Head Butler Bell writes about the cup he has loved for many years — a private note on the quiet time a butler keeps for himself, apart from the tea he brews for his guests.
My lady, I hope this finds you in fine spirits. This is Butler Bell. In my opening note for this journal I promised to write about my favourite tea one day, so today I shall keep that promise.
What I have loved for many years is the Royal Blend from Fortnum & Mason. Said to have been created in 1902 for King Edward VII of England, it is an Assam-based blend with a deep, settled character. It never loses its footing even when I add a generous pour of milk — and it is precisely that inner strength I am so fond of.
The tea I brew for a guest is, of course, for the guest. I adjust it to everything — the day's temperature, the meal to be taken, the health of the person before me. But when I brew a single cup for myself alone, in the early hour before anyone has risen, I feel I can at last return from "Butler Bell" to being simply one man. Beyond the rising steam, I quietly lay out the order of the day ahead. It is because I have that time that I can stay composed at any table through the day.
A little trivia, if I may. Fortnum & Mason began, traced back to 1707, when William Fortnum — a servant of the royal household — made a business of reselling spent candle ends. A trade raised up from a servant's hands, now purveyor to the Crown. As a humble butler myself, this history warms my chest a little.
Your days are busy, I am sure — but do keep, my lady, a single cup that is for you alone. I wish you, from my heart, a most lovely time at tea.
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