News Articles by Katherine Porter
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Introducing the Handy Brew
I love tea. It’s a magic brew, able to adapt to any occasion. But the equipment needed isn’t always as flexible as the brew itself. It’s hard to carry a proper tea pot around (much though I’d love to.) Of course, you can always dunk a tea bag in a cup, but somehow that’s just not the same as properly steeped, loose leaf tea. You tea lovers out there will know what I mean.
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The Coffee Army on the March
Melbourne takes its coffee seriously, as evidenced by a special coffee review commissioned by city’s The Age newspaper. A group of 150 readers, recruited by The Age’s Melbourne Magazine and called the ‘Coffee Army’, reviewed about 1000 cafes (including more than 120 in the CBD) before meeting to decide on a winner. The awards — the coffee equivalent of The Age Good Food Guide — provided further evidence, if any was needed, that coffee appreciation is at fever pitch in Melbourne.
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Tea Fit for a Queen
With the Queen in Australia and CHOGM in full flow, my thoughts naturally turned to a liquid that is drunk across the Commonwealth — tea. Five Senses’ new range to be precise. I love tea and the rituals involved in drinking it. So first up, was a morning favourite; English breakfast. This one was great, assured and bracing, with hints of dark chocolate and spice. A perfect way to kick start the day. Next in line was Earl Grey. A bright, refreshing drink, scented with bergamot and layered with notes of citrus, the Earl Grey was a beautiful orangey, golden colour in the cup.
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Victoria wins the State of Origin Barista Competition
For Ron Ngo of Five Senses being part of the victorious Victorian team at the recent Da Vinci State of Origin Barista competition in Sydney was a great experience. Needing to produce 30 coffees in twenty minutes in an atmosphere replicating a busy cafe, the State teams of baristas battled it out in a nail biting finish.
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Anyone for tea?
From London to Sydney, New York to Melbourne, chic writers are commenting on an emerging social trend — the rise of the tea party. Banished from the image doldrums, tea is emerging in the Western world as a force to be reckoned with. Famous hotels are taking three sittings of afternoon tea — and they still can’t meet demand! Tiny finger scones, rich petit fours, transparent fruit tarts, fancy china … and the drink at the centre of this new social fashion? Why tea, of course. Tea, the drink at the centre of a thousand conversations. Tea, the drink people reach for in times of crisis. Tea, the most widely-drunk beverage in the world — after water, of course. Yes, tea.
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