About “Traditions and Tea”

All about “Traditions and Tea” at Georgia Belle et Cie”

Some of the many items we talk about at the Traditions and Tea events – Baby bib clips and napkin clips. We have them from the late 1800’s to the mid 1900’s 

We are located at the historic Graber Olive House in Ontario California. My husband’s grandfather, C. C. Graber, started the company in 1894. Our 1920's tea room setting is named after C.C.’s wife, Georgia Belle Graber. 

The 1920's were such a great time of change for the women in the U.S. and our talks and classes focus on many of those changes for women, the etiquette, dress and lifestyle of the era, and those preceding that time period.

Each talk or class is accompanied by refreshments in the form of an afternoon tea – scones, assorted finger sandwiches, dainty desserts and, of course, freshly brewed pots of tea! 

The price is $32.00 per person, and we serve unlimited scones, tea sandwiches and desserts, along with a variety of teas at each table.

Our talk on “Dining with Royalty; From Picnics to the Palaces” are fun and informative. One item people enjoy viewing is the original table seating chart for the dinner given in honor of the Duke of Gloucester’s visit to Australia in 1934. We don’t simply cover the British royal family, but dining with royals the world over, throughout history.

Each talk or class is approximately 2 hours. Our most popular talks are listed below—

1. Designed for Dining – The What, ‘Ware and When of the Table
2. Victorian Era Etiquette and Her Queen 
3. Tea History and Tea Etiquette
   
4. Reading the Tea Leaves and Other 19th Century Pastimes
5. Dining with Royalty; From Picnics to the Palaces
   
6. Victorian and Edwardian Era Fads and Fancies
7. Dining Etiquette; the “Do’s and Don’ts” for the Table
   
8. Shaped to Please; Pots, Their Purposes, the Cups and Pleasures
9. Jane Austen's England and the Silver Fork Novel 
   
10. Learning Tea Manners with “Little Betty” (for ages 6 and up, accompanied by an adult, these include a book)

To find out about upcoming Talks and Tea, or to book a private Talk and Tea for your group, club or special event, call me at 800.891.RSVP

 Outside the U.S.? Call 909.923.5650

We hope to see you soon at one of our many events! – Maura J. Graber 

Victorian Tea Science Etiquette

Making Tea Scientifically 

An English Analyst Sets Down the Rules of the Process

Professor Goodfellow, the well known English analyst, gives these rules for making “good” tea: 

1. Always use good tea. 

2. Use “two” hot, dry earthenware teapots. 

3. Use soft water which has just got to the boil. 

4. Infuse about four minutes. 

5. Pour off into the second hot, dry teapot. 

6. Avoid second brews with used tea leaves. 

The fact that tea, as served in France is so often bad, may be accounted for by the omission of some one, or perhaps all, of the above rules in its preparation. They are all necessary to make a, cup of really good tea, and if they were more often strictly adhered to tea would oftener be a delicious beverage. Even at the best “afternoon tea” rooms in England, America and France I do not believe that “two” hot, “dry” teapots are often used to make tea “fresh for each customer,” or that the tea leaves thereafter are thrown away.– The Los Angeles Herald, 1899