The Ritz London Book of Afternoon Tea (Helen Simpson)

--The blurb--

"An irresistible collection of traditional teatime recipes and charming stories from the world famous Ritz Hotel."

--The review--

You may have noticed by now that I am becoming a tad obsessed with tea, given my reading of this and Stuart Payne's missive within a very short space of time. I also noticed this occurring when somebody at work was asking me about tea, for me to say "Oh, I don't know very much about it really" only to rattle off quite a few quite specific pieces of information, including about my own favourite type of tea (Lapsang Souchong) and how to prepare the tea.

So books like this are really for entertainment just as much as for knowledge, although by the end of this one the reader is rightly confounded by the apparent lack of link to the Ritz (in spite of its title). Apart from the book possibly being sold there, and the hotel being mentioned from time to time in the book's earlier sections, the book really is just about tea and cakes and the history thereof in general rather than it being anything to do with the place in particular. Still, it's not as if it matters terribly in the end, as it still makes for a satisfying and informative read as well as being lightly entertaining. The humour, tone, typeface and illustrations are all so genteel that I did in fact wonder if this was a modern reprint of a book from a bygone age; however, it was written in the mid-2000s. Whether it is intended to be satirical or serious is therefore something that comes into play but does not really matter all that much when all is said and done - much like the book's premise itself.

Slim and concise, it is packed with information, humour, cake recipes, history and anecdote, as well as quotations from various luminaries on the subject of tea and tea-drinking. It is all highly British with its sense of "this is how you pour the tea" and "oh, but that will never do", and all without seeming too preachy. We marvel and drool with awe at the recipes and descriptions that are included and immediately make up our minds to spruce up our own afternoon teas; in reading the history of this British institution, too, we feel proud to be imbibing a little history in our cups and feel inclined to go beyond the humble tea bag. It is, in short, aspirational and delicate while continuing to be cuttingly witty in unexpected places. In addition, its well-written, precise and slightly coy style helps in transporting us to days gone by.

A faultless and unpatronising book which not only educates, informs and entertains but also introduces us to the work of Helen Simpson - which, it seems to me, would be well worth seeking out.

Other works by Helen Simpson

Four Bare Legs In A Bed (1991)

Dear George, and other stories (1996)

Hey Yeah Right Get A Life (2001)

Getting A Life (2002)

Constitutional (2005)

In The Driver's Seat (2007)

In-Flight Entertainment (2010)