Art Deco Breakfast

Breakfast : England Preserves

  'England Preseves' condiments are the perfect accompaniment to a stylish Art Deco breakfast. 

 The artisan jams that 'England Preseves' make are locally sourced and hand made in Bermondsey. The company began in 2001, and the jams have made their way from the local farmers market to gourmet menus. I love the Art Deco design labels.

 They help make a quintessentially English and luxurious jam on toast -perfect for a quick Sunday breakfast.

England Preserves : Website
Toast knives : India Jane
Vintage Art Deco plates
Vintage Art Deco toast stand

Black Storm : Kitchen Aid

My new gadget : Kitchen Aid Artisan Mixer

 I've wanted a Kitchen Aid for a very long time. My want has, of course, been further heightened by 'The Great British Bakeoff'. At last I've taken the plunge and bought one.
 I chose the Black Storm Artisan Kitchen Aid with glass bowl.  

 It looks amazing in my kitchen: seen here with my Marcel Wanders glass cake stand, which will be filled with homemade bakes very soon.

 So the first bake I attempted in my new Artisan Kitchen Aid had to be my 'signature' Mini Victoria Sponges. I found using the machine to be so effortless, and it mixes so quickly and efficiently.

The quickness and efficiency of the Kitchen Aid was it's initial downfall though. I have made the mini sponges countless times by the old fashioned wooden spoon method.  I guess over time I have mastered the exact consistency of the mix, and the correct amount of mixture to put in the baking tray.
 With this new extra fluffy, extra airy mix - less is definitely more, and I'll have to control the amount of mix better next time, this will create more uniform rise.

 The Mini Victoria Sponges are so delicious and light. The cream whipped up in mere seconds (rather than the 5 minutes it used to take by hand)

 Black Storm Artisan Kitchen Aid : Kitchen Aid
 Marcel Wanders @ Marks & Spencer :  M&S
 

Tea Tuesday : (Well, Coffee today...)

Coffee : Poker Chips Espresso set

 A change from the normal 'Tea Tuesday', today it's coffee. An Espresso in a Poker Chip set that I purchased in a beautiful interiors boutique in Mauritius.

 The set is by 'Bruno Evrard Création', a French family company specializing in the creation of 'arts of the table'.

Espresso Set : Bruno Evrard Création

Tea Tuesday : Bistro Tea

Bistro Tea & Coalport China

 I spotted this beautiful Edwardian Coalport tea set in the William Weston Gallery in Royal Arcade, Old Bond Street.
 I love the bold black and white stripes against the delicate flowers - the emerging Art Deco style, against traditional Edwardian details.

 Set of six Edwardian decorated tea cups and saucers. Made by Coalport and with their mark underneath, and also the old Harrods mark which is where they were originally sold. c.1905/1920's.

 I first discovered Bistro Tea whilst staying at Majeka House, in South Africa. The simple, effective packaging doubles as a new smart tea bag design.

 As stated by Bistro Tea, this newly designed tea stick enables proper dosage without wastage, it does not drip, neither does it need wringing. It is also a well designed stirrer.

 They do great tea blends: Fruit Berry, Red Tea, Herbs n' Honey, Green Tea & Black Tea.

Website : BistroTea

Tea set : Bernice Weston, Antiques and Decorative objects
@ William Weston Gallery, 7 Royal Arcade, Albermarle Street, London W1S 4SG

Tea Tuesday : Dilmah tea

Dilmah Tea & Kilner Jars

 I purchased some new Kilner Jars, these are great, British produced glass jars original invented in the 1840's. The traditional design of the Kilner Jar may have changed over the years but the principle of the family business has stayed the same right through to modern day.

 The airtight glass jars are ideal for storing tea. I had some new Dilmah tea bags to store, so the large jar was ideal. I first discovered Dilmah tea whilst staying at The Baros, Maldives.

 Dilmah tea is still true to it's Sri Lanka family business routes, and is the antidote to mult-origin blends now the norm in the UK. Dilmah remain faithful to Ceylon tea produced in the traditional way, perfected over centuries.

 I love the simplicity of the Dilmah tea packaging and their colourful wrappers, they complement the Kilner jars perfectly, making them look ultra modern.

 I also love the pairing of two family run businesses that have grown massively whilst still retaining their original values.

Website : Dilmah Tea

Website : Kilner Jars