US$ 200 per cup Ceylon Tea sold at hotel near Buckingham Palace says CNN report
It’s no secret that the British are very serious about their tea.
Now a London hotel has taken this dedication to new heights by offering what’s been dubbed the UK’s most expensive cuppa. The Rubens at The Palace is now serving a rare tea blend for £ 500 (US$ 620) per pot, which works out to around US$ 200 a cup.
Produced in the highlands of Sri Lanka, Golden Tips is hand-picked by expert tea-pluckers and sundried on a velvet cloth, which turns the buds from silver to gold.
The pricey tea is only available at The Rubens, where diners can sip it while overlooking The Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace.
Described as “an extraordinary liquor and a smooth, light and mellow texture, with hints of fruity notes”, Golden Tips was sourced in collaboration with specialist tea merchants PMD Tea.
A pot can be bought alongside the hotel’s Royal Afternoon Tea menu, which costs around $55 per person.
Once ordered, the serving process involves something of a regal ceremony, which is perhaps just as well giving its staggering price tag.
First gold tweezers are used to pick the leaves and “weigh them with precision,” then the tea is brewed using still natural mineral water, before being poured out using a special silver tea set.
Customers are encouraged to drink it before indulging in any sandwiches or scones, in order to savourits flavour fully.
And while US$ 620 a pot may seem a high price to pay, Golden Tips has actually sold for a lot more in the past. Back in 1891, a pound of the tea was apparently sold for the equivalent of US$ 1,500.
Daily Mail in its report said “If you thought you’d never need a bank loan to buy a cuppa, think again.”
The Rubens at The Palace hotel, which is located on the doorstep of Buckingham Palace in London, is now selling the UK’s most expensive cup of tea – at £500 a pot.
The fancy Rubens Golden Tips Tea, which is produced in the highlands of Sri Lanka, is said to have a ‘smooth, light, mellow texture with hints of fruity notes’.
Guests who order it will be given the royal treatment, with the Ceylon tea leaves plucked by a white-gloved tea server using gold tweezers and ‘weighed with precision’.
The tea leaves can apparently be infused up to three times, with the ‘flavour profile changing each time for the drinker to enjoy a new depth of flavour’.
Each pot of The Rubens Golden Tips Tea contains three cups and it is presented in a special silver tea set.
The brew will be accompanied by freshly baked scones, pastries and finger sandwiches.
Rubens recommends sipping on the tea before tucking into them in order to ‘truly savour its delicate flavour’.
Behind the elaborate presentation, there is an elaborate harvesting process.
Skilled tea pluckers hand pick the tips of the small, succulent shoots at sunrise.
The buds are then sun-dried ‘on a velvet cloth with the upmost care’, with the shoots turning from silver to gold.
The costly cuppa was designed in collaboration with Berkshire-headquartered specialist tea merchants P.M. David Silva & Sons.
Dananjaya Silva, Managing Director and Tea Master at P.M. David Silva & Sons, said: “The exquisite Rubens Golden Tips tea leaves can be infused as many as three times, with the flavour profile changing each time so you can enjoy a new depth of flavour. On first infusion, you will notice a smooth and velvety floral note on the tip of the palate paired with flavours of melon, pear and sweet honey.
“After the Rubens’ staff top up the pot with special hot water, notice a dry oaky finish on the back palate. The final infusion is far drier but the sweetness is still present, mixed with a delicious citrus and oaky note.”
The experts, however, say that this particular type of tea has a history of exclusivity and high prices in London.
In 1891, a pound of golden tips was sold for the equivalent of £1,260.
The hotel’s regular Royal Afternoon Tea is priced at a more reasonable £45 per person.
The Sun in its report said that a hotel that’s just across the road from Buckingham Palace has added an astounding £500 pot of tea to its menu.
(Courtesy: CNN)
OSL take:
The CNN report is a clear indication of the high standards maintained by tea produced in Sri Lanka and the global recognition it has received as well. Ceylon Tea has been one of the leading tea brand names in the world since the period of the British Empire. Reports such as the above mentioned CNN report further promotes Sri Lankan tea in the global market. While tea prices have seen improvement in the past few months, Sri Lanka’s tea exports have also seen an increase. The government of Sri Lanka is engaged in introducing many initiatives aimed at revamping and developing the country’s tea plantation sector. Therefore, foreign businesses/investors could explore business/investment opportunities in Sri Lanka’s tea sector.
| Article Code : | VBS/AT/22072019/Z_4 |