The Regency Period of England, generally considered 1810 to 1820, was the time period when Jane Austen published her most famous novels. Having tea, whether prepared for the family or used to entertain friends and neighbors, was an important part of her own life as well as the characters in her novels. It’s curious though: what teas were available then and how did people purchase tea? Were there choices like we have today? So much was happening then that affected trade and everyday life: the Napoleonic wars and ongoing battles across the Atlantic with the American colonies.
In this fun and engaging workshop we will taste teas that are similar to the teas Jane may have served, while learning about how tea was procured and imported to England. We’ll talk about the contentious trade between the British East India Company and China and touch on the opium trade which ultimately helped finance British purchase of tea. Social norms of the time are often romanticized, but what was day to day really like for families in Jane’s social class?