Chester writer publishes History of Tea

Sep 17 2009 Chester Chronicle

WAKING up with a steaming cup of tea has become as much a part of British tradition as fish and chips and X Factor on a Saturday night have.

But what has made the drink such a national staple? In her new book The History of Tea, Chester author Claire Hopley explores the journey of the drink that travelled around the world before arriving in England in the 17th century.

It shows readers how tea has gone from being a romantic catalyst for characters in Jane Austen novels to serving a more sophisticated purpose in afternoon teas alongside homemade scones.

Claire was born and bred in Chester before attending universities in both England and America and going on to gain a post-graduate degree in English to become a teacher.

In recent years, she has combined writing with teaching in Russia, Poland and Greece while also working as a journalist specialising in articles on food, travel, literature and history.

It is her globe-trotting adventures that have provided the author with the knowledge to put together her many titles, such as World of Blantyre and the Cooking of Christopher Brooks and New England Cooking: Seasons and Celebration.

Claire will be appearing at the Chester Literature Festival on October 9 where she will unveil her new book The History of Christmas and its Feasts and give recipes based on literary texts from the 14th–21st centuries.