attend, so have already booked some for next year, including our first female speaker, Esther Thompson who founded Tea Huggers.

Abandonment

I promise I have not abandoned this blog. I know I've not posted for a while, but I think I have three pretty good excuses. Here goes:

1) The shop has been busy. Really busy. Lots of lovely people buying things, organising picnics, planning weddings.... I need every spare moment, and some, just to order stock to keep the shelves full. It's a brilliant problem to have and I'm not complaining!

2) I have a blog post in progress which, although lengthy, is not quite finished. Those of you who subscribe to this blog by email (there is a box on the right to enter your email address) will have seen a sneak preview a couple of weeks ago. It is still ongoing, and will appear soon.

3) I have carried out a major overhaul of tastesdeli.co.uk, our web site and online deli. It is now "responsive" so changes its appearance depending on whether you visit from a PC, tablet, mobile etc. Clever hey? Still more to do, as ever.

I'll be back!