The residents and care team at Orford House, our Coulsdon-based residential care home, have had a ‘Brew-tiful’ time celebrating this year’s National Tea Day; reminiscing and chatting about all things ‘Tea’, whilst enjoying a ‘Beau-tea-ful’ cuppa together.
Resident, Patricia North, who made Orford House her home in January 2026, has vivid memories of her first cup of tea. “I must have been about three or four years old when I first tried tea,” recalled Patricia. “It was during World War II, and I was with my Grandparents who had a specific ritual they followed for each brew. It had to be tea leaves, the tea pot had to be warmed first, and a tea cosy had to be popped on the pot – and it was always tea first, milk second. Due to rationing, biscuits were a treat, but I liked, and still do, having a Rich Tea with my cuppas – but definitely not dunked.”
Muriel Bain, who joined the Orford House family in September 2024, used to be a self-proclaimed ‘Tea Bag’, and whilst she now prefers coffee, she has clear memories of her tea drinking days. “Like Patricia, I was very young when I first had a cup of tea – I was four-years-old. My Parents adored their tea, so I quickly became a firm fan as well. I was with my Mother when I first tried a brew; she always used loose leaf tea and a proper China tea pot. When she poured, she insisted that milk was in the cup before she added the tea, as that way she could make sure it was the right colour. As an adult, I used to love my morning cup of tea, it set me up for the day, it was energising. At one point, I was enjoying five cups a day! My favourite accompaniment was a Chocolate Digestive biscuit, which had to be dunked, that’s what they were definitely made for.”
Roschan Dossa, who moved to Orford House in June 2025 said her first experience of drinking tea was ‘enjoyable’. “I like milky tea, which has to be in a cup and saucer, not a mug,” said Roschan. “My favourite time to enjoy a cup of ‘Rosie Lee’ is around 2:30 p.m. in the afternoon. I find it really comforting. I’m in the minority when it comes to milk first or second. I read that the overwhelming majority of Britons add milk after the tea, and roughly only 1.3% to 3% admit to putting their milk in their cup first, just like me.”
Roschan, also admitted to being a ‘Dunker’. “Oh yes, you have to dunk a biscuit. My go to choice would have to be a Rich Tea, but if I’m honest, I do love a cream cake to go with my afternoon cuppa.”
“I thought it would also be a bit ‘Crea-tea-ive’ to do a mini poll to see what the residents’ favourite tea actually is,” said Mary Bradley, the Activities Coordinator at Orford House. “The results came in, and there was a clear winner. 75% of residents picked PG Tips® as their favourite, and 25% chose Tetley®.
“Knowing how much the residents love a good quiz, I looked up a few fun ‘Tea-ser’ facts to share with them, and they were rather impressed with the ‘Quali-tea’ of the trivia. Some of the information was quite historical and quite fascinating.
“For example, as legend has it, tea originated in ancient China around 2737 BC, when Emperor Shen Nung allegedly discovered it after leaves from a Camellia Sinensis tree and, allegedly, fell into his pot of boiling water. Also, tea containers have been found in tombs dating from the Han Dynasty which are believed to be dated around 206 BC to 220 AD; and over 100 million cups of tea are drunk in the UK every day, which equates to approximately 36 billion cups per year.”
“The residents are also very knowledgeable and surprise me every day with nuggets of wisdom,” added Michelle Kennett, the Registered Manager at Orford House.
“When Mary was telling them the history of tea and the many interesting facts and figures she’d uncovered, one resident added to the conversation and told us that the late Queen Elizabeth II, who was our Royal Patron for many years, had her tea of choice, which was Earl Grey with a splash of milk and no sugar and that King Charles III prefers Darjeeling with honey. Another resident added that tea bags were introduced into the UK by Tetley® in 1953. They ‘Hones-tea’ surprise me every day,” concluded Michelle.
Find out more about Orford House care home by calling 020 8660 2875 or emailing [email protected].