We’re very excited about our next book group meeting on Wed 8 Feb. Please come and join us if you can – don’t worry if you’ve not had time to read the book!

We’ve managed to arrange for bestselling Edinburgh author Sara Sheridan to come along to chat about her new book Secret of the Sands. The meeting is on Wed 8 Feb from 5.30pm to 7pm but from then on we’ll meet on the 1^st Wed of every other month!

Here’s a wee summary of the book: “Set against the backdrop of the British abolition of the Slave Trade in 1833 Secret of the Sands is based on the travels of Indian Navy Lieutenant, James Raymond Wellsted, who crossed the Arabian Peninsula. Wellsted was a celebrity in his day – particularly noted for being open-minded. A precursor of Burton, Lawrence and Thesiger, the auther wanted to evoke the danger this dashing naval officer faced, both from his native travelling companions and the hostile terrain. Of course, the story would not have been complete without the character of Zena, the Abyssinian slave girl with whom he falls hopelessly in love.”

It should be a fun meeting with plenty of tea and nibbles. We really hope you can make it (and if you know anyone who may be interested please spread the word). p.s. and yes it’s a free event! xx

Special Brew – an exhibition by Nineteen Eighty Five at Eteaket Tea Boutique and Café

Special Brew is a playful concoction of tea, cake, animals and good times by Lindsey Brown and Martin Baillie of Nineteen Eighty Five – an Edinburgh-based design collective that specialises in making and selling fun things.
Join us on from 6pm 02.02.12 for a cheeky tea cocktail and a first look at this fantastic work.

Both Lindsey and Martin graduated from Edinburgh College of Art, studying illustration and graphic design respectively. The pair’s previous work under the Nineteen Eighty Five moniker ranges from sausage dog cushions and stationery sets, to greetings cards and clothing.

Need to get rid of those Christmas jumpers? Too many panic buys at Edinburgh’s new Primark? Fear not we are having another clothes swap! Join us from 6.30 on Wednesday 25th of January to swap your fasion faux pas for next seasons big thing!

Wednesday 25th January – 6.30pm

Entry just £2

Front page of the Evening News!! We are all very very excited!!

http://tinyurl.com/88kdh6s

Drinking tea associated with lower risk of heart disease

Tea is the most popular drink in the world after water and with good reason – it provides a range of natural health benefits, largely due to its flavonoid content.

A new scientific review just published in ‘Nutrition Bulletin’ [1] by independent nutritionists, Dr Carrie Ruxton and Dr Pamela Mason, has found that drinking three or more cups of tea a day is associated with a significant reduction in the risk of heart disease.

The review, which focused on black tea, reviewed 40 papers, most of which reported significant associations between regular black tea consumption and less heart disease. According to Ruxton & Mason, in the groups consuming the most tea, heart disease risk was 30-57% lower compared with groups who drank little or no tea. Their review found evidence of a reduced risk of various risk factors such as arterial stiffness and inflammation.Regular black tea consumption was also associated with reduced risk of stroke.

Commenting on this latest research, author and Tea Advisory Panel member, Dr Ruxton notes: “Mechanistically, these beneficial findings are thought to be due to positive factors in black tea such as flavonoids and theanine, which may help to control blood pressure by regulate nitric oxide production and inhibiting platelet Our review also found evidence of a link between black tea consumption and a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes when 1-5 cups of tea were consumed daily, depending on the study under investigation.”[2]

We’ve always known the ‘humble cuppa’ was actually rather mighty…time to put the kettle on.

If you’re anything like us then you will have enjoyed one too many mince pies this festive season! So to give us a helping hand as we head back to the gym (hmm?) We are drinking our fantastic “Skinny tea,”  Pu-Erh.

Our Pu-Erh Mini Tuo Cha tea comes in a compressed cake-like form and produces a strong, earthy flavoured liquor with complex and slightly sweet notes. It is low in caffeine and relaxes the body and mind. Not only that, it’s also favoured by celebrities such as Victoria Beckham for its alleged slimming qualities. Slip into those skinny jeans with the help of this “skinny tea”.

If it good enough for Mrs Beckham then we will definitely be having a cuppa!

Check it out online

Only 44 days left… Luckily we’ve got Christmas all wrapped up with our fantastic Chrsitmas gift shop. Browse all our teas, accessories and gift boxes, designed to suit any tea lover and price… happy shoppping tea lovelies!xx

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?Join us to celebrate our Birthday with a cheeky glass or two of bubbly, tea cocktails from The Bon Vivant, nibbles from our new menu.. With live music, informal tea tastings and a sneaky peak at all our teas and accessories. See you there! xx

24th November, 6pm – 10pm
eteaket tea boutique, 41 Frederick Street, Edinburgh, EH2 1EP

We have a particular soft spot for Ceylon tea, having sourced some excellent teas from our own travels in Sri Lanka. This organic tea garden is in the hills above Ravanna-Ella Waterfalls in Sri Lanka and they pluck only the finest leaves. Each batch of tea is made with care in small quantities and sun dried giving each a unique flavour, varying slightly in style according to the field, season and drying time.

We’re delighted to have got our hands on some of the first tea to be produced there. It’s very unusual hand rolled black tea balls, which we’ve named Amba Gems. The resulting cup is delicate while complex with earthy notes. We have a limited stock at the moment but you can get your hands on it in our Tea Boutique or online by clicking here. We will be working closely with the Amba Estate and helping to support them and their charitable work with Halfway Home Mulleriyawa – a psychiatric hospital for women in Sri Lanka.

Buy online here