By Ariana Salvo I’m writing this on spring equinox—which in Canada is very early spring—often characterized by the first shy crocuses peeking up through melting snow—but where I am in the Mediterranean is a landscape teeming with colour and abundance. For weeks now the Cypriot hillsides, coasts and valleys have been awash with wildflowers: white and fuchsia cyclamen; violet irises; pale purple, yellow and white anemones; bright red and pastel yellow poppies, intricately patterned orchids; aubergine fritillaria, pale pink asphodels, lime green smyrnium, and most recently the soft palms of pink ..read more

Among the long list of joys in this life, for me, is a hot mug of tea. The thought alone is often enough to evoke a feeling of calm amidst a bustling, noisy, world. A thoughtfully chosen blend is a perfect way to rest, re-set or transition from one task to another. Isn’t it lovely to stand before your tea cupboard and choose the perfect tea, the one that matches your mood, or even better, the mood or feeling you’re reaching for? It was with this love of tea in mind that when asked to write something for Lady Baker’s blog, my mind drifted back to early spring days at the Charlottetown Farmers M ..read more

by Susana Rutherford Our guest blogger this week is our good friend, Susana Rutherford. Susana is an artist, nurse and mindfulness teacher who lives on PEI. You can find out more about her work at FirehorseStudios.   I'm sitting down to write this with a cup of my favorite decaffeinated tea from Lady Baker’s. It is their Decaffeinated Earl Grey, made with a Sri Lankan black tea, cornflower flowers and oil of bergamot. As I’ve aged, I’ve become sensitive to caffeine, which is very dull. I find that tea always keeps my mind calmer, and the ritual of a morning beverage is welcome. Havin ..read more

It’s a warm October afternoon—I have my living room windows flung open and sunshine is streaming in over my bare shoulders, arms, and hands as I type. I’m sitting on my mother’s antique couch sipping a cup of Lady Baker’s Moonlong tea. This is my first fall outside of Canada in many years. I’ve been ready for a life change for a while now but had been biding my time—waiting for the right moment. That moment came this past summer when I packed up my life of 19 years on Prince Edward Island and moved back to the island of Cyprus, where I spent 16 years of my childhood and youth. I’ve visited for ..read more

By Katherine Burnett Retirement has its perks, one of which for me is staying in bed later. Now that the extra morning hours are good for uninterrupted devotions while sipping green tea, reading the news, checking emails, Facebook and Instagram, I put off the breakfast ritual and remain unnourished till 11:30 or 12. But retirement has also brought absence of time spent with friends in the workplace. I miss the Lady Baker’s Tea people, both co-workers and patrons, that kept me so well connected! A granddaughter gave me a mug a couple of Christmases ago. On it, in large letters are the words Bru ..read more

By Sandy Nicholson One of the wonderful things about being in Prince Edward Island during the summer is that no matter where you are, you don't have far to go to visit a beach. Some will argue over which beaches are the best on the Island - north shore or south shore. I believe that they are both beautiful and incredible to experience. That being said, I am very partial to the south shore of PEI with its red rocky cliffs, sandy beaches and endless sandbars and tide pools to explore when the tide is out. So much fun and hours of entertainment when you have young children.  I am always hap ..read more

By Jane Hastelow Tea means many things in England. You’ve got your tea biscuits, your tea parties and your tea time, along with your cream teas, your high teas and your afternoon teas. And then you’ve got your run-of-the-mill “put the kettle on” all day long actual tea.  And that’s only a few of them - it can be a little daunting.  Let’s start with the basics - the kettle. It is literally ALWAYS on. In my experience, every time a British person passes a kettle, they put it on. Every time someone shows up at their house, they put it on, and every time there’s a commercial break, they ..read more

Camomile Panna Cotta By Katherine Burnett Over the years, I was told by many of my mother's friends that I was so much like her. I do not hear that much at all now, as Mom is almost 93 and most of her friends have, sadly, passed on. There's no one to tell me now that I smile just like her, or that my facial expressions tell them whose daughter I am. Making bouquets for the table Mom's love of fun in the kitchen definitely inspired me to collect recipes, many of which were ones she shared with me. I grew up baking and loved to have a pan of cookies ready when my kids got ho ..read more

By Ariana Salvo I am sitting at my writing desk on a pearly grey morning thinking about books. And tea. I’ve read a lot of very good books over the last few months, and likewise drunk many cups of my favourite varieties of Lady Baker’s Tea (Keemun  and Golden Monkey in the morning; Lady’s Slipper in the afternoon; Moonlong in the evening ). Here on Prince Edward Island, we’ve entered a tentative spring. The trees and shrubs are covered in hopeful buds, but from a distance they still appear bare. The tips of the tulip leaves are just pushing up, but they are taking their goo ..read more

Is it Afternoon Tea or High Tea?   “There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.” - Henry James   When I was invited to write a guest blog post for Lady Baker’s Tea, it coincided with the timing of the Coronation of King Charles III on May 6, 2023. Knowing that, throughout the Commonwealth, there most likely will be celebratory coronation tea events, I thought the timing offered the opportunity to discuss the various types of tea services.   The whole culture of tea service is steeped (pun intended) in history and tr ..read more